Download or read book The Irrational Ape written by David Robert Grimes and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-09-05 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE IRISH TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLER 'An unstoppable page-turner. If our leaders were forced to read this book, the world would be a safer place' Richard Dawkins 'A beautifully reasoned book about our own unreasonableness' Robin Ince Why did revolutionary China consider the sparrow an 'animal of capitalism' - and what happened when they tried to wipe them out? With a cast of murderous popes, snake-oil salesmen and superstitious pigeons, find out why flawed logic puts us all at risk, and how critical thinking can save the world. It may seem a big claim, but knowing how to think clearly and critically has literally helped save the world. In September 1983, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union's early warning system showed five US missiles heading towards the country. Stanislaw Petrov knew his duty: he was to inform Moscow that nuclear war had begun, so that they could launch an immediate and devastating response. Instead, he made a call to say the system was faulty. He'd assessed the situation and reasoned that an error was more likely than such a limited attack. We may not have to save the planet from nuclear annihilation, of course, but our ability to think critically has never been more important. In a world where fake news, mistrust of experts, prejudice and ignorance all too often hold sway, we can all too easily be misled over issues such as vaccinations, climate change or conspiracy theories. We live in an era where access to all the knowledge in the world is at our fingertips, yet that also means misinformation and falsehoods can spread further and faster than ever before. In The Irrational Ape, David Robert Grimes shows how we can be lured into making critical mistakes or drawing false conclusions, and how to avoid such errors. Given the power of modern science and the way that movements can unite to protest a cause via social media, we are in dangerous times. But fortunately, we can learn from our mistakes, and by critical thinking and scientific method we can discover how to apply these techniques to everything from deciding what insurance to buy to averting global disaster. This book, packed with fascinating case studies and examples, helps ensure we are ready for the modern world.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Denise D. Cummins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-16 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you know what economists mean when they refer to you as a "rational agent"? Or why a psychologist might label your idea a "creative insight"? After reading this book, you will know how the best and brightest thinkers judge the ways we decide, argue, solve problems, and tell right from wrong.

Download or read book Goodthinking written by Wendy Gordon and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Irving J. Good and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2009-11-18 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These sparkling essays by a gifted thinker offer philosophical views on the roots of statistical interference. A pioneer in the early development of computing, Irving J. Good made fundamental contributions to the theory of Bayesian inference and was a key member of the team that broke the German Enigma code during World War II. Good maintains that a grasp of probability is essential to answering both practical and philosophical questions. This compilation of his most accessible works concentrates on philosophical rather than mathematical subjects, ranging from rational decisions, randomness, and the nature of probability to operational research, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and chess. These twenty-three self-contained articles represent the author's work in a variety of fields but are unified by a consistently rational approach. Five closely related sections explore Bayesian rationality; probability; corroboration, hypothesis testing, and simplicity; information and surprise; and causality and explanation. A comprehensive index, abundant references, and a bibliography refer readers to classic and modern literature. Good's thought-provoking observations and memorable examples provide scientists, mathematicians, and historians of science with a coherent view of probability and its applications.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by David Robert Grimes and published by The Experiment. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Good Thinking is our best defense against anti-vaccine paranoia, climate denial, and other dire threats of today In our ever-more-polarized society, there’s at least one thing we still agree on: The world is overrun with misinformation, faulty logic, and the gullible followers who buy into it all. Of course, we’re not among them—are we? Scientist David Robert Grimes is on a mission to expose the logical fallacies and cognitive biases that drive our discourse on a dizzying array of topics–from vaccination to abortion, 9/11 conspiracy theories to dictatorial doublespeak, astrology to alternative medicine, and wrongful convictions to racism. But his purpose in Good Thinking isn’t to shame or place blame. Rather, it’s to interrogate our own assumptions–to develop our eye for the glimmer of truth in a vast sea of dubious sources–in short, to think critically. Grimes’s expert takedown of irrationality is required reading for anyone wondering why bad thinking persists and how we can defeat it. Ultimately, no one changes anyone else’s mind; we can only change our own–and give others the tools to do the same.

