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Title: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Psychological Issues (9th Ed) by Brent D. Slife, Brent Slife ISBN: 0-697-31293-3 Publisher: William C. Brown Pub. Date: 01 March, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (2 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Essential Critical Thinking in Psychology
Comment: McGraw Hill has a whole series of paperbacks like this, "Taking Sides: Clashing Views on X," where X is Psychology, the law, the environment, you name it. Search Amazon on the first two words of the title. I use the psychology one in my college level course in Critical Thinking but it is so effective I may also assign it to seniors writing their final thesis. Each of 18 chapters presents two short excerpts (6 pp) from published essays on hot topics such as genetic testing, race and intelligence, mental illnesses, children's television, and so on. The two persuasive articles take opposing views. The editor's contribution is to summarize each of the articles' main arguments in 5 or 6 bullet points, although I'd rather that weren't included, since that is exactly what I want the students to learn how to do. There is no analysis of the arguments, such as pointing out logical or structural fallacies in the arguments, and not all arguments are equally strong. The editors' "Challenge Questions" at the end of each pair of articles seem to miss the point: they focus on the content of the arguments rather than their logical structure. The articles are so abbreviated that it is inappropriate to treat them as reviews of the topic, except perhaps in a high school course designed only to introduce these topics and encourage discussion. It is amazingly difficult to teach critical thinking, and this book is an invaluable aid.
Rating: 3
Summary: Bones for Construction
Comment: This textbook is actually a collection of articles that present the pro and con arguments on what the author considers to be the most cogent controversial issues in psychology today. In addition to the articles, there are web site suggestions, and challenge questions at the end of each pair of articles that take the reader beyond a simple 'I agree' or 'I disagree' response.
For instructors attempting to bring critical thinking, analysis, open dialogue, and multiple relativistic thinking into a college classroom, it's a very good tool. The supplemental booklets would be extremely useful for teachers embarking on this course, and would need to be obtained from the publisher.
As a stand alone book, the general reader might find it lacking in organization and content.
The 11th edition contains mainly the same articles from the 10th.
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