Why am I passionate about this?

I taught philosophy (in particular critical reasoning!) for the colleges of Oxford University between 1987 and 2021. But, aged 15, I was thrown out of school (for truancy and disruption). Between the ages of 18 and 23 I travelled the world, hitch-hiking through Asia, living in Australasia, then travelling back through Africa. By the time I got home, starved of intellectual stimulation, I started an Open University Course and discovered logic. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. But also the most enjoyable. I loved getting to grips with difficult distinctions and concepts and having to use them precisely. Getting the answers right felt like an achievement. Getting them wrong, a challenge. Iā€™ve loved logic ever since!


I wrote

Critical Reasoning: A Romp through the Foothills of Logic for the Complete Beginner

By Marianne Talbot,

Book cover of Critical Reasoning: A Romp through the Foothills of Logic for the Complete Beginner

What is my book about?

Have you ever wished you could argue more convincingly? Or have you wished you could detect more easily the problemsā€¦

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow

Marianne Talbot Why did I love this book?

This book, driven by research that Kahneman did with his late colleague, Amos Tversky, is an introduction to the fact that much of human thinking is not rational. It is not logic that drives most of your decisions and actions, but a mixture of heuristics and biases. The mind is constituted of two systems, one of them fast, automatic, and largely unconscious, the other, slow, effortful, and demanding of concentration. It is the second one we must invoke when we engage in critical reasoning. But it is extremely easy to give in to the temptation to let system one take over. Read all about these two systems and you will, at least, be alerted to the possibility that you are thinking lazily in almost everything you do. 

By Daniel Kahneman,

Why should I read it?

48 authors picked Thinking, Fast and Slow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions

'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics
'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times

Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast,ā€¦


Book cover of The Robot's Rebellion: Finding Meaning in the Age of Darwin

Marianne Talbot Why did I love this book?

Stanovich takes his title from the very last sentence in Richard Dawkinā€™s book The Selfish Gene, ā€œWe, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators.ā€ In his book, Stanovich shows how human beings are able to rebel against those selfish replicators ā€“ our genes. It involves exercising, in Kahnemanā€™s terminology, our ā€˜system twoā€™ and exercising tenacity and self-discipline in bringing to bear logic and rationality in our decisions. This book is not an easy read, but it is a fascinating account of why human thinking is different and of what such differences might in principle enable us to do. 

By Keith E. Stanovich,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Robot's Rebellion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The idea that we might be robots is no longer the stuff of science fiction; decades of research in evolutionary biology and cognitive science have led many esteemed thinkers and scientists to the conclusion that, following the precepts of universal Darwinism, humans are merely the hosts for two replicators (genes and memes) that have no interest in us except as conduits for replication. Accepting and now forcefully responding to this disturbing idea that precludes the possibilities of morality or free will, among other things, Keith Stanovich here provides the tools for the "robot's rebellion," a program of cognitive reform necessaryā€¦


Ad

Book cover of A Daily Dose of Now: 365 Mindfulness Meditation Practices for Living in the Moment

A Daily Dose of Now by Nita Sweeney,

Reduce stress, ease anxiety, and increase inner peaceā€”one day at a timeā€”with a year of easy-to-follow mindfulness meditation techniques.

Certified mindfulness teacher, bestselling author, ultramarathoner, wife, and dog-mom Nita Sweeney shares mindfulness meditation practices to help anyone break free from worry and self-judgment.

Mindfulness meditation trains you to live inā€¦

Book cover of Explaining Explanation

Marianne Talbot Why did I love this book?

In this book, David-Hillel Ruben introduces the ways in which various philosophers have tried to explain the concept of explanation, before ending with his own account of explanation. Explaining is one of the most important actions a human being can engage in. Diagnoses, for example, are explanations of why you have the symptoms you have, or perhaps they are explanations of why that bridge collapsed or why those people bombed that mosque. In trying to explain something we make our first attempts at trying to understand the phenomenon under investigation. But what actually is an explanation? What do we do when we try to explain something. This is not an easy read, but it is an excellent book. 

By David-Hillel Ruben,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Explaining Explanation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book introduces readers to the topic of explanation. The insights of Plato, Aristotle, J.S. Mill and Carl Hempel are examined, and are used to argue against the view that explanation is merely a problem for the philosophy of science. Having established its importance for understanding knowledge in general, the book concludes with a bold and original explanation of explanation.