Download or read book Being Logical written by D.Q. McInerny and published by Random House Trade Paperbacks. This book was released on 2005-05-10 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential tool for our post-truth world: a witty primer on logic—and the dangers of illogical thinking—by a renowned Notre Dame professor Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments—arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen one’s own skills and to protect against incoherent, or deliberately misleading, reasoning. Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. D. Q. McInerney covers the sources of illogical thinking, from naïve optimism to narrow-mindedness, before dissecting the various tactics—red herrings, diversions, and simplistic reasoning—the illogical use in place of effective reasoning. An indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life, this is a concise, crisply readable book. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny’s Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice. Praise for Being Logical “Highly readable . . . D. Q. McInerny offers an introduction to symbolic logic in plain English, so you can finally be clear on what is deductive reasoning and what is inductive. And you’ll see how deductive arguments are constructed.”—Detroit Free Press “McInerny’s explanatory outline of sound thinking will be eminently beneficial to expository writers, debaters, and public speakers.”—Booklist “Given the shortage of logical thinking, And the fact that mankind is adrift, if not sinking, It is vital that all of us learn to think straight. And this small book by D.Q. McInerny is great. It follows therefore since we so badly need it, Everybody should not only but it, but read it.” —Charles Osgood

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Ted Huddleston and published by Evans Brothers. This book was released on 2000 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Robert Eidelberg and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the fact that youre holding this book in your hands and reading these words, you may at the same time be thinking that you dont really need any book to tell you how to think -- or even to try to teach you how to do it any better than youre already doing it. Perhaps youre even saying to yourself that thinking comes naturally, that you do it all the time, and that you dont need to think about it. Its a no brainer. Or, heres another possibility: could it be that you know that thinking can be hard work, so why even bother wondering why you have this book in your hands? Surely the author of Good Thinking is about to save you all that mental trouble and tell you why youre still reading these words; let him do the work! And so I will (but just this one time): if it is true -- as popular wisdom frequently reminds us -- that a mind is a terrible thing to waste, then the basic belief of this mindful self-improvement book is that what we familiarly call good thinking is what you accomplish when you put your mind to it; in short, if you mind your mind, you can, in fact, become the best possible thinker you can be. To help you improve your present ability as a thinker, Good Thinking is structured to give you both clarity in and practice with the key thinking skills and attitudes that produce everyday good thinking in our personal and professional lives. These skills and attitudes are explained, exemplified, and reinforced throughout the books fourteen manageable chapters with such empowering prompts as Mind Set, What Do You Think?, Reflections, and Assessing Your Thinking. Through structured activities, you will teach yourself how to get your mind to go from Huh? to Hmm to Aha! The subtitle of Good Thinking seeks to tell it as it can be and will be for you if you work with Good Thinking to stimulate your mind to think again! --Robert Eidelberg

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Christoph Kelp and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book combines virtue reliabilism with knowledge first epistemology to develop novel accounts of knowledge and justified belief. It is virtue reliabilist in that knowledge and justified belief are accounted for in terms of epistemic ability. It is knowledge first epistemological in that, unlike traditional virtue reliabilism, it does not unpack the notion of epistemic ability as an ability to form true beliefs but as an ability to know, thus offering a definition of justified belief in terms of knowledge. In addition, the book aims to show that this version of knowledge first virtue reliabilism serves to provide novel solutions to a number of core epistemological problems and, as a result, compares favourably with alternative versions of virtue reliabilism both in the traditionalist and in the knowledge first camp. This is the first ever book-length development of knowledge first virtue reliabilism, and it will contribute to recent debates in these two growing areas of epistemology.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Denise D. Cummins and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-04 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make important decisions, evaluate evidence, and solve ethical dilemmas through seven powerful decision-making methods.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Erik Palmer and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our daily communication involves argumentation and reasoning, but how well do we prepare students for these tasks? Are they able to persuade others, make solid purchasing decisions, or analyze the messages in the media? In his new book, Good Thinking: Teaching Argument, Persuasion, and Reasoning, Erik Palmer shows teachers of all subject matters how to transform the activities they already use into openings for improving student thinking. He demonstrates how to critically evaluate a point of view, understand rhetorical devises, apply logic, and build an effective argument, written or oral. Blending theory with practice, Palmer shares a wide range of classroom-tested lessons, including:How to understand argument in paintings and images Addressing ad hominem attacks using a traveling debate Creating a class comedy club, where students write syllogisms and analyze character and plot development Teaching logic through a class 'Booger Patrol' Palmer explains complex concepts in simple, practical language that gives teachers a deft understanding of the principles of good arguments, proper use of evidence, persuasive techniques, and rhetorical tricks. He reveals how all students, not just those in advanced classes, can begin developing sophisticated reasoning skills that will improve their oral and written communications, both in and outside of the classroom. '

