Critical Thinking

Well-known authors Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parker successfully put together a rich reference with excellent pedagogical features to help students understand how to think critically inside the classroom and more importantly, in real life. Critical Thinking (ISBN 9780078038280) is easily the best resource on claims and arguments. Some of the topics covered in the book include how to think critically, how to write arguments clearly, and how to evaluate informative claims. The authors also cover persuasion through rhetoric, rhetorical devices, and pseudo reasoning. The authors focus on explanations, understanding and evaluating arguments, deductive arguments, as well as moral, legal, and aesthetic reasoning. There also provide plenty of essays for analysis, including Death Penalty Has No Place in U.S. by Cynthia Tucker, In Defense of A Little Virginity from Focus on the Family, Buying Notes Make Sense at Lost-in-Crowd Campuses from USA Today, Will Ozone Blob Devour the Earth? by Edward C. Krug, Hetero by Choice? by Richard Parker, and Do Women Really Need Affirmative Action? by Joanne Jacobs. Students will find the examples relatable, as they are based on real-world events happening in the academia, in politics, in sports, in entertainment, and in technology. There are also summaries at the end of each chapter plus numerous exercises for self assessment. The online supplement provides keywords and additional exercises. Authors Moore and Parker teach philosophy at the prestigious California State University. Moore is also known for his other books, including Philosophy: The Power Of Ideas, The Philosophical Possibilities Beyond Death, and The Logical Accessory: Instructor's Manual To Accompany Critical Thinking.