Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing – Matthew Allen

Preface to First Edition viii
Preface to Second Edition ix
How to Use this Book xi
1 Smart Thinking 1
What is smart thinking? 1
How do we study smart thinking? 5
Why do we need to 'think smart'? 7
2 Claims: The Key Elements of Reasoning 9
Understanding language 10
More about claims 14
Claims and reasoning 18
Review 22
3 Linking: The Key Process in Reasoning 25
Links between claims 26
The analytical structure of reasoning 28
Learning more about the analytical structure 3 1
Review 37
4 Understanding the Links between Claims 39
Dependent premises 39
Special functions of premises 44
The link from premises to conclusion 47
Review 53
5 More Effective Reasoning I: Better Claims 55
Well-formed claims 56
Well-founded claims 60
Review 67
6 More Effective Reasoning II: Better Links 69
Effective use of dependent premises 70
Relevance 74
Strength of support 80
Review 86
7 What Kinds of Reasoning are There? 89
Deductive and inductive reasoning 89
Categorical and propositional logic 92
Five types of reasoning 93
Review 100
8 Research, Reasoning, and Analysis 102
Reasoning and analysis 103
Information understood by where we find it 106
Information as it relates to other information 108
Information classified by the topic under investigation 109
Information as it relates to how we are using it 11 1
Direct and indirect sources 11 3
Review 11 7
9 Planning and Creating Your Reasoning 120
The key analytical questions 12 1
Using the analytical structure for planning 127
Review 132
10 Bringing It All Together: Narrative and Structure
Example text
Casting and notes on each paragraph
Capturing the essence of the text
Overall narrative flow of the text
Summary
Answers, Discussion, and Further Advice
Glossary of Key Terms and Concepts
Further Reading
Guide to Important Skills