Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing

Smart Thinking is a practical, step-by-step guide to improving skills in analysis, critical thinking, and the effective communication of arguments and explanations. It combines an accessible and straightforward style, with a strong foundation of knowledge. The book treats reasoning as an aspect of communication, not an abstract exercise in logic. It not only provides detailed advice on how to practice better analytical skills, but also demonstrates how these skills can be used in research and writing. In particular, Smart Thinking emphasises how to develop arguments that are coherent and that take account of their audience and context. The new edition expands and updates the learning tools, including glossary, guide to further reading and guide to important skills. Each chapter also contains exercises to enhance knowledge and test readers' skills. A completely new final chapter demonstrates a fully-worked example that models the skills learnt in the book.

Updated Glossary, Guide to Further Reading, Guide to Important Skills More on finding information and types of reasoning Increased and updated examples, and exercises Increased coverage of key concepts and skills All new model example demonstrates the skills learnt in the book Practical, step-by-step guide Unlike other books it places an emphasis on using critical thinking skills in writing Each chapter contains exercises to enhance knowledge and test skills