Must-Read 10 Books on Critical Thinking and Mental Clarity

"1. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman “System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical.” “A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition.” “Overconfidence is fed by the illusory certainty of hindsight.” “What you see is all there is.” “The essence of intuitive heuristics: when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead.” 2. The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” “It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion.” “Science is more than a body of knowledge; it’s a way of thinking.” “You must prove every step of your reasoning.” “The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.” "

"3. A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Weston “Arguments should be orderly and to the point.” “Always give reasons, not just opinions.” “Consider counterarguments and respond to them.” “Be fair in summarizing opponents’ arguments.” “Don’t let emotion substitute for reason.” 4. Superforecasting by Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner “The key to being a superforecaster is not being smarter but being more reflective.” “Break problems into parts and ask ‘why’ relentlessly.” “Keep track of your predictions and learn from them.” “The best forecasters are foxes, not hedgehogs.” “Updating beliefs is a sign of strength, not weakness.”"

"5. How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren “The art of reading is the art of interpreting and evaluating.” “You must ask questions while reading—questions about what is being said and why.” “Reading is an active process.” “Understand the author’s arguments before you criticize them.” “There’s a difference between reading for information and reading for understanding.” 6. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli “We systematically make errors in judgment and decision-making.” “Never judge a decision solely by its outcome.” “Avoid confirmation bias—seek disconfirming evidence.” “Beware of survivorship bias.” “Don’t let emotions cloud your logic.”"

"7. Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking by D.Q. McInerny “Clarity is the foundation of logical thinking.” “Don’t confuse statements of opinion with statements of fact.” “Avoid logical fallacies like false dilemmas and slippery slopes.” “Ask whether a conclusion truly follows from the premises.” “Good reasoning avoids emotional manipulation.” 8. You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney “Your logical self is often tricked by your emotional self.” “You are unaware of how unaware you are.” “Memory is unreliable and malleable.” “You justify beliefs with post-hoc rationalizations.” “We are all vulnerable to cognitive biases.” "

"9. Factfulness by Hans Rosling “The world is getting better, not worse—but we don’t see it.” “Most of our worldview is shaped by outdated or misinterpreted data.” “Avoid the urgency instinct; take time to check the facts.” “Question dramatic stories.” “Base decisions on real data, not assumptions.” 10. Critical Thinking by Richard Paul and Linda Elder “Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective.” “Think about your thinking while you’re thinking to improve your thinking.” “Question assumptions regularly.” “Distinguish between fact, inference, and opinion.” “Think with clarity, accuracy, precision, and relevance.”"