Attempts to persuade us - to believe something, to do something, to buy something - are everywhere. What is less clear is how to think critically about such attempts and how to distinguish those that are sound arguments. Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide is a much needed guide to argument analysis and a clear introduction to thinking clearly and rationally for oneself. Accessibly written, this book equips readers with the essential skills required to discuss a good argument from a bad one.

Key features of the book include:
* Clear, jargon-free discussion of key concepts in argumentation
* How to avoid common confusions surrounding words such as "truth," "knowledge" and "opinion"
* How to identify and evaluate the most common types of argument
* How to spot fallacies and tell good reasoning from bad
* Chapter summaries, exercises, examples, and a glossary

The second edition has been updated to include topical new examples from politics, sport, medicine and music, as well asnew exercises throughout.