Book cover of Tetralogue: I'm Right, You're Wrong

Marianne Talbot Why did I love this book?

One area in which argument is increasingly important is the area of ethics, or morality. In our increasingly polarized world, a world in which people often find themselves in ā€˜bubblesā€™ where their ideas are confirmed by everything they read, arguing becomes increasingly difficult because people want to remain in their comfort zones. This book looks at a discussion between four people on a train and examines the way their discussion questions their key assumptions.   

By Timothy Williamson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Tetralogue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Four people with radically different outlooks on the world meet on a train and start talking about what they believe. Their conversation varies from cool logical reasoning to heated personal confrontation. Each starts off convinced that he or she is right, but then doubts creep in.

In a tradition going back to Plato, Timothy Williamson uses a fictional conversation to explore questions about truth and falsity, and knowledge and belief. Is truth always relative to a point of view? Is every opinion fallible? Such ideas have been used to combat dogmatism and intolerance, but are they compatible with taking eachā€¦


Ad

Book cover of Radical Friend: Amy Kirby Post and Her Activist Worlds

Radical Friend by Nancy A. Hewitt,

Radical Friend highlights the remarkable life of Amy Kirby Post, a nineteenth-century abolitionist and women's rights activist who created deep friendships across the color line to promote social justice. Her relationships with Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, Sojourner Truth, William C. Nell, and other Black activists from the 1840s to theā€¦

Book cover of The Philosopher's Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods

Marianne Talbot Why did I love this book?

As with any other academic discipline, philosophy has its own language. This is not jargon (or it shouldnā€™t be!). It is a technical terminology. To look at something very closely, as any academic discipline does, is to record distinctions that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Immediately two names are needed where only one was needed before. This book will talk you through the most important of these distinctions. The book also looks at the methodology of philosophy, the most important of which, of course, is logic. 

By Peter S. Fosl, Julian Baggini,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Philosopher's Toolkit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A new edition of the bestselling guide to the study of philosophy: the ideal intellectual 'toolkit' for sharpening analytical skills and building philosophical acuity

Whether used as a guide to basic principles or a resource for key concepts and methods, The Philosopher's Toolkit equips readers with all the intellectual 'tools' necessary for engaging closely with philosophical argument and developing fluency in the methods and language of philosophical inquiry. Featuring accessible explanations, practical examples, and expert guidance, this text empowers readers to understand traditional philosophical thinking and to engage with new ideas.

Focuses on the practical methods and concepts necessary forā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Critical Reasoning: A Romp through the Foothills of Logic for the Complete Beginner

By Marianne Talbot,

Book cover of Critical Reasoning: A Romp through the Foothills of Logic for the Complete Beginner

What is my book about?

Have you ever wished you could argue more convincingly? Or have you wished you could detect more easily the problems in the arguments of others? Then this is the book for you. Itā€™ll teach you how to recognize arguments, how to analyse and classify arguments, and how to evaluate arguments ā€“ how to say which arguments are good and which are bad. You will also, after a close reading of the book, be confident in saying why these arguments are good and bad. Those whoā€™d like to will also be able to dip their toes into formalizing arguments. 

Book cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow
Book cover of The Robot's Rebellion: Finding Meaning in the Age of Darwin
Book cover of Explaining Explanation

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,007

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

šŸ“š You might also likeā€¦

Book cover of Eclipse Chasers

Eclipse Chasers by Nick Lomb,

Forthcoming eclipses coming up in Australia include that of 22 July 2028, which will cross Australia from the Northern Territory to Sydney, home of the internationally famous sights of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Eclipse Chasers will act as a guidebook for both locals and international visitors, givingā€¦

Book cover of The Squiggly Line Career: How Changing Professions Can Advance a Career in Unexpected Ways

The Squiggly Line Career by Angela Champ,

When we're children, we're asked what we want to be when we grow up. But what if there isn't just one career for us in our lifetime? What if we can have a squiggly line career that spans professions and industries?

This book will guide job seekers on the traitsā€¦

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in decision making, cognitive science, and philosophy?

Decision Making 89 books
Philosophy 1,820 books