Oxford Guide to Effective Argument and Critical Thinking

This is one of the few practical texts on critical thinking which does not get bogged down with the formulaic preoccupations of philosophy and so is accessible for undergraduate university students in other disciplines and for readers in general. The quest to find a critical thinking text of this nature is long and difficult, as I know in looking for a book for my own students in journalism. The only other comparable critical thinking text, though quite different and somewhat idiosyncratic, is Critical Thinking by Richard W. Paul and his wife Linda Elder. The Paul and Elder text is much more thorough and lengthy, but it is this extensiveness, as well as its complexity, that make it impractical to use with students. The Swatridge guide is therefore a better choice for undergraduates and general readers. The Swatridge text has its own sly Socratic flavour because it teases the reader into thought rather than simply dominating the reader with pronouncements. In other words, the text tries to stimulate critical thinking in the reading of the text rather than just passive understanding. The British background of the author is also a welcome break from the dominance of United States texts with their strong U.S. national focus. Where both Swatridge and Paul fall short is the applicability of their approach to critical thinking, which is my focus in trying to help my own students. It seems that critical thinking has become a kind of academic knowledge through the education system, instead of a behaviour of mind and personality. I remember the moment of sitting as a guest in the philosophy class of a fellow faculty member and hearing him tell students that he could not be expected to internalize in himself what he was teaching in the course. In any event, among the forest of texts in critical thinking that take the reader deeper into the preoccupations of the discipline of philosophy and farther away from practical applications, the Swatridge text is a good first choice, followed by Paul and Elder for deeper submersion. The moderate length of the Swatridge text and the relative shortness of the chapters are nicely geared to the pacing of reading. The general reader who is sincerely interested in grappling with critical thinking will probably find this book a good choice. Read this book to stimulate your brain cells the way they want to be stimulated.

Oxford is the way to go.

A great companion for dry formal/mathematical logic texts- makes it vivid and enjoyable!

As described.

I think this is a great resource for students wanting to deliver an effective argument in their dissertation or essays. I also think its a handy reference for writing articles or giving presentations. Its a good companion to the 'Oxford guide to Effective Writing and Speaking'.I love that the author sets out his aims at the start of each chapter and then helps the reader to think critically and present arguments through the use of real examples.In each chapter there are questions to encourage the reader to think; there are also 'words of advice' which are useful. Each chapter is summarised so that the main points are easy to digest.This book is a great reference for students, writers and speakers; I know it will be a book that I will reach for when writing articles or speeches.

It's interesting for me to learn about argumentation skills. I am a philosophy undergrad and law post grad student... It was informative

The reference of this book was excellent. Chapter end with summary helps me catch up my last reading session. The way this book formulate question helps reader to start thinking critically and definitely a tool to lay your argument as the title say it is.

Not that much to learn. Main learning for me at about inductive vs deductive reasoning in Western vs Eastern Europe.

Unfortunately the quality of digital printing was so poor (grey, pixellated type) that it was just too hard to read and I returned it.