Download or read book When Good Thinking Goes Bad written by Todd C. Riniolo and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-08-05 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Todd Riniolo has written the perfect primer on critical thinking, not just for critical thinkers but for everyone. Not only should this book be the primary text of critical thinking courses throughout the land, but the chapters on how to think critically about political, economic, and social issues should be required reading for all members of Congress, along with the White House staff and the President himself. Riniolo has cracked open our skulls and revealed that what lies inside is a mass of irrational goo that must be reshaped through vigilance and education. This book is where it begins.-MICHAEL SHERMER, Publisher of Skeptic magazine; Monthly columnist for Scientific American; Author of Why People Believe Weird Things and Why Darwin MattersIn 1975, the Environmental Fund sponsored a full-page advertisement in leading newspapers, which predicted that the world as we know it will likely be ruined before the year 2,000, due to the assumed inability of world food production to keep pace with the increase in population. The statement was endorsed by some of the finest thinkers of the time-scientists, scholars, and other professionals who had spent their careers applying the principles of critical thinking to their chosen disciplines. Nonetheless, in this instance, they all failed to use the same rigor in assessing the probability of looming disaster and badly miscalculated.This is just one example of how even the best thinkers can sometimes go astray, and it illustrates how easily unconscious biases can undermine the critical thinking process. In this insightful analysis of the mental pitfalls that trip up even elite critical thinkers, psychologist Todd C. Riniolo makes a compelling case that under certain circumstances everyone is vulnerable to accepting erroneous beliefs.Riniolo begins by reviewing the hallmarks of critical thinking related to the evaluation of claims, such as the use of the double-blind procedure and the law of parsimony. He then provides an evolutionary framework and empirical supporting evidence from cognitive psychology to explain why being inconsistent in the use of critical thinking is part of our evolutionary heritage. Each of us possesses cognitive biases that make us prone to maintaining our current beliefs (both true and false). He concludes by focusing on a wide range of claims-environmental, political, economic, multicultural-to illustrate how in certain contexts we all are tempted to abandon critical thinking.Thoroughly researched yet written in a lively, witty style, this unique approach to critical thinking will interest students, teachers, and anyone who wishes to become a better thinker.Todd C. Riniolo (Grand Island, NY) is an associate professor of psychology at Medaille College. He has written many peer-reviewed articles in the psychological literature.

