In a world of post truth politics, alternative facts, and fake news, there really are better and worse ways to think about things and that disagreement need not lead to incivility, hatred, or violence.

The title of the book implies that some ideas are better than others. But what makes them better? Luckily, much of the hard work has already been done. Philosophers, mathematicians, logicians, scientists, writers, and many others have developed the Critical Thinking skills that allow all of us to make such valued distinctions. I have taken these skills, and distilled them into six steps.

After learning these Six Steps, you will more effectively communicate what it is you believe and why it is you believe it so that people will have an easier time understanding you. You will be empowered with the ability to better understand what people are saying and to know why it is they are saying it. Your thinking will become better as well because what emerges from your ability to understand and use these skills is an element of diplomacy and fairness when having discussions about important issues. And this leads directly to more civilized disagreement....