follow, as well as other important learning skills.

This book contains many step by step checklists, much like pilots use
to make certain that things of importance are not overlooked. These
individual checklists are tied together in a broad flowchart that
provides a sequential decision making pathway. The contents of the
checklists are things that many adults utilize instinctively, without
conscious thought. However these checklist can provide adults with a
more positive way of checking their own thinking, in times of stress,
and a way for students to become instinctive users of sound logic
practices. Teachers may find that students instantaneously begin to
act more mature because of the realization that their peers have a
common body of knowledge about values and character traits and
checklists to evaluate the behavior of others. For teachers, the
sequence of presentation here can be readily altered to suit the
teachable moment, that moment when a unique, high interest situation
arises that lends itself to discussion of a particular topic. The
sequence presented here is merely one way in which the various
interlocking subjects can be presented.

This presentation is intentionally concise to provide the reader with
a composite picture of the use of checklists in logical thinking,
without burdening the reader with statistical findings or repetitious
historical background information.

The ideas presented here are referenced to credible academic research
wherever possible. Endnotes are used extensively to direct the reader
to in-depth authoritative resources, and additional references are
provided for each section at the back of the book.

In this book I have used the pronoun "he" for humanity in general,
rather than using he/she or similar conventions. This usage was
selected to enhance the flow of the written word and should not be
taken literally. The word "he" is used here to include both women and
men and applies to them with equality.

Solving problems is a daily, if not hourly, part of our lives. It is
therefore useful to put the mechanics of problem solving and human
interpersonal relationships into flowchart form, so that when stress
is intense we have some way of making more certain that we are
thinking flawlessly. (A comprehensive flowchart is included in the
HTML version.)

* * * * *

Research Skills.

Rapid Reading.

Effective learners use certain reading techniques[1] that greatly
increas