Thinking Critically teaches the fundamental thinking, reasoning, reading, and writing abilities that students need for academic success. The text begins with basic skills related to personal experience and then carefully progresses to the more sophisticated reasoning skills required for abstract, academic contexts. Thinking Critically is designed to introduce students to the cognitive process while teaching them to develop their higher order thinking and language abilities. The book has a number of distinctive characteristics that make it an effective tool for both instructors and students. Exercises, discussion topics, and writing assignments encourage active participation, stimulating students to critically examine their own and others' thinking.</p>

Every aspect of the text brings critical thinking to bear on recent world events, including September 11 and response to terrorist activities.

Readings and activities explore topics such as the meaning of patriotism and how journalists balance national security concerns with reporting on breaking events.

Enhanced exploration of how critical thinking can improve one's personal relationships features readings from Judith Wallerstein's The Good Marriage and Robert Wright's The Moral Animal.It asks students to gather and weigh evidence, ask relevant questions, construct informed beliefs, evaluate expert testimony and summation arguments, reach a reasoned verdict, and view the entire case from a problem-solving perspective.