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Critical Thinking Toolkit 2017-02-03 05:19:41 Post No. 9054965
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Critical Thinking Toolkit 2017-02-03 05:19:41 Post No. 9054965
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Have you ever felt that you were able to understand the world better after learning, for example, thermodynamics, even in topics totally unrelated to chemistry and physics? Have you ever noticed that the "patterns & structures of thought" seem to repeat themselves in science, philosophy, and even literature?
What about encountering books that were substantial enough to affect your life after thinking and applying its ideas? Do you consider a certain text to be "foundational" for those in pursuit of knowledge?
I'm hoping to create a list of 15-20 books, in a variety of subjects, that will increase clarity & depth of thought, leaving autodidacts with the mental faculties necessary to tackle future challenges. I would also like to have this list of books be sufficient to achieve a cursory education for people looking to improve their knowledge beyond the dregs of their high school or college education, though this isn't as important.
I need to keep the scope limited to the fundamentals. There are far more than 20 worthwhile books, and this isn't a definitive guide to "the best books ever". Some fields like "economics" may already require proficiency in basic fields like history, mathematics, and philosophy, so it would be redundant to cover include them. Only the bare necessities should be maintained for brevity.
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Rate my list x/10
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CRITICAL THINKING PRIMERS:
How to Read a Book - Mortimer Adler
The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric - Sister Miriam Joseph
Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
SELF-REGULATION BASICS
The Discourses on Epictetus - Epictetus
A Primer in Positive Psychology - Christopher Peterson
SOCIAL SKILLS BASICS
Improve your Social Skills - Daniel Wendler
No More Mister Nice Guy - Robert Glover
MATHEMATICS BASICS
How to Solve It - G. Polya
Pre-Calculus – Carl Stitz & Jeff Zeager
Elements - Euclid
Geometry: Euclid and Beyond - Robin Hartshorne
SCIENCE BASICS
The Character of Physical Law - Richard Feynman
The Machinery of Life - David Goodsell
HUMANITIES BASICS
The Art of Fiction - David Lodge
The Socratic Dialogues, The Republic, & The Symposium - Plato
The Art of War - Sun Tzu
The Bible - KJV
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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That is my shortlist.
There are some basic topics that I feel like might need more coverage, like algorithms & advanced logic, computer & data science, statistics, natural and social sciences, psychology, world history, government, history of ideas, communication, poetry & music theory, hermeneutics, esoterics & mysticism, semantics & semiotics, reference materials, and books on rigorous writing. Of course, there's also practical living that might be useful to consider as well. You're not smart unless you've built something with your hands, in my opinion.
Otherwise, I think this roughly covers the "breadth" of all of the structures of thought possible for the mind with sufficient depth.
Thanks for your time. What are some other books that might be helpful here?
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>>9054965
Critical thinking is the work of the Frankfurt School
Do you know about cultural Marxism?
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>>9054965
I believe all non-engineering majors in University ought to take an engineering level Calculus class. It is invaluable in terms of observing life, in my opinion, to have a keen awareness of spatial arrangements from studying integrals.
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>>9054965
>Bourbaki Elements of Mathematics
>Feynman Lectures on Physics
>KJV
>Homer's Epics
>Paradise Lost
>Complete Works of Shakespeare
>Ulysses
>In Search of Lost Time
>Complete Works of Plato
>Critique of Pure Reason
>Phenomenology of Spirit
>Philosophical Investigations
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>>9054997
>Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
can't recommend this book enough
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>>9055785
>It is invaluable in terms of observing life, in my opinion, to have a keen awareness of spatial arrangements from studying integrals.
What do you mean by this? Can you expand it? I do know some calculus.
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