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 | | Critical Thinking by Alec Fisher ISBN-10: 9780521009843 ISBN-10: 0-521-00984-7 ISBN-13: 9780521009843 ISBN-13: 978-0-521-00984-3 Paperback 2001-11-01 Cambridge University Press Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description In this book, Alec Fisher aims to teach directly an important range of thinking skills. The skills are fundamental critical (and creative) thinking skills, and they are taught in a way which expressly aims to facilitate their transfer to other subjects and other contexts. The method is to use 'thinking maps' which help improve thinking by asking key questions of students when they are faced with different types of problems. Alec Fisher explains the language of reasoning, how to understand different kinds of arguments and how to ask the right question. Other topics include: different patterns of reasoning and standards which apply in different contexts, how to clarify and interpret ideas, how to judge the credibility of claims, and how to decide whether a person really justifies their conclusions, given their audience. Particular attention is given to understanding casual explanations and evaluating decisions. THe book includes many examples and exercises which give extensive practice in developing critico-creative thinking skills. | ||
Reviews | ||
Why oh, why? So little doing Critical Thinking itself I expected a clear book, with many examples explaining how to think critically. Instead this is written like a book for teachers who already have a background in the subject. Seriously I just did not find this book so useful. The 'thinking maps' were good, the beginning section and explaining structures of arguments. The rest I really find useless. There are not many 'full on' Questions which train you. I would like to see more analytical work, less time spent on long definitions. I suggest you look some where else for a more serious and clear book about critical thinking. | ||
I really liked this one. I've been educating myself with a number of books on Critical Thinking in order to improve my overall thinking, and by applying the techniques and principles to other areas of study - to utimately become a more effective learner. I enjoyed this book for several reasons - the book is very well written, it follows the curriculum of the AS level Critical thinking. The examples and exercises in the book where engaging, well chosen and modern. The skills are highly transferable to other areas, and are taught explicitly. I'm using this book in conjunction with Thinking Skills by J Butterworth and the Art of Reasoning by David Kelly. I'm still absorbing the skills of Critical thinking, since it is a highly practical skill- and hopefully I'll reap the benefits in due course. The journey to becoming a more effective critical thinker is most enjoyable when you encounter a book like this. | ||
A Must-Read for Anyone Invovled in Decision-Making This book is a real eye-opener, and delves into practical matters regarding how to "reason." It leaves out, technicalities and reduces the ideas to the level an everyday person can comprehend. (Nwankama Nwankama, Intelligence Analyst) | ||
What does one base one'e critical thinking on? Giving this book one star is, I admit, a little unfair since I have not read it, but one thing must be kept in mind. What does one base one's critical thinking upon? One must have an anchor or base in order to think critically. Part, no I will say much, of what is wrong with our society today is the fact that no one seems to accept that there is absolute truth. This is what we should strive for when we think, when we discuss, when we argue and we do any activity that involves thinking. One doesn't simply think critically. I do not know if the author mentions this or not, so you can read me the riot act if he does, for I am admittedly ignorant. What I am saying, though, is that we must approach any activity with an eye to finding the truth. Without it, we are lost. | ||
Should be taught in every school The author takes the reader -- very methodically -- through all the problems and trip-ups of thinking which cause ordinarily smart people to come to pretty stupid conclusions. He also provides "Thinking Maps" so that, once aware of how we can go afoul, we can choose to think in a more disciplined and scientific way. For these reasons, every person, starting at an early age, should have this decidedly academic book as part of their curriculum. In that setting, the exercises to spot sloppy thinking and instead use critical thinking would be wonderful. As an adult, however, reading this book on a treadmill, all the exercises interwoven through the text, slowed me down. It is for this reason that I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars. | ||