Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing, 2nd Ed

(Chris Devlin) #1

188 FURTHER READING


Reasoning Matters! A Constructive Approach to Critical Thinking, McClelland
& Stewart, Toronto, 1989.
This book was, in part, responsible for my emphasis on writing arguments and
explanations, rather than analysing them. Its advice on writing good arguments is
particularly helpful.


Makau, Josina M., Reasoning and Communication: Thinking Critically about
Arguments, Wadsworth, Belmont, CA, 1990.
A shorter work, with less emphasis on methods (such as casting). It is particu-
larly useful for its discussion of the contexts in which argumentation takes place; a
new edition was published in 1998.


Nickerson, Raymond S., Reflections On Reasoning, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale,
NJ, 1986.
This book provides some very revealing insights into the processes of teaching
and learning the skills of reasoning.


Rudinow, Joel and Barry, Vincent, Invitation to Critical Thinking, Wadsworth,
Belmont, CA, 2003 (5th edn).
Contains an excellent section on casting and a comprehensive discussion of the
generic errors that people make in reasoning.


Ruggiero, Vincent Ryan, Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, Mayfield,
Mountainview, CA, 1984.
A much republished book that provides simple, common-sense advice on many
issues related to reasoning; it also provides an excellent example of how the failure
to consider contextual issues can render much of this advice impractical.


Ruggiero, Vincent Ryan, The Art of Thinking: A Guide to Critical and Creative
Thought, Pearson Longman, 2000 (6th edn).
More up-to-date work by Ruggiero that expands on the original guide in a more
'textbook' manner. Of value is the focus the author places on personal change and
commitment to critical thinking, instead of simple technique.


Rybacki, Karyn C. and Rybacki, Donald J., Advocacy and Opposition: An
Introduction to Argumentation, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1986.
This work gives considerable advice on the process of proving particular types
of conclusions and inspired my approach in chapter 8.


Toulmin, Stephen, The Uses of Argument, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 2003.
Most recent book by Toulmin, one of the most influential analysts of critical
thinking and argumentation.


Toulmin, Stephen, Rieke, Richard, and Janik, Allan, An Introduction to Reasoning,
Macmillan, New York, 1984.
An excellent, thorough critical thinking textbook, with a particular emphasis on
the different ways in which premises and premise-like statements combine to

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