Thinking Critically in College

 

The Essential Handbook for Student Success

Nonfiction, College Guide

Date Published: April 1, 2026

Publisher: Manhattan Book Group

The Definitive Guide for Success in College and Beyond

Finally, a book that actually prepares you for college! Nearly every first-year college student discovers that college courses are more academically challenging than high school. Professors expect you not just to absorb material but to analyze and synthesize it, to consider multiple perspectives, to evaluate conflicting evidence, and then to apply what you've learned in new contexts.

Drawing on a lifetime of experience teaching and advising students, former dean of Academic Advising and associate vice provost at Stanford University Louis E. Newman explains how to do all this, and more. Whatever your background or academic interest, this book will prepare you for college-level learning. Thinking Critically in College is the definitive guide, not only for those in college, but for everyone who needs a refresher on thinking clearly.

"Thinking Critically in College details and exemplifies the differences between high school and college. Students who read this book before coming to college will have an advantage over those who don't." -LEE CUBA, professor emeritus of sociology, Wellesley College, and author of Practice for Life: Making Decisions in College

"Even students who have taken college-prep and AP courses are unprepared for the type of learning that will take place in college. Thinking Critically in College is poised to help all students at all types of institutions develop the dispositions and skills necessary for success in college." -LYNN PASQUERELLA, president of Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

My review...

How many people reading this review were really prepared for college? More importantly, how many had teachers help us plan and prepare? My answer to all of these questions is: I had no idea even when I was shoved off the graduation stage like a little fledgling. I arrived at a giant school with giant classes, and it took me forever to actually get on my feet. I must have spent my first years wobbling around looking just like one of those fledglings, big eyes and all. This book would have given me such an edge to start. Such a chance to begin on day one rather than waking up on year two or three.

This is a teaching book for all of us. There can be no question it will help students, but I think it will help many of us question and evaluate. I won't say it's for everyone. But for those students who want to be smart, be prepared, and see the value in doing so, this is a book to read.

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