Download or read book How Good Thinking Makes Good Lives 100 Scenarios for Creative and Critical Thinking written by Charles Png and published by eBookIt.com. This book was released on 2014-10-23 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about Good Thinking. By applying the 8 SCENARIO Principles, readers will be able to develop their critical and creative thinking abilities. The belief that a good thinking model makes for a good life has prompted us to write a book for those who aspire to be better thinkers. This book is for everyone who believes that through good thinking, good lives are made. These principles will enable you to effectively think through critical and creative challenges. This will allow you to think more effectively and creatively. You will be amazed by the changes in your life when you think more clearly. These scenarios are written to allow you to do the following: 1. As a facilitator, you will be able to use these real-life scenarios to have discussions with your participants. These scenarios will help your participants to use the tools provided to think more critically and creatively. 2. As an educator, you will be able to use these authentic scenarios to reflect on your own experiences and to apply these thinking principles with your students. Teach them the thinking tools. 3. As a reader, you will be able to use these relevant scenarios to determine the principles you will use when you think. These thinking tools will enable you to be a better thinker. 4. As a thinker, you will be able to identify with these impactful scenarios as they relate to your thinking in your daily life. The tools will remind you to be a better thinker. The suggested answers are just that—suggestions. Feel free to consider other suggestions that are aligned with the issue and the context.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Sarah Edelman and published by HarperCollins Australia. This book was released on 2017-06-01 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practical help for teenagers navigating negative emotions, stress and self-defeating behaviour. Although most of us pay little attention to our emotions, feelings like anxiety, anger, frustration, guilt and sadness can have a huge impact on our lives. Sometimes we get stuck in negative ways of thinking that perpetuate these emotions, even when what is happening in our lives is not that bad. Teenage years can be a particularly challenging time. There are lots of changes happening – physical, social and mental, and emotional ups and downs are common. Upsetting emotions can lead to self-defeating behaviours, such as avoidance, irritability, withdrawal and brooding. While our emotions seem to have a life of their own, there are actually lots of things we can do to affect them. Learning skills to manage unhelpful emotions can make our lives much easier, now and into the future. They can also help us to get back on track more quickly when things go wrong. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an approach used by therapists all over the world to help people learn to think in a healthy and balanced way, and to bounce back more quickly from stressful events. It provides techniques to help overcome stress, negative emotions and self-defeating behaviour. Bestselling author of Change Your Thinking, Sarah Edelman, and Louise Remond, a specialist in therapy for teenagers, explain how to use these skills with clarity and compassion. The book contains plenty of real-life examples, practical tools and exercises. These strategies have a proven track record, and are valuable skills for a happier and more confident life.

Download or read book Good Thinking written by Guy P. Harrison and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical-thinking skills are essential for life in the 21st century. In this follow-up to his introductory guide Think, and continuing his trademark of hopeful skepticism, Guy Harrison demonstrates in a detailed fashion how to sort through bad ideas, unfounded claims, and bogus information to drill down to the most salient facts. By explaining how the human brain works, and outing its most irrational processes, this book provides the thinking tools that will help you make better decisions, ask the right questions (at the right time), know what to look for when evaluating information, and understand how your own brain subconsciously clouds your judgment. Think you're too smart to be easily misled? Harrison summarizes scientific research showing how easily even intelligent and well-educated people can be fooled. We all suffer from cognitive biases, embellished memories, and the tendency to kowtow to authority figures or be duped by dubious 'truths' packaged in appealing stories. And as primates we are naturally status seekers, so we are prone to irrational beliefs that seem to enhance our sense of belonging and ranking. Emotional impulses and stress also all too often lead us into traps of misperception and bad judgment. Understanding what science has discovered about the brain makes you better equipped to cope with its built-in pitfalls. Good Thinking--the book and the practice-- makes clear that with knowledge and the right thinking skills, anyone can lead a safer, wiser, more efficient, and productive life.

Download or read book Be Good and Do Good written by Bernard V. Brady and published by Orbis Books. This book was released on 2014-07-30 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Teaching and Learning in a Community of Thinking written by Yoram Harpaz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores a new pedagogical model called The Third Model, which places the encounter between the child and the curriculum at the center of educational theory and practice. The Third Model is implemented in an alternative classroom called Community of Thinking. Teaching and learning in a Community of Thinking is based on three "stations": the fertile question; research; and concluding performance. The essence of a Community of Thinking is the formation of a group of students and teachers who grapple with a troubling question to which they do not know the answer at the outset – and sometimes even at the end of their investigation. The Community of Thinking framework is supported by a whole school model – the Intel-Lect School. The model, or parts of it, is currently implemented in schools in Israel, England, Australia, and New Zealand. The book suggests a new pedagogical narrative based on alternative "atomic pictures" of learning, teaching, knowledge, mind and the aim of education, and a systematic pedagogical practice based on this narrative.