CriticalThinking.Com

About the Book

"Critical Thinking.com is bound to raise a few hackles. It takes on two major thought-clichés of today´s world: first, that critical thinking is the ultimate form of thinking and that we know what it is when we encounter it; and, second, that the Internet promises us a brave new world of virtual literacy that will not only replace traditional literacy but improve it. Partly philosophical, partly practical, partly pedagogical, Critical Thinking.com is mostly a refreshing look at the interaction of knowledge production and technology. It is smart, more than a little daring, and probably will make you think a little differently about some of the things you thought you knew ˜ -- Gerald Early (Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters. Washington University)

"Critical thinking has been oversold as a cure for ignorance and apathy. Myron Tuman exposes the shallowness of the conventional recipes and provides a good thing instead--a book of incisive distinctions, captivating material, and provocative reflections. It is bound to leave the reader a more thoughtful person." -- Albert Borgmann (Department of Philosophy. The University of Montana)

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Table of Content

Prologue: “Critical Thinking for Dummies” - - - - 9

Chapter 1 Thinking Critically (about Critical Thinking) - - - - 13

• “Critical” Questions
• Analysis or Reflection—Which One Is Critical?
• Analysis and Progress
• A Cautionary Conclusion about Critical Thinking
• Seven Elements of Critical Thinking as Reflection
• Coda: Descartes and Questioning

Chapter 2 - - - - 39

• Finding and Evaluating Web Content
• The Open Web
• The Invisible Web
• The Gated Web
• Libraries and Web Access
• Facts, Commentary, and Experts
• Hot Topics and Emily Dickinson
• Summary: Stephen King on the Web
• Coda: Stephen King for Free!

Chapter 3 - - - - 73

• News and Reflection
• The Two Sides of Thomas Jefferson
• Internal and External Clues
• More on Authority
• News on the Web
• Plato and Rushkoff
• Coda: Cold Fusion

Chapter 4 - - - - 99

• The End of Books and Libraries?
• What Is a Book?
• What Does It Mean to Read?
• Two Models of Libraries
• Libraries Without Walls, Libraries Without Books
• Coda: Books, Libraries, and Marshall McLuhan

Chapter 5 - - - - 121

• The “Free” World of the Web
• The First Freedom: Expression
• The Second Freedom: Information
• The Third Freedom: Association
• Defining Community
• Coda: Thomas Jefferson Revisited

Chapter 6 - - - - 143

• Grassroots and Astroturf
• Promotion, Top-Down and Bottom-Up
• Grassroots and Astroturf Selling with Buzz
• Coda: Swag and Fan Empowerment

Chapter 7 - - - - 156

• Passion, Identity, and Censorship
• Identity Politics
• Hate Groups, the Dark Side of Identity Politics
• The Appeal of Censorship
• Critical Thinking and Taboos
• Coda: Edgar Allen Poe’s “Purloined Letter”

Chapter 8 - - - - 182

• The Elements of Guile
• Stories as Subversion
• The Foolish Physics Professor
• The Comic as Subversive
• This American Life
• Coda: Chief Seattle, Another Populist Tale

Epilogue Feeling the World - - - - 199

Index

About the Author