The Thinker's Way: 8 Steps to a Richer Life (Think Critically, Live Creatively, Choose Freely)

I read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Upon reading the reviews of others, I noticed a dichotomy. People either REALLY liked it or thought it was too simple. I also noticed that the reviews of the ones advocating its futility were by far SHORTER than the reviews by the "happy campers." While my judgement is, by far, not scientific, I am led to believe that those that thought of it as a simplistic work...simply missed the point. This book is very philosophical while still practical. Chaffee is well informed and "preaches" the virtues of a world where people who want to be informed, live as such. I'll keep my review short and ask you not to read this book like a novel, but, as Chaffee suggests, read it over an extended period of time allowing for the concepts to come to fruition.

I am a college teacher in psychology and the Humanities and recently came across THE THINKER'S WAY. It is such a welcome change from all the New Age/Psychobabble books promising everlasting life if a person does everything but think. It is so refreshing! For 17 years I have been a Life Planning counselor and teach people to do many of the things the book advocates: problem-solving, decision-making and goal setting. This book, THE THINKER'S WAY, almost reads like a textbook for my counseling practice.

This book is not only well-written, but it works! And it works for every aspect of your life! If you want to inject some creativity into your life, read this book. If you want to make independent, thoughtful choices in your life, read this book. If you want to become a better thinker, read this book. If you want to communicate more effectively, read this book. If you feel like you constantly have misunderstandings in your relationships, or you just want to improve your relationships in general, read this book. If you want guidance in developing opinions and a moral code, read this book. If you want to raise "thinking children," read this book. If you want to create a meaningful life for yourself, read THE THINKER'S WAY. Evertime I'm faced with a complication in my life now, I know that THE THINKER'S WAY can help, and has helped. It helps you become a better person--something we all want to do, but often don't find the time to accomplish. I think that we can all use THE THINKER'S WAY because, after all, if reading it enables yout to create a life of meaning for yourself, isn't it worth the time?

How many times have you come out of the bookstore with a new self-help book that you're sure will improve your relationships, career, parenting, creativity, decision-making, communication skills, organization, romances--in a word, your life as a whole? In my experience, what often ends up happening is that you adopt a new method of working/relating/parenting/organizing/ communicating/loving for a short while before slipping back into old patterns and, in frustration, giving up. What a relief, then, that John Chaffee has written "The Thinker's Way," a book that promises to improve every area of your life, and actually does. Unlike other, more simplistic, self-help books, "The Thinker's Way" works because, in a manageable series of eight steps, it nurtures the most basic and important part of your being--your ability to think, make intelligent decisions, skillfully evaluate situations, and foster creativity in your thinking and in your life. Chaffee focuses on three key ideas--"Thinking Critically, Living Creatively, Choosing Freely". Aren't these the qualities of life we all strive for? This book has truly changed the way that I think. It has created me as a thinker who can effectively deal with complex situations, who can live a life of creativity, and who can make free, confident choices. The author calls to our attention the alarming fact that we have become a "nation of non-thinkers"--unsure of our opinions, awash with information, and confused when faced with complex problems and relationships. He imagines a "thinking world"--a world where each of us achieves our full potential, leading the most fulfilling life possible. Is this world plausible? After reading this book I realize that it is the kind of world that we would live in if everyone took the time to read, and live their lives, "The Thinker's Way."