Asking the Right Questions

Name: Asking the Right Questions
ISBN: 9787111688952

尼尔·布朗 / 斯图尔特·基利China Machine Press2021

4.3

Word count: 187K words
Chapters: 16
ISBN: 9787111688952

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Summary

Asking the Right Questions is a classic introductory work in the field of critical thinking. The original book has gone through many revisions; the edition published in mainland China by China Machine Press is the most widely circulated, with the 12th edition translated by Xu Weihan and Wu Lijing. Centering on "how to ask the right questions," the book breaks critical thinking down into an operable chain of questioning: first identify the issue and the conclusion, then ask what reasons support the conclusion; next check whether the meaning of key terms is vague and dig out the value assumptions and descriptive assumptions the author leaves unstated; then check whether the argument contains fallacies and assess the strength of various kinds of evidence—personal experience, typical cases, testimony of those involved, expert opinion, personal observation, and research studies; go on to ask whether there are alternative causes, whether the data are deceptive, and what important information has been omitted; and finally learn to reach several possible reasonable conclusions in a spirit of nuance. The book also discusses in detail the obstacles that interfere with critical thinking, such as thinking too fast, stereotypes, egocentrism, and wishful thinking. It is filled with cases drawn from everyday life and written in plain language, making it suitable both as an introductory textbook for university courses in critical thinking and for general readers who want to practice independent judgment and resist emotional manipulation and logical traps in a cluttered information environment.

Editor's review

很多人把“批判性思维”理解成抬杠或挑刺，这本书给出的却是另一种路径：先努力理解对方，再用一套有顺序的问题去检验论证的质量。全书的结构非常“教材化”——论题、结论、理由、歧义词、假设、谬误、证据效力、替代原因、数据、被省略的信息、多种结论，一章解决一个环节，读完之后手里就有了一套可以随身携带的提问清单。它的难得之处在于不堆术语：讲“海绵式思维”与“淘金式思维”，讲“弱势批判性思维”与“强势批判性思维”，都用日常场景举例，读起来不费力，但每一节都能落到实处。对长期被动接收信息的人来说，它更像是思维上的一次基础训练：遇到一个断言，会本能地问“理由呢”“这个词具体指什么”“有没有别的解释”。对于要在写作、辩论、备考、职场沟通中讲清楚道理的人，这套框架尤其好用。译文整体流畅，第12版更新了案例，更贴近当下的信息环境。

Who it's for

A good fit for

希望摆脱盲从、练习独立判断的普通读者
需要写论文、做论证的大学生与研究生
经常做方案汇报、需要说服他人的职场人
备考雅思、托福、GRE、GMAT 等需要逻辑分析能力的考生

Not a good fit for

希望读到速成话术或辩论技巧套路的人
期待系统学习形式逻辑与数理逻辑的读者
只想看轻松故事、不愿做课后练习的读者

Reading tips

按章节顺序读，每章读完就用书中的问题清单分析一篇网文或一条新闻。
把“论题、结论、理由、假设、谬误”做成随身卡片，在日常对话中随手练习。
读到证据效力与替代原因部分时，找一两篇研究报告原文对照，体会评估证据的具体手感。
可配合逻辑学入门读物与写作训练一起读，把提问能力转化为表达能力。

About the publisher

China Machine Press China · Founded in 1950

In addition to science and technology and professional publishing, the books in our catalog from China Machine Press also reflect a sustained focus on psychology, computing, management, finance and economics, and social sciences. In psychology, the catalog includes works by C. G. Jung and introductions to analytical psychology, as well as applied topics such as stress and health, and addiction and healing. In computing, it features Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (JavaScript Edition). Management and finance titles include Administrative Behavior (4th Edition), The Price of Inequality (Collector's Edition), and This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly (Commemorative Edition). In the philosophy and history of science, there is The Worldview: The Third Edition. Relevant authors include C. G. Jung, William McGuire, Sonu Shamdasani, and Gabor Maté. Public information is limited; the above summarizes the publisher's profile based solely on the books in our catalog.

Praise
Preface
Chapter 1 The Benefits and Methods of Asking the Right Questions
Chapter 2 What Are the Issue and the Conclusion?
Chapter 3 What Are the Reasons?
Chapter 4 Which Words Are Ambiguous?
Chapter 5 What Are Value Assumptions and Descriptive Assumptions?
Chapter 6 Are There Fallacies in the Argument?
Chapter 7 The Power of Evidence: Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimony, and Expert Opinion
Chapter 8 The Power of Evidence: Personal Observation and Research Studies
Chapter 9 Are There Rival Causes?
Chapter 10 Are the Statistics Deceptive?
Chapter 11 What Important Information Is Omitted?
Chapter 12 What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?
Chapter 13 Obstacles to Critical Thinking
Translator's Afterword

FAQ

这本书适合零基础读吗？

适合。全书从“什么是论题和结论”讲起，概念都配有生活化案例，不需要逻辑学或哲学基础。只要愿意跟着做书中的提问练习，就能逐步上手。

第12版和以前的版本有什么区别？

第12版由许蔚翰、吴礼敬翻译，在保留原有提问框架的基础上更新了案例，并加强了对写作、发言与交流场景的应用，章节仍为13章，另附译后记。

“海绵式思维”和“淘金式思维”指什么？

海绵式思维指像海绵吸水一样全盘吸收信息，省力但缺乏筛选；淘金式思维指带着问题主动筛选信息、与作者互动，从大量内容中淘出有价值的判断依据。书中主张以淘金式思维为主。

这本书和《批判性思维工具》有什么区别？

两本都是批判性思维入门书。《学会提问》以一条从论题到结论的提问链为主线，操作性强、偏阅读与论证分析；《批判性思维工具》更强调思维要素与智力标准的整体框架。可任选一本入门，再读另一本补充。

读完之后能获得什么实际能力？

最直接的是识别论证结构的能力：能迅速找到别人的结论与理由，判断词语是否含混、假设是否成立、证据是否可靠、数据是否被误用，从而减少被标题党、专家意见和情绪化表达带偏的几率。

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About the author

尼尔·布朗 Author

Neil Browne is the author best known in the Chinese book market for Asking the Right Questions (12th Edition). Publicly available information about his nationality, dates of birth and death, educational background, and professional career is limited, so further confirmed details cannot be provided here. Judging from the work included in our catalog, his writing focuses on critical thinking and questioning methods, falling within the genres of personal growth and thinking training. The text uses questions as its thread, guiding readers to examine arguments, identify logical gaps, and turn questioning into a habit through repeated practice. The book reached Chinese readers as a "12th Edition," indicating that its content has been revised many times and has had a long publishing life. It has sustained influence among comparable titles and is often used as an introductory reference for learning independent thought and rational judgment.

斯图尔特·基利 Author

Stuart Keeley is an author about whom limited public information is available. The only confirmed work is Asking the Right Questions (12th Edition), a book often classified as inspirational personal growth. Judging from this work, Keeley focuses on training critical thinking: how people identify the structure of arguments, distinguish reasons from conclusions, detect hidden assumptions, and ask worthwhile questions in an information-heavy environment. The subject does not rely on personal legend or dramatic biography; instead, it works through clear steps, an actionable framework of questions, and everyday examples, so that readers can use the book's methods to examine their own reasoning. For this reason, the book is regarded in the Chinese reading market as an introductory text for thinking training, suitable for students, working professionals, and general readers who wish to improve independent judgment. Beyond the above, no reliable public sources confirm Keeley's nationality, dates of birth and death, education, or other writings, so no speculation is offered here.