Contents erace The Benefit of Asking the right Questions 1 Introduction 1 Critical Thinking to the rescue 2 The Sponge and Panning for Gold: Alternative Thinking Styles 3 An Example of the Panning-for-Gold Approach 5 Panning for Gold: Asking Critical Questions 7 The Myth of the“ Right Answer”7 Thinking The Efficiency of Asking the Question, "Who Cares? 9 Weak-Sense and Strong-Sense Critical Thinking 10 The Satisfaction of Using the Panning-for-Gold Approach ll Out New Answers 11 Effective Communication and Critical Thinking 12 The Importance of Practice 12 The Right Questions 13 2 What Are the lssue and the conclusion? 15 Kinds of issues 16 Searching for the Issue 17 Searching for the Authors or Speaker's Conclusion 18 Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion 19 Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking 21 Practice exercises 22 3 What Are the Reasons? 25 Reasons+ Conclusion= Argument 26 Initiating the Questioning Process 27 ords That Identify Reasons 29Contents Preface viii 1 The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions 1 Introduction 1 Critical Thinking to the Rescue 2 The Sponge and Panning for Gold: Alternative Thinking Styles 3 An Example of the Panning-for-Gold Approach 5 Panning for Gold: Asking Critical Questions 7 The Myth of the "Right Answer" 7 Thinking and Feeling 8 The Efficiency of Asking the Question, "Who Cares?" 9 Weak-Sense and Strong-Sense Critical Thinking 10 The Satisfaction of Using the Panning-for-Gold Approach 11 Trying Out New Answers 11 Effective Communication and Critical Thinking 12 The Importance of Practice 12 The Right Questions 13 2 What Are the Issue and the Conclusion? 15 Kinds of Issues 16 Searching for the Issue 17 Searching for the Author's or Speaker's Conclusion 18 Clues to Discovery: How to Find the Conclusion 19 Critical Thinking and Your Own Writing and Speaking 21 Practice Exercises 22 3 What Are the Reasons? 25 Reasons + Conclusion = Argument 26 Initiating the Questioning Process 27 Words That Identify Reasons 29 iii