(Ebook) The Art of Deception: An Introduction to Critical Thinking by Nicholas Capaldi; Miles Smit ISBN 9781591025320, 9781110090853, 1110090854, 159102532X

(Ebook) The Art of Deception: An Introduction to Critical Thinking by Nicholas Capaldi; Miles Smit ISBN 9781591025320, 9781110090853, 1110090854, 159102532X

In this fully updated and revised edition, coauthors Nicolas Capaldi and Miles Smit take a wholly original approach to teaching critical thinking. By cataloging and outlining for readers tactics on how to develop the skills of deception and manipulation, the authors convincingly demonstrate that this is a foolproof way to avoid falling for the fallacious and fuzzy logic of others. They also show how to improve our own deficits in making careful decisions about our word choices, why we hold the opinions that we do, and how we form arguments. Readers will learn to apply these skills to everyday situations, whether debating politics with friends or evaluating the pitch of a persuasive salesman.

From here, Capaldi and Smit take these essential skills and consider their usefulness in face-to-face debates, such as how to gain sympathy, gauge reactions, present facts clearly, employ nonverbal devices, and conclude successfully an argument that will win over any audience.

Calling on a wide variety of examples, from the historic accounts of Socrates’ wily rhetoric and the oratorical flourishes of Shakespeare's characters to present-day pop culture and the issues and debates we face as consumers and citizens, The Art of Deception is an indispensable guide to mastering the skills of defending and winning arguments. Includes all-new exercises and discussion questions.

NICOLAS CAPALDI, PhD, holds the Legendre-Soulé Distinguished Scholar Chair in Business Ethics at Loyola University in New Orleans. He is the author or editor of many books, including Affirmative Action: Social Justice or Unfair Preference?; Immigration: Debating the Issues; and John Stuart Mill: A Biography.

MILES SMIT, PhD, works as a business analyst in Canada and holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.