Becoming a Critical Thinker

Dr Elaine Clark, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester This book is a huge improvement on, and contribution to, the field and has given me hope that we might, with its help, be able to significantly improve students' knowledge in this area.

Hal Meakin, Politics student at Brunel University The greatest gift I could have been given at the start of my undergraduate degree would have been this book.

Anne Kavanagh, Talent Development Centre, University of Essex The tone and style of the text is engaging, informative and encourages students to rise to the challenge of adapting to the rigours of studying at university.


Osman Tatrokov, Senior Student Ambassador, University of Roehampton Law School This book is particularly excellent for anyone who does not yet realise the potential they hold, and it informs them of the skills that can be applied not just at their university, but in their social and working lives.

Dr Alicja Syska, Learning Development Advisor, University of Plymouth An innovative, genuine, and thought-provoking text.


Iris Patra, Business student at The American College of Greece I think it would be a useful guide for every student, major, year of study!

Dr Simon Snowden, University of Liverpool For students coming from an educational background that emphasises consuming knowledge, this book is a long-awaited antidote that provides a very structured and guided approach to developing more complex learning styles.

Dr Sarah Birrell Ivory is a Lecturer in Climate Change and Business Strategy at the University of Edinburgh Business School (UEBS). Dr Ivory established the undergraduate Global Challenges for Business course, which in 2019 won one of the prestigious Aspen Institute's 'Ideas Worth Teaching' awards. This course is centred around critical thinking, understood through the lens of global challenges. Dr Ivory has taken this award-winning approach to offer students and educators a fresh way of learning and teaching critical thinking. In addition, Dr Ivory is Director of the Centre for Business, Climate Change and Sustainability (CBCCS) and has an established research career in sustainability, social enterprise, and critical thinking pedagogy. In the past, Dr Ivory has taught study skills for business, strategy, organisational behaviour, leadership, sustainability, and climate and environmental policy.

Part 1: What is a critical thinker and why become one? 1: Why go to university? 2: What is critical thinking? 3: How to become a critical thinker Part 2: Understanding the three aims of critical thinking 4: Quality of argument 5: Strength of evidence 6: Clarity of communication Part 3: Mastering the five tools of critical thinking 7: Reading 8: Writing 9: Listening 10: Speaking 11: Thinking