Engage the Fox

For a long time, I've known my critical thinking skills aren't what they could be. I'm easily swayed by mediocre arguments and often jump into commitments without thinking through the alternatives... or the consequences.

I'm aware of these weaknesses but have struggled to mitigate them. At one point, I bought a critical thinking textbook, but (not shockingly) it was academic and not especially engaging, and I got bogged down and missed any practical value it might have offered.

And then I got the opportunity to read a review copy of “Engage the Fox.” The premise (a business fable! with woodland creatures!) seemed a little goofy but simultaneously unintimidating, and after reading it, I'd say that initial impression was upheld but also backed with solid ideas and real-world usefulness.

My favorite thing about this book is that the authors showed the power of their critical thinking process by tackling a genuinely difficult problem. With a lot of business fables (and heck, fiction in general), situations seem contrived, and you think to yourself, “Well, sure, it would be easy to solve problems if all your ducks were in a row like that.”

But throughout the first few chapters, I was right there with Hedgehog in thinking the situation was a no-win scenario. Despite the sometimes-silly animal references, the book methodically (and entertainingly) guides the reader through real-life application of the critical thinking process—starting with a seemingly intractable problem, getting clear on the actual problem, generating and evaluating potential solutions based on the desired outcome, making good decisions, and implementing them as workable solutions.

Even though the process is fairly involved, