Making Your Mind Matter is a practical guide to effective thinking in college and in everyday life. Critical thinking guru Vincent Ryan Ruggiero explains how and why the mind has been neglected in American education, then teaches readers how to take charge of their own mental development. Ruggiero presents a simple but powerful model the WISE model (Wonder, Investigate, Speculate, Evaluate). This model illustrates how to overcome obstacles to thinking, resist manipulation, test ideas, analyze arguments, form judgments, analyze ethical issues, and discuss ideas courteously and effectively. This book is a brief, comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible introduction to critical thinking, perfect for all students and others interested in increasing the power of their minds.

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero's book is a refreshing change from the usual supplemental book. Rather than a catalogue of ideas and names, he presents a form of analysis that involves students in the sociological process. This book should make students want to continue to study sociology. --Muriel G. Cantor, Late of the American University "This book potentially makes a unique contribution to the field, providing a new perspective for introductory students that is not readily available today. . . . Vincent Ryan Ruggiero has a surprisingly good sense of sociological enterprise." --Peter Adler, Professor of Sociology, University of Denver A thorough study of any discipline requires effective thinking strategies; however, rarely has an entire volume been devoted to developing this skill. Vincent Ryan Ruggiero's A Guide to Sociological Thinking fills the gap in sociology where others fall short. What distinguishes this volume from competing texts is its comprehensive treatment of thinking. It covers sociological thinking from three dimensions--critical, creative, and reflective--and emphasizes the practical application of thinking strategies to sociological issues. It aims to increase sociology students' cognitive learning and has the following objectives: To build appreciation of the intellectual excitement and adventure of sociological inquiry and of the relevance of that inquiry to student's lives. To develop understanding of the three stages of the thinking process--reflective, creative, and critical. To develop skill in applying the thinking process to sociological issues. To promote the habits and attitudes associated with excellence in thinking. To encourage students to enter the discipline's ongoing dialogue. Intended as a supplement to the standard sociology textbook, A Guide to Sociological Thinking, will enhance a student's grasp of sociology and will be useful to other related undergraduate courses as social problems and the sociology of work.

Success depends on the ability to think critically. Training and practice turn this ability into a powerful skill. BECOMING A CRITICAL THINKER gives students the opportunity to develop this skill in a classroom environment while stressing its application to daily life. Students learn to solve everyday problems, maintain successful relationships, make career choices, and interpret the messages of advertising in a variety of media. Exercises throughout the text encourage them to practice what they read and to apply it to their own lives. BECOMING A CRITICAL THINKER breaks up critical thinking into a series of cumulative activities, a unique approach that has made this text a staple of many critical thinking courses.