Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Neil Browne, Stuart M. Keeley
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $39.20
Buy Used: $25.95
You Save: $13.25 (34%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 8482
Media: Paperback
Edition: 8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6
ISBN: 0132203049
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9780132203043
ASIN: 0132203049
Publication Date: February 10, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Book Description
This book helps readers bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. It teaches them to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject as they read and listen. Chapter titles include: The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions; What are the Issue and the Conclusion?; What Are the Reasons?; What Are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions?; Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?; How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Appeals to Authority, and Testimonials?; and What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?. For any critical reader who wants to enhance and develop better reasoning skills in order to make rational decisions.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 Questioning leads to knowledge...and knowledge leads to wisdom! June 11, 2008
This book is very helpful at opening up ones mind to alternatives by asking questions. Not just a few questions, but question everything. Questioning leads to knowledge, and knowledge leads to wisdom.
Asking the right questions encourages a curious and open mind, analyzing issues from multiple viewpoints, thinking through questions and answers, doing needed investigation and intuitive and non-intuitive thinking. These key elements are the basis to sound critical thinking.
Asking the Right Questions has been around for many years and is still doing well. This says a lot for how many people have benefited from it. It is currently on the 8th edition. I read the 7th edition which came out in 2004. I liked the comment from the authors at the end of the preface which says they are constantly improving the book using advice and recommendations from students and others to make it better. Practicing what one preaches is an excellent sign of quality.
The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking
Fantastic! November 23, 2007
This has got to be hands down one of the best books I have ever read. I picked this up for a class I was taking and it really opened my eyes. People see the words "critical thinking" and assume it means something negative. This book teaches you how to use your brain to look at things from all angles and points of view so that you can make more informed choices and decisions!
 ok September 22, 2007
0 out of 13 found this review helpful
did not come very quickly--wasn't even sent out until about 5 days after I placed the order. in very good condition though.
Great book September 5, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is a must have for every rhetoric class! Easy to read and understand, best tool for a student.
 Good questions. Very helpful indeed. April 3, 2007
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I strongly agree with the author on pg 13, that "by the end of the book, you should know when and how to ask these questions productively (elaborated through individual chapters):-
1. What are the issues and the concclusions?
2. What are the ressons?
3. Which words or phrases are ambiguous?
4. What are the value conflicts and assumptions?
5. What are the descriptive assumptions?
6. Are there any fallacies in the reasoning?
7. How good is the evidence?
8. Are there rival causes?
9. Are the statistics deceptive?
10. What significant information is omitted?
11. What reasonable conclusions are possible?
Of course, a compilation of good questions doesnt qualify it to be a good book. Indeed, the samples and stories well illustrate the principles and concepts behind. The discussions on various fallacies are marvelous, including:-
Ad hominem: An attack, or an insult, on the person, rather than directly addressing the person's reasons.
Slipperly Slope: Making the assumption that a proposed step will set off an uncontrollable chain of undesirable events, when procedures exist to prevent such a chain of events.
Hasty Generalization: A person draws a conclusion about a large group of based on experience with only a few members of the group.
Causal Oversimplification: Explaining an event by relying on causal factors that are insufficient to account for the event or by overemphasizing the role of one or more of these factors.
Confusion of Cause and Effect: Confusing the cause with the effect of an event or failing to recognise that the two events may be influencing each other.
Neglect of a common cause: Failure to recognize that two events may be related because of the effects of a common third factor.
Post hoc: Assuming that a particular event, B, is caused by another event, A, simply because B follows A in time.
............
In short, an excellent food for thought. Highly recommended!
p.s. I like the following story on pg 137 the most.
"After carefully conditioning a flea to jump out of a box following the presentation of a loud noise, the researcher removed the first pair of legs to see what effect this had. Observing that the flea was still able to perform his task, the scientist removed the second pair of legs. Once again noting no difference in performance, the researcher removed the final pair of legs and found that the jumping behaviour no longer occurred. Thus, the investigator wrote in his notebook, "When all the legs of a flea have been removed, it will no longer be able to hear."
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