Critical Thinking Texts:
These texts will introduce, teach, and elevate your critical thinking skills. Each book offers another element or way of thinking critically. They offer how to think about scientific evidence, facts, and rationality, as well as how to see our biases and our human intuition and how this affects critical thinking.
Read the ideas in these books slowly and thoughtfully, with reflection. Pause to think, connect new ideas to what you think you already know, and be open to updating your perspectives. Highlight key points and take notes—I find margin notes to be the most effective, as the book's words remain with you. This creates a personal experience with a new arrangement of words and ideas and facilitates deep learning, helping you to remember what you have read. Critical thinking will develop naturally the more widely you read, and starting here will help you immensely. Happy thinking.
Amazon affiliate links are linked, If you decide to buy via Amazon, if you use my link, I get a small commission.
1. Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman
This is perhaps the most influential book on cognitive biases and how they affect our decision-making processes. Kahneman, is an Israeli psychologist and his mind won the Nobel Prize in 2002 for his work on the psychology of judgement and decision-making in a new discipline he defined called Behavioural Economics (the psychology behind economic decision-making).
Prize, describes two Systems of thinking: 1. "fast" (intuitive and emotional) and 2. "slow" (deliberate and logical). He explains how our biases often stem from the fast-thinking system and how critical thinking involves slowing down to question our assumptions and recognise these biases. This book has sold 10 million copies and is still in great demand. Please read it, its a must for CT enthusiasts.
Daniel died this year at age 90. His mind will be missed but you get to see some of it here through his words.
Buy now: Amazon Links
AUSTRALIA https://amzn.to/4d6N3gp
2. Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life, by Richard Paul and Linda Elder
This one is a popular textbook that offers practical tools and strategies for improving critical thinking skills in various contexts, from personal decisions to professional challenges. It is written in textbook form, which means it is a little more dry however it will give you the information you need. It is often used in academic settings but for anyone to read. If you are an academic, a teacher, or a professional, this text would be an important addition to your collection. It is written by the founders of the Foundation for Critical Thinking in California, where I have presented, It’s not the most accessibly priced book, which bugs me, so buy a used copy, download it on Kindle, or choose an alternative from this booklist or the free resources at the bottom of this page.
Buy now: Amazon Links
Australia https://amzn.to/4glO0Ep
3. The Art of Thinking Clearly, by Rolf Dobelli
This book is another global bestseller that discusses common cognitive biases and logical fallacies that affect decision-making. It provides short, easy-to-digest chapters to help readers recognize and counter these biases in their thinking. It’s written in 99 short chapters and is a good book for those who prefer shorter books so you can process information with more ease. Dobelli is an author, with a background in business and economics and wrote the ideas in this book in a series of newspaper columns. His interests are human psychology and the processes that lead to making suboptimum decisions. This is important to know so you can understand where his ideas come from.
Australia https://amzn.to/3B4y2OX
4. Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking, by Vincent Ruggiero
This is a seminal book on critical thinking, one from which we can all learn. It has been widely used in academic and educational fields, with continuously revised and updated editions reprinted since 1975. Ruggiero, a long-time Professor of the Humanities in New York, holds degrees in English and writing. With extensive experience as an educator, he excels at breaking down complex concepts into manageable parts. This book comes highly recommended for everyone, especially educators, professionals, and those working in sociology, psychology, or other humanities fields. It is a very expensive text, so I recommend this for those in the industry and who need to learn CT as it is central to your job. For others, if the price is too high there are many other more affordable and free options I have listed at the bottom of this page.
Australia https://amzn.to/4d348Yz (kindle only via Amazon)
5. How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide, by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay
I’m recommending this book because it helps you learn how to have difficult conversations. Please note that I haven’t read it myself; I’m listing it because it’s frequently mentioned as a great resource for developing CT strategies in challenging discussions. I encourage you to research the book. However, I believe buying any book that can teach you something new is never a waste, investing in access to a clever person’s perspective is a smart way to become more knowledgeable, and is always worthwhile.
This book emphasizes achieving mutual understanding, reducing hostility, and finding common ground, even in the most polarized discussions. It covers how to build conversational skills, from active listening and questioning to advanced techniques like building rapport and managing emotions. Boghossian and Lindsay draw on research from psychology, philosophy, and conflict resolution to guide readers.
Buy now: Amazon Links
Australia https://amzn.to/47oO6qC
5. Think Again by Adam Grant
This book, by organisational psychologist Adam Grant, has sold millions and brought him into the spotlight. If you listen and learn closely, the ideas will teach you critical thinking by encouraging readers to rethink, unlearn, and question their assumptions, while embracing uncertainty and openness to new ideas. As an academic, Grant knows how to think critically, and the book is backed by research from psychology, behavioral science, and social science, showing that critical thinking is about asking the right questions, not just having the right answers. It offers practical tools for becoming more adaptable, making better decisions, and communicating effectively. A must-read for anyone looking to sharpen their critical thinking skills.
Buy now: Amazon Links
Australia https://amzn.to/3TukTF1
More related articles and informative evidence-based reads
These readings teach us that adults can learn. This suggests CT skills or more analytical thinking can be learned.
They are valuable reads if you intend to learn more about how the adult (and child) brain works and how we make meaning out of our lives, which is directly related to which information we decide to adopt or which we leave behind.
Some of these articles are only accessible to those with paid journal subscriptions. I believe that knowledge should be available to all people, not just those with the privilege to afford it.
Unfortunately, journals have a monopoly on valuable knowledge, keeping it behind paywalls. For example, I can not share my own scientific articles with you for free. They can sue me!
While I am not endorsing or recommending any illegal methods, I’ve noticed that some people are discussing sites on YouTube that give all global citizens free access to these journal articles in the name of equity in education and the human right to knowledge. It is totally up to you if you want to check it out.
Pennycook, G., Fugelsang, J. A., & Koehler, D. J. (2015). Everyday consequences of analytic thinking. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24, 425-432.
Brief explanation: The article acknowledges that while intuitive thinking comes first and is natural to all humans, we benefit from shifting to more analytic thinking when evaluating complex or uncertain situations. They suggest analytic thinking can be learned and developed over time. The authors argue that while we naturally tend to rely on intuitive thinking, people can train themselves to engage more frequently in analytic thinking. This article has an excellent reference list. Check out some of the cited authors and written pieces!
THE ADULT LEARNER The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development by Malcolm Knowles
The book demonstrates that adults learn differently from children. While it is not specifically about teaching critical thinking to adults, it does relate to the topic in several ways. Because The Adult Learner focuses on how adults are motivated to learn things that are relevant and useful to them, it provides insights into how educators and trainers can create environments that encourage critical thinking. The principles of adult learning describe that adults require a sense of autonomy, leveraging adults' prior knowledge and life-world experiences, and promoting active engagement in learning is essential for developing critical thinking skills.
In summary, it demonstrates that adults can learn CT and better thinking, methods dependent on the method of teaching.
Meaning-Making in the Learning and Teaching Process Michael Ignelzi https://pressbooks.uiowa.edu/app/uploads/sites/215/2021/06/Ignelzi-Meaning-Making.pdf
This chapter provides an overview of Robert Kegan's theory of meaning-making development. Kegan’s meaning-making theory is very important to education or conversation about whether people can learn CT or new and innovative ideas or methods of thinking about new things. We can learn and his theory provides a good framework. to discuss how, why, and when we can. According to Kegan, adults can continue to grow and develop beyond the adolescent years, advancing through these stages by becoming more aware of their own beliefs, biases, and ways of interpreting experiences.
The theory is particularly relevant to understanding how adults learn, adapt, and develop critical thinking skills because it emphasizes that growth involves not just adding new information but transforming one's way of thinking and understanding the world. It helps explain why adults may need support and challenge to develop more sophisticated ways of thinking, which are crucial for critical thinking and self-awareness.
And here is the link to the original article by Robert Kegan. You should always (also) go to original sources if you want to make your own mind up about meaning based on your own analysis. Remember we analyse based on what information we hold and what we think we know.
Kegan, R. (1980). Making meaning: The constructive-developmental approach to persons and practice. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 58(5), 373-380. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-4918.1980.tb00416.x
Hase, S., & Kenyon, C. (2000). From andragogy to heutagogy. UltiBASE Articles, 5(3), 1-10.
You can access this resource here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301339522_From_andragogy_to_heutagogy
This article discusses these two well-defined evidence-based concepts related to adult learning.
Andragogy is the study of adult learning, focusing on principles like self-directed learning and the application of life experiences. The article introduces heutagogy as an extension of andragogy, emphasizing even greater learner autonomy.
The authors argue that heutagogy is more suited to today's fast-changing world, where adults need to continuously learn, unlearn, and relearn to adapt to new challenges. The article suggests that moving towards a heutagogical approach can help learners become more effective, self-directed, and capable of lifelong learning.
While the article is not specifically about teaching critical thinking, heutagogy inherently supports the development of critical thinking skills by encouraging self-reflection, autonomy, and deep engagement with learning.