News announcement from the MIT Press

Cambridge, MA, March 10, 2020– The MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series offers an accessible and beautifully produced collection of compact books on topics of current interest. The fiftieth title in the series was announced today on a topic that is vital to thriving in the modern world.

More often than not, we make decisions based on emotion rather than reason. But this can have dire consequences. Critical Thinking by Jonathan Haber cuts through the noise of a post-truth world making it easier to form educated decisions about the important topics in life. The perfect book for a presidential election year, Critical Thinking shines a light on everything from the impact of fake news to advice for educational leaders and policymakers. And in a world where social networks and print media shout louder than ever before, in-depth analysis is crucial.

“This book was selected as our fiftieth title because it underscores the goal of the series. After all, essential knowledge isn’t much use without critical thinking,” says Amy Brand, director of The MIT Press. “From contraception to quantum entanglement, the Essential Knowledge Series aims to cover all you need to know to have a better understanding of our world. These books support the mission of the MIT Press to advance knowledge around the globe for the broadest possible access, impact, and audience.”

Written by leading thinkers and writers, the books in The Essential Knowledge Series deliver expert overviews of subjects that range from the cultural and the historical. In today’s era of instant information gratification, we have ready access to opinions, rationalizations, and superficial descriptions. Much harder to come by is the foundational knowledge that informs a principled understanding of the world. The Essential Knowledge Series books fill that need. Synthesizing specialized subject matter for non-specialists and engaging critical topics through fundamentals, each of these compact volumes offers readers a point of access to complex ideas.

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Established in 1962, the MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design. MIT Press books and journals are known for their intellectual daring, scholarly standards, interdisciplinary focus, and distinctive design.

Emily Paquin Abbas, The MIT Press, Communications Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 617-715-5412