In a polarized world, a good argument can help create understanding, respect, and compromise. The key is the word "good" : arguments should not resort to put-downs, abuse, accusations, or avoidance of issues. Sinnott-Armstrong shows readers what arguments are-- and what good they can do. When one understands and appreciates strong evidence, it is not necessary to "win" the argument merely to engage in constructive conversations. -- adapted from back...

Shows how analogy-making pervades human thought at all levels, influencing the choice of words and phrases in speech, providing guidance in unfamiliar situations, and giving rise to great acts of imagination. "Analogy is the core of all thinking. This is the simple but unorthodox premise that Pulitzer Prize-winning author Douglas Hofstadter and French psychologist Emmanuel Sander defend in their new work. Hofstadter has been grappling with the mysteries...

[This book] is a contrarian treatise on why we're not as good at thinking as we assume-- but how recovering this lost art can rescue our inner lives from the chaos of modern life. As a celebrated cultural critic and a writer for national publications such as The Atlantic and Harper's, Alan Jacobs has spent his adult life belonging to communities that often clash in America's culture wars. And in his years of confronting the big issues that divide...

"The Vocabulary of Critical Thinking offers an innovative way to improve students' thinking skills. It begins at a practical level by helping students master the crucial terms that are the building blocks of critical thinking - terms such as "generalization," "inferring," "to confirm," "justifying," "assumption," and others. The book provides hundreds of short, accessible readings that illustrate the concepts and related thinking skills. It explains...