Making Your Mind Matter is a practical guide to effective thinking in college and in everyday life. Critical thinking guru Vincent Ryan Ruggiero explains how and why the mind has been neglected in American education, then teaches readers how to take charge of their own mental development. Ruggiero presents a simple but powerful model-the WISE model (Wonder, Investigate, Speculate, Evaluate). This model illustrates how to overcome obstacles to thinking, resist manipulation, test ideas, analyze arguments, form judgments, analyze ethical issues, and discuss ideas courteously and effectively. This book is a brief, comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible introduction to critical thinking, perfect for all students and others interested in increasing the power of their minds.

Vincent Ryan Ruggiero is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the movement to make creative and critical thinking a central emphasis in education. The author of 19 books and over 75 articles, he is professor of humanities, emeritus, at SUNY-Delhi.