Attempts to persuade us - to believe something, to do something, to buy something - are everywhere. What is less clear is how to think critically about such attempts and how to distinguish those that are sound arguments. "Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide" is a much needed guide to argument analysis and a clear introduction to thinking clearly and rationally for oneself. Accessibly written, this book equips students with the essential skills required to tell a good argument from a bad one. Key features of the book include: - clear, jargon-free discussion of key concepts in argumentation - how to avoid common confusions surrounding words such as 'truth', 'knowledge' and 'opinion' - how to identify and evaluate the most common types of argument - how to spot fallacies and tell good reasoning from bad - chapter summaries, exercises, examples and a glossary. The second edition has been updated to include topical new examples from politics, sport, medicine and music, as well as new exercises throughout.