ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the development and improvement of the skills that characterize clear, precise, purposeful thinking. Knowledge is not something static that gets transferred from one person to another like pouring water from one vessel to another. It is a practical book, based primarily on applications of cognitive psychology to memory, reasoning, problem solving, creativity, language, and decision making. Despite the fact that some critics have claimed that critical thinking is just a fad that will surely go out of style, it has a very long history in psychology and education. John Dewey, the pioneering American educator identified "learning to think" as the primary purpose of education in 1933. As we progress, people will gain experience in applying the framework in different contexts and different knowledge domains.
