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How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds Hardback - 2017

by Alan Jacobs

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From the publisher

"Absolutely splendid . . . essential for understanding why there is so much bad thinking in political life right now." --David Brooks, New York Times

How to Think is a contrarian treatise on why we're not as good at thinking as we assume--but how recovering this lost art can rescue our inner lives from the chaos of modern life.

As a celebrated cultural critic and a writer for national publications like The Atlantic and Harper's, Alan Jacobs has spent his adult life belonging to communities that often clash in America's culture wars. And in his years of confronting the big issues that divide us--political, social, religious--Jacobs has learned that many of our fiercest disputes occur not because we're doomed to be divided, but because the people involved simply aren't thinking.

Most of us don't want to think. Thinking is trouble. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits, and it can complicate our relationships with like-minded friends. Finally, thinking is slow, and that's a problem when our habits of consuming information (mostly online) leave us lost in the spin cycle of social media, partisan bickering, and confirmation bias.

In this smart, endlessly entertaining book, Jacobs diagnoses the many forces that act on us to prevent thinking--forces that have only worsened in the age of Twitter, "alternative facts," and information overload--and he also dispels the many myths we hold about what it means to think well. (For example: It's impossible to "think for yourself.")

Drawing on sources as far-flung as novelist Marilynne Robinson, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, British philosopher John Stuart Mill, and Christian theologian C.S. Lewis, Jacobs digs into the nuts and bolts of the cognitive process, offering hope that each of us can reclaim our mental lives from the impediments that plague us all. Because if we can learn to think together, maybe we can learn to live together, too.

Details

  • Title How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
  • Author Alan Jacobs
  • Binding Hardback
  • Pages 160
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Crown Currency
  • Publication date 2017-10-17
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated
  • ISBN 9780451499608 / 0451499603
  • Weight 0.5 lbs (0.23 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.7 in (19.56 x 13.46 x 1.78 cm)
  • Category Psychology
  • Library of Congress subjects Thought and thinking, Reasoning
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2016052795
  • Dewey Decimal Code 153.42

Media reviews

Citations

  • Publishers Weekly, 07/24/2017, Page 0

About the author

Alan Jacobs is Distinguished Professor of the Humanities in the Honors Program of Baylor University. Before that, he taught for many years at Wheaton College in Illinois. He writes for publications like The Atlantic, Harper's, First Things, Books & Culture, the Christian Century, and the Wall Street Journal, and maintains a blog at the New Atlantis.
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Alan Jacobs

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  • Very good
  • Hardback
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Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
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Crown/Archetype, 2017. Hardcover. Very Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A$9.24
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Alan Jacobs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
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Description:
Crown/Archetype, 2017. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A$9.24
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Alan Jacobs

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  • Hardback
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Binding
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
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Crown/Archetype, 2017. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Item price
A$9.85
Free Delivery to USA
How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Alan Jacobs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
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Description:
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2017. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. The dust jacket is missing. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.
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Item price
A$9.85
Free Delivery to USA
How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Alan Jacobs

  • Used
  • Good
  • Hardback
Condition
Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
1
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ThriftBooks
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Item price
A$9.85
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Description:
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2017. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A$9.85
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Jacobs, Alan

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
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Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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A$11.34
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Jacobs, Alan

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
2
Seller
Better World Books
Item price
A$11.34
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
A$11.34
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Jacobs, Alan

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
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Better World Books
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Description:
Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Jacobs, Alan

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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds
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How to Think : A Survival Guide for a World at Odds

by Jacobs, Alan

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780451499608 / 0451499603
Quantity available
7
Seller
Better World Books
Biblio Top Seller
Item price
A$11.34
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
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