Becoming a Critical Thinker

Becoming a Critical Thinker breaks up critical thinking into a series of cumulative activities, taking a "student-as-consumer-of-information" perspective that encourages students to apply the skills outlined to their own lives. This unique approach has made this text a staple of many critical thinking courses.

The Fifth Edition strengthens the connection between critical thinking and career preparation with new material throughout the text that focuses on communication and the evaluation of evidence in the workplace. A new section in Chapter 6 called "Thinking Critically about Careers" addresses practical ways to apply critical thinking to career decisions. With the goals of improving students' sense of self-empowerment and their ability to communicate effectively in any situation, this text helps create a flow from the fundamentals of thinking to the exploration of arguments and evidence. A concise structure makes the text a useful supplement to any student success course.

• "Good Thinking" boxes profile individuals that underscore the role of critical thinking in achievement. These boxes appear throughout the text and offer students a variety of role models to emulate.
• Exercises encourage students to put strategies to practical use in their daily lives. Students are also asked to analyze and compare real arguments and viewpoints on contemporary topics as a way of expanding their own reasoning capabilities.

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero is an internationally known writer, lecturer, and consultant whose areas of special interest and expertise are critical and creative thinking, ethics, educational reform, and social criticism. A pioneer in the movement to make thinking skills instruction an important emphasis at every level of education, he holds the rank of professor emeritus, State University of New York at Delhi, and resides in Dunedin, Florida. Professor Ruggiero's 22 books include Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues, The Art of Thinking, Teaching Thinking across the Curriculum, A Guide to Thinking Sociologically, Warning: Nonsense Is Destroying America, Making Your Mind Matter, The Practice of Loving Kindness, and Corrupted Culture.