Information is something that we all require as it directs our daily decisions, but many of us give little thought to its credibility. Consequently, many of us are poor consumers of information and regularly fall victim to false information, which has become ubiquitous as a result of the Internet. This presents a serious problem to society as the accuracy of information is paramount in order to maintain a healthy social fabric as well as democracy. The answer to this onslaught of false information is to arm society with a better critical thinking skill set of which logic is an essential component.

Within the pages of this book lies a quick introduction to logic, a brief overview of the more common logical fallacies, how to establish the credibility of information, and, last, an analysis of arguments observed in real life. Whether it is fake news, pseudoscience, or your latest viral conspiracy theory YouTube video, these skills will help you to better discern fact from fiction. The information landscape is treacherous these days and one must proceed with caution. This is why this book was written. The information provided here will help you to safely navigate your way through this landscape towards truth. One of the most important aspects of our lives is the accuracy of the information that we use to direct it. This is why the truth matters.

thinking criticially

Your journey towards becoming a smarter consumer of information starts here:

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meet the author

Jonathan possesses a diverse background in physics, applied mathematics, engineering, programming, business, and entrepreneurship. He earned an undergraduate degree in both geology and applied mathematics as well as a master’s degree in Physics from Northern Illinois University. Currently, he is working on completing a PhD in physics as well as building Intelligent Speculation to help promote both critical thinking and science. His mission in life is to have a positive impact on the world.

The Story

At one point in my life, I found myself in the grips of a pseudo-scientific worldview. In particular, I had irrational fears regarding the safety of both GMOs and vaccines. Through hours of “research,” I had convinced myself that somehow the science wasn't settled and that there was more to the story that we weren't being told. In my defense, I had grown up to a parent who was an alternative-healthcare practitioner and these irrational fears had been indoctrinated at a young age.

At some point in my late twenties and after years of working in the industry, everything changed for me. I began to study….Read more →

About The book

➼ Learn about informal logic and how it can be used to help you to be a more responsible consumer of information.

➼ Learn how to properly structure a good argument.

➼ Learn about the concept of a logical fallacy, some of the more common

types, and how they render an argument bad.

➼ Learn how to identify fake news, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, and other forms of false information.

➼ Learn how to identify bad science as well as pseudoscience.

➼ A number of examples from real life are presented with an accompanying analysis which highlights how the skills taught in the first two parts of the book can be applied in one’s life.

Who should read this book? 
Why should I read it?

Are you having a difficult time discerning fact from fiction online?

Can’t quite understand why your arguments are easily refuted?

Would you like a deeper understanding of how science works?

Do you want to be better at identifying fake news and conspiracy theories?

Looking to take your thinking skills to the next level?

Are you wanting to better understand logic and how it can be used to improve your life?

6 reasons why

1

The information landscape is constantly changing.

Learn to adapt and stay agile even as the landscape shifts.

2

The best thinking skills are timeless.

Acquire the essential knowledge that can then be applied to all areas of your life.

3

It’s easy to lose sight of what works and why.

There are number of thinking strategies available, but there is only one framework regularly implemented by the scientific community.

4

Thinking critically isn’t about just one skill alone.

A multi-faceted approach will help you to better discern fact from fiction and optimize your decision making.

5

There’s no big secret when it comes to thinking critically.

You simply need to first understand the skills and then commit to applying them regularly in your life.

6

Real world examples help to illustrate concepts.

Examples from real life are presented and analyzed in order to help you better understand the core ideas.

Get ahead of the game

This book is designed to challenge the way you think about thinking to help you make better decisions in today’s information laden world. The skills taught within Thinking Critically will help you to continuously adapt to new information wherever you may come across it and best discern the good from the bad. Read the book from cover to cover, then refer to relevant chapters as needed. The material can be dense at points, but it is most certainly not insurmountable. If you are ever discouraged, remember that the better you understand the material in this book, the better the decisions that you make.

Accurately analyze arguments to determine whether they are good or bad. The foundation of argument analysis starts with an introduction logic. Simple examples are presented and the complexity is gradually increased until arguments from real life are presented and analyzed. The end goal is for you to understand this content to a degree where you can then comfortably analyze arguments encountered in everyday life yourself.
Learn how to identify real news from fake news and much more. The advent of fake news has taken popular culture by storm since 2016. Beyond fake news, there are conspiracy theories, misinformation, pseudoscience, and other forms of false information which can distort, deceive, and otherwise lead you to make poor decisions. The quality of the decisions that direct your life are directly related to the quality of the information that you use to develop them. There are a number of techniques that have been developed to help identify bad sources of information that are presented in detail within.
Better develop your understanding of science as it’s the best framework for knowledge that has ever been developed. Gravity, evolution, smart devices, and an extended life span all have one thing in common. We understand how they work because of science. It is arguably the single greatest invention that humans have ever devised and it is a travesty that more do not fully appreciate this. By further developing your understanding of science, not only will you be better suited to discern good from bad science, but you will advance your appreciation for this framework that has allowed us to create the vast majority of the luxuries that we enjoy today.

Quotes from the book

“Today, we live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with information due to the invention of the Internet and the myriad of technical devices that give us constant access to it. From fake news to conspiracy theories, the world is increasingly inundated with false information (i.e., misinformation, disinformation, and other forms of bad information) and it has become difficult to discern fact from fiction as a result. All is not lost; the remedy for this pandemic of diseased information is a critical thinking inoculation. Through the development of a more critical mind, you will also notice an increase in your ability to achieve better results. Better thinking leads to better decisions, which leads to better outcomes in all areas of your life.”

— Chapter 1: Information Everywhere

“This is what critical thinking is all about. You are ultimately a participant in a verbal waltz where you and your partner are tasked with moving yourselves closer to truth. While not all participants may ascribe to this philosophy, you do, and accordingly, must lead this dance by example.”

— Chapter 6: The Principle of Charity

“Due to the prevalence of pseudoscience, it is imperative that you know how to evaluate the evidence
behind scientific claims. From bad science reporting to baseless science sounding claims promoted by YouTube Doctors or social media influencers, the following 12 points will help you to separate the science
from the pseudoscience.”

— Chapter 10: Scientific Credibility

Read Thinking Critically your way

Ebook

A perfect edition to your electronic book collection for your morning commute.

Take your copy of Thinking Critically everywhere you go.

paperback

Great for your next trip.

Easy-to-carry strategies that will help you to make better decisions.

Start making better decisions today!