Independent Learning Centre

Critical thinking is a notion that is often talked about but has remained elusive for those wanting to define it. This book is a good attempt at shedding light on this trendy topic.
Topics covered include: knowing oneself, asking the right questions, irrationality, bias, manipulation, and ethics. Of special interest are the section titled "44 foul ways to win an argument", which describes 'dirty tricks' used by the less honest, and the "glossary of critical thinking terms and concepts", which will appeal to the intellectually curious.

We might believe fake news, draw incorrect conclusions, and make decisions based on emotion rather than reason. Viewing critical thinking from philosophy, psychology, and science, this newest edition explains how the concept of critical thinking emerged, how it has been defined, and how critical thinking skills can be learned and assessed. It is, for sure, a great book for your personal growth.
Highlights include "John Dewey" (in ch. 1), Components of critical thinking (ch. 2), "Can critical thinking be taught?" (in ch. 3) and "Can critical thinking be assessed?" (in ch. 3).

This book by David Allen is an absolute classic in the area of time management. It adopts a no-nonsense approach to the topic and offers a lot of hands-on advice.
Interesting sections in the book include: "Managing E-mail-Based Workflow"; "Updating Your System"; and "Why Bright People Procrastinate the Most". Here are some specific advice about how to be efficient: "The categories [of things to organize] must be kept visually, physically, and psychologically separate. / If you put reference materials in the same pile as things you still want to read, for example, you'll go numb to the stack." "[A]ll you really need is lists and folders." "The dark side of 'collaborative cultures' is the allergy they foster to holding anyone responsible for having the ball."

This book by Richard Carlson is a series of 100 vignette-like chapters, each about a different aspect of managing one’s psyche at work.
The chapters have largely self-explanatory titles: Don't Keep People Waiting; Avoid Comments that Are Likely to Lead to Gossip or Unwanted Chatter; Don't Sweat Your Critics.

This book, which offers an interesting intersection between anxiety and mindfulness, starts out with explaining anxiety and the different forms it can take. It then proceeds to simple and quick mindfulness exercises. Each chapter delves progressively deeper into the topic of mindfulness, with two summary chapters, titled "Ten Simple Mindfulness Exercises for Managing Anxiety" and "Ten Mindful Attitudes for Easing Anxiety", at the end. Mindfulness may not attract everyone, but for those wanting to know more about the topic, this book will serve as a gentle introduction.

This work approaches the topic of stress management from an academic angle, for those interested in the topic from a psychological perspective.
The bulk of the book goes over different methods of stress management: muscle relaxation; hypnotic methods; biofeedback; breathing retraining and exercise; methods based on Eastern meditative and therapeutic disciplines; cognitive methods; and other methods. Despite its serious appearance, the book is full of specific, practical information, going into plenty of detail.

本書共分十一章，作者以直接顯明的方式，向讀者介紹各種批判思考技巧。其中第三章主要講解不同的推理模式（頁43 - 60），由最基本的個別推理，到較複雜的連鎖、共同推理，都有清楚的說明。而第八章則重點探討演繹方法的有效性（頁139 - 160），說明評估推論和論證的不同標準，以及如何判定推論是否確切無疑。書後另附有練習問題，讀者可藉此磨練各種批判思考技巧，提高思辨能力。

全書分為十三章，內容涵蓋議論、結論、理由、假設、推理、證據等運用批判思考時必須注意的重要元素。當中第四章（頁69 - 91）主要講述如何檢查、確定語義不清的陳述，避免推論落入曖昧不明的困境。第十章則探討對立成因的問題（頁209 - 233），介紹分辨「唯一成因」與「某一成因」的方法。書中另附有練習及答案範例，讀者如能逐一完成，自能有效提高個人的批判思考能力。

本書分為十二章，協助讀者檢視個人壓力來源，並尋找適合自己的減壓方式，化壓力為動力。其中第二章（頁39 - 64）主要說明壓力適應的概念，以及各種應對壓力的策略，並附有評量表，讓讀者認識自己應對壓力的表現。第九章（頁199 - 226）則重點討論時間管理，如時間管理的障礙與原則等，以便營造低壓力的生活環境。書末另附參考書目，讀者如希望更深入了解個別問題，可從中尋找延伸閱讀材料。

全書共分九章，協助大學生在可能面對學業、家庭、生活等方面的難題下，做好壓力管理。其中第三章（頁65 - 86）主要講述壓力管理的個別方案，對何謂抗壓性、壓力管理的途徑與方案等問題，說明尤為詳明。而第八章（頁151 - 170）則重點談論正向思考，介紹吸引力法則與正向語言等技巧，協助讀者以樂觀心態面對壓力。書中另附有大量案例與習題，讀者如多作參考，當更能有效地管理個人壓力。