Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

By: Steven Novella, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Steven Novella

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

No skill is more important in today's world than being able to think about, understand, and act on information in an effective and responsible way. What's more, at no point in human history have we had access to so much information, with such relative ease, as we do in the 21st century. But because misinformation out there has increased as well, critical thinking is more important than ever.

These 24 rewarding lectures equip you with the knowledge and techniques you need to become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life. By immersing yourself in the science of cognitive biases and critical thinking, and by learning how to think about thinking (a practice known as metacognition), you'll gain concrete lessons for doing so more critically, more intelligently, and more successfully.

The key to successful critical thinking lies in understanding the neuroscience behind how our thinking works - and goes wrong; avoiding common pitfalls and errors in thinking, such as logical fallacies and biases; and knowing how to distinguish good science from pseudoscience. Professor Novella tackles these issues and more, exploring how the (often unfamiliar) ways in which our brains are hardwired can distract and prevent us from getting to the truth of a particular matter.

Along the way, he provides you with a critical toolbox that you can use to better assess the quality of information. Even though the world is becoming more and more saturated information, you can take the initiative and become better prepared to make sense of it all with this intriguing course.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

A Must Read

Every single rational person should read this. if there were more stars I wouldn't have hesitated to give it. Easy to understand yet very deep in content.

Excellent book!!

This book should be required reading in high school AND college . I got so much from this book having read it a couple of times.

lectures were good

The lectures in this book were very good. The book moved along very easily and smoothly. I was actually a little disappointed when it ended.

Brilliant advice

Great rendering of how life should be viewed, with the principles of critical thinking as its backbone.

absolutely fascinating!

Totally blew my mind! Helps put perspective on a lot. Now I have to try and apply what I've learned.

The lecture helps to spur the mind.

it took a little while to fo thru the whole lecture do to my own timing but I was greatly impressed. The lecture spurred my thinking and reinforced critical thinking skills that I actually practice and use daily.

Appropriately named part of the great course

It is a very good lecture overall, insightful and interesting. A bit long on a couple of topics but good content and delivery overall.

Brilliant revisit to a Philosophy of Logic course

This should be a required read for everyone. This course was a wonderful revisit to content from my old Philosophy of Logic course in college.

For anyone who actually wants to learn to start thinking critically, you should give this some serious consideration.

great listen for open minded people

love the topic. I try to stay from sh on topics that require a cognitive approach. this course gave me the needed boost.

Excellent. A must for any thinking person.

Engaging and thought provoking. Becoming aware of the many pitfalls of the human mind can be the beginning of a better you.