How to Think

Dr Tom Chatfield is a British author, independent scholar and philosopher of technology. His textbooks for SAGE publishing include Critical Thinking, How To Think and Think Critically. He's also the author of half a dozen non-fiction books exploring digital culture, published in over thirty territories and languages; of an award-winning thriller, This Is Gomorrah (Hodder); and of books and educational resources for audiences ranging from K12 to graduate and business schools. Tom took his doctorate at St John's College, Oxford, and is a former Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, guest faculty member at the Said Business School, and senior Associate at the interdisciplinary think-tank Perspectiva. A TED Global speaker, Non Executive Director and Advisor at a number of not-for-profits, he writes and broadcasts internationally on technology, ethics and education.

Introduction: Thinking about thinking Chapter 1: Attention and reflection: Building habits for better thinking Chapter 2: Working with words: Close reading and clear writing Chapter 3: The importance of assumptions: Examining what has been left unsaid Chapter 4: Giving good reasons: The importance of arguing your case Chapter 5: Seeking good explanations: Investigating the reasons behind things Chapter 6: Creative and collaborative thinking: Finding a process that works for you Chapter 7: Thinking about numbers: How not to lie with statistics Chapter 8: Technology and complexity: The 21st-century context Chapter 9: And finally... A toolkit for clearer thinking: Ten key concepts

Inspiring, practical and engaging, this book raises, explores and addresses some of the fundamental questions and issues we face when making sense of and responding to the world around us. Using accessible language and relatable examples, it offers us practical tools to develop critical thinking skills, not just for academic study but also for life. -- Jiani Liu This book could be transformative for senior leaders, teachers and their pupils. How To Think is not just a book that explains effective cognitive processes; it actually models these processes and trains you in them. It would make an excellent tool to inform planning, how to formulate proper arguments and explain ideas. -- Amir Arezoo * Schools Week * Chatfield's writing style is an easy going one, using everyday examples a reader can identify with, and thus, understand what an argument is and how an argument is build - the reflective exercises in the book help. Critical thinking and argument building is particularly important for many international students, this down to earth approach makes it more accessible for them. -- Dr Susanne Kean This is the first book of Tom Chatfield that I've read, and it was fantastic. It breaks down a ton of common thinking errors, and he touches on relevant topics to use as examples. Each chapter has reflections as well to go back over what was discussed, and it's great to take some time during the reflections to see how you can apply the tools to daily life. For anyone who wants to improve their thinking and decision-making, I highly recommend this book, and I'll most likely be reading it again at some point. -- The Rewired Soul I have read other texts related to critical thinking and I feel this one gives a clearer insight into this process because it does not just say 'this is critical thinking' but instead takes me slowly through the mechanics of becoming a critical being. The toolkit is also a brilliant summary of the key points from the book. -- PhD Student It's universal and timeless - I feel like anyone of any age at any time could read it. -- Emma Gannon * Ctrl Alt Delete - episode #349 * A masterclass in clear critical thinking. -- Tim Harford