"How to Becomee a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Practical Guide to Thinking Critically" by Christopher diCarlo

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Higher Education
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0070968424

I can't remember offhand exactly how I heard about this book, but it's been quite a few years since I purchased it originally. In fact I believe I have the first edition as opposed to what is currently on sale because the cover is different.

The title in itself is quite intriguing shall we say, and while it might offend some people it is extremely relevant to the contents of this book. The fact that students today are not taught any, or at least very few critical thinking skills is a shame. This book goes a long way to correcting this shortsighted component of our educational system.

The book itself gives an extremely in-depth but easy to read introduction to critical thinking, arguments, how arguments are structured, scientific reasoning, the rules of reasoning, and much more. It does this with excellent examples, that should be relevant to any reader.

At the time of writing Dr. Carlo was a professor at University of Ontario Institute of technology, and now according to the internet is at the University of Toronto. I assume, although it's not stated that this book is based on his lectures to undergraduate students.

I believe this would be an excellent book for every undergraduate student in the sciences and liberal liberal arts to read as it gives it a very good background to critical thinking, something that every student should be aware of and be fluent in.