The Thinker's Way : 8 Steps to a Richer Life - Hardcover

Chaffee, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316133175 ISBN 13: 9780316133173

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 1998

Synopsis

It is never too late to be what you might have been" -- George Eliot

The Thinker's Way is a book for anyone seeking a sense of meaning and purpose in life. John Chaffee's message is that we can all shape our lives into what we want them to be. We can all learn to think critically, live creatively, and choose freely. We can learn to focus in a confusing world of information overload, hyperstimulation, and instant gratification. Changing our thinking changes our relationship to ourselves and others. Thinking critically involves reflecting on the thinking process itself, enabling us to understand our own mind. As our thinking becomes clearer, our actions will become increasingly thoughtful, creative, and effective. Every area of our lives will be transformed, from our problem-solving skills, to our moral universe, to relationships with our family, friends, and coworkers. John Chaffee has written a book that will change the way we see the world, and show how each of us can achieve our full potential at work, in love, in life.

About this title

About the Author

John Chaffee, Ph.D., is Director of the New York Center for Critical Thinking and Language Learning and Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York.

Reviews

Beginning with the provocative assertion that "we have become a society of non-thinkers," Chaffee sets out to replicate for a trade audience the academic course in critical thinking he created for the City University of New York and says he has taught to "thousands of people for the past 20 years." He offers a thorough, detailed method for "analyzing complex issues," "evaluating evidence," solving problems creatively and "making informed choices." Using such examples as the recent court case of nanny Louise Woodward, the issue of human cloning and the Roswell UFO incident, Chaffee meticulously examines factual evidence, various perspectives and possible biases in assessing each case. While providing an excellent course in critical thinking, he seems to trip, however, over one of the very obstacles he describes by focusing solely on rationality and presenting it as a panacea for just about every problem and area of life. In particular, his chapters on relationships and freedom suffer from inattention to emotional, psychological and spiritual perspectives. Chaffee unrealistically advises readers to simply "will yourself to break free from constraints," be they addictions, anxiety attacks or dead-end jobs. As an introductory course in logical reasoning, this effort is superb; as a self-help guide promising that "your life will be transformed in every area," it falls far short. Simultaneous TimeWarner audio; author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been," is the wonderful quotation from George Eliot that opens this work. Chaffee (humanities, CUNY; Thinking Critically, Houghton, 1987) follows this help with topics such as living creatively, solving problems, and developing enlightened values. Although Chaffee includes lists of thinking activities and encourages readers to keep a "thinking journal," his approach is more abstract, philosophical, and inspirational than it is practical. This book does not have a clearly delineated introduction outlining the author's goals. This omission, combined with Chaffee's sophisticated style, will limit the appeal to many mainstream self-helpers. Such readers would do better with works such as Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success (Dutton, 1994). For academic and the largest public libraries.
-?January Adams, Franklin Twp. P.L., Somerset, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316133175
• ISBN 13: 9780316133173
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 432