Lewis Vaughn's Concise Guide to Critical Thinking, Third Edition, offers a clear and compact introduction to critical thinking and argumentative writing. Based on his best-selling text, The Power of Critical Thinking, this affordable volume strikes a unique balance for instructors. While it is more succinct than the leading comprehensive texts, it covers more key content, and does so more effectively, than any of the briefer critical thinking handbooks. In addition to six core chapters on identifying, evaluating, and devising deductive and inductive arguments, the text features: *Extensive coverage of scientific reasoning, with chapters on inductive reasoning, causal arguments, scientific theories and inference, and scientific method and theory evaluation.  * A chapter on obstacles to critical thinking * A chapter on fallacies and rhetorical persuaders * A substantial chapter on writing argumentative essays Throughout the text, Vaughn places emphasis on evaluation of evidence, authority, and credibility. Students don>'t just learn about critical thinking; they learn the skills necessary to think critically. Each chapter reinforces these skills with numerous exercises, including review questions, writing assignments, and self-assessment quizzes.Concise Guide to Critical Thinking is now available as 2026 digital-only updates that include a brand-new chapter. The text ends with a concise guide for students to using AI effectively and responsibly in coursework and critical thinking skill development-skills that will help students throughout college and beyond

Table of Contents:
Preface Chapter 1. Critical Thinking, Facts, and Feelings WHY IT MATTERS Critical Thinking Skills Test CLAIMS AND REASONS REASONS AND ARGUMENTS ARGUMENTS IN THE ROUGH Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 2. Obstacles to Critical Thinking PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES Is It Wrong to Believe without Good Reasons? Self-Centered Thinking Group-Centered Thinking Implicit Bias Resisting Contrary Evidence Left-Wing Right-Wing Bias Looking for Confirming Evidence Preferring Available Evidence Motivated Reasoning Homophily Mere Exposure Effect Illusion-of-Truth Effect False Consensus Effect THE DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT The Internet versus Critical Thinking PHILOSOPHICAL OBSTACLES Subjective Relativism Social Relativism Skepticism Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 3. Identifying and Evaluating Arguments ARGUMENT BASICS No Arguments, Just Fluff JUDGING ARGUMENTS UNCOVERING IMPLIED PREMISES The Smart Way to Argue Online ASSESSING LONG ARGUMENTS Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 4. Deductive Argument Patterns COMMON FORMS Modus Ponens Modus Tollens Hypothetical Syllogism Disjunctive Syllogism Invalid Argument Forms Valid and Invalid Argument Forms REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 5. Inductive Arguments and Statistics ENUMERATIVE INDUCTION Sample Size Representativeness Mean, Median, and Mode OPINION POLLS How Survey Questions Go Wrong ANALOGICAL INDUCTION Relevant Similarities Relevant Dissimilarities The Number of Instances Compared Diversity Among Cases Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 6. Evidence and Experts EXPERTS AND NONEXPERTS Fact and Opinion JUDGING EXPERTS Hierarchy of Reliability EXPERTS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I Just Know! Impairment Expectation Eyewitness Testimony and Wrongful Convictions INNUMERACY AND PROBABILITY Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 7. Fake News TAXONOMY OF MISINFORMATION A Fake News Masterpiece TELLING FAKE FROM REAL Read Laterally The Ethics of Sharing Fake News Read Critically Use Google and Wikipedia Carefully Check Your Own Biases Trustworthy Fact-Checkers FAKE IMAGES Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 8. Advertising: Commercial and Political HOW ADVERTISING WORKS INTERNET ADVERTISING OLD SCHOOL ADVERTISING TRICKS POLITICAL ADVERTISING Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 9. Causal Arguments TESTING FOR CAUSES Agreement or Difference Both Agreement and Difference Correlation CAUSAL CONFUSIONS Misidentifying Relevant Factors Mishandling Multiple Factors Coincidence, Birth Dates, and US Presidents Being Misled by Coincidence Confusing Cause with Temporal Order Confusing Cause and Effect The Deadly Post Hoc Fallacy NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 10. Inference to the Best Explanation EXPLANATIONS AND INFERENCE Darwin and the Best Explanation THEORIES AND CONSISTENCY THEORIES AND CRITERIA Testability Fruitfulness Scope Simplicity Conservatism TELLING GOOD THEORIES FROM BAD A Doomed Flight An Amazing Cure Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 11. Judging Scientific Theories WHAT SCIENCE IS AND IS NOT THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD TESTING SCIENTIFIC THEORIES Nonintervention (Population) Studies JUDGING SCIENTIFIC THEORIES Copernicus Versus Ptolemy Climate Change Is It Too Late to Prevent Climate Change? If the World Is Warming, Why Are Winters and Summers Still Very cold?? SCIENCE AND WEIRD THEORIES MAKING WEIRD MISTAKES Leaping to the Weirdest Theory Mixing What Seems with What Is Misunderstanding the Possibilities JUDGING WEIRD THEORIES Crop Circles Eyewitness Testimony and Extraordinary Things Talking with the Dead Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 12. Fallacies and Persuaders FALLACIES: IRRELEVANT PREMISES Genetic Fallacy Composition Division Appeal to the Person How to Respond to Ad Hominem Attacks Equivocation Appeal to Popularity Appeal to Tradition Appeal to Ignorance Can You Prove a Negative? Appeal to Emotion Red Herring Straw Man Two Wrongs Make a Right FALLACIES: UNACCEPTABLE PREMISES X Begging the Question False Dilemma Decision-Point Fallacy Slippery Slope Hasty Generalization PERSUADERS: RHETORICAL MOVES Innuendo Euphemisms and Dysphemisms Stereotyping Ridicule Rhetorical Definitions Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Chapter 13. Critical Thinking and Extremism PARTISAN BLINDNESS Whose Pants Are on Fire? Political Bias and Consistency CONSPIRACY THEORIES Challenging Conspiracy Thinking Key Words Exercises Self-Assessment Quiz Writing Assignments Appendix A: Answers to Exercises Appendix B: Answers to Self-Assessment Quizzes Appendix C: Answers to Critical Thinking Skills Test Notes Glossary Credits Index