Critical Thinking

Reviews / Votes

'The way in which this text combines clear and detailed explanations of technical concepts with a comprehensive set of contemporary and relevant examples is excellent. Whilst the focus is largely on developing the practical skills of argument reconstruction and analysis, the authors never lose sight of the larger philosophical picture, and this makes the book a joy both to teach with, and to learn from.' - Joel Walmsley, University College Cork, Ireland


'Bowell & Kemp's Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide is, in my view, the best textbook by some distance for undergraduate students approaching the subject for the first time. It is clearly written and introduces the fundamental concepts of the subject in an accessible and systematic way which equips students with the essential skills needed for the construction and analysis of arguments. The exercises are carefully selected to really embed the concepts in examples that will be relevant and interesting to students, and provide an excellent teaching resource. The book will be of great value to students of philosophy, providing them with an analytical framework within which they can properly understand and assess the texts they study. Furthermore, students of any academic discipline will benefit greatly from the book as a guide to organising their thoughts into rigorous arguments. The fourth edition contains welcome new material on probabilistic reasoning, as well as continued improvements throughout the book. It remains the clear first-choice textbook for my course.' - Graham Stevens, University of Manchester, UK


Praise for previous editions:


'This concise guide offers relevant, rigorous and approachable methods...The authors focus on analysing and assessing arguments in a thoughtfully structured series of chapters, with clear definitions, a glossary, plenty of examples and some useful exercises.' - Will Ord, Times Educational Supplement





'In my view this book is the most useful textbook on the market for its stated audience. It provides exceptionally clear explanations, with sufficient technical detail, but without over-complication. It is my first-choice text for teaching critical thinking to first-year undergraduate students.' - Dawn Phillips, University of Southampton, UK


'...written with actual undergraduates, and the standard mistakes and confusions that they tend to be subject to, clearly borne in mind...' - Helen Beebee, University of Manchester, UK


'This is the best single text I have seen for addressing the level, presumptions, and interests of the non-specialist.' - Charles Ess, Drury University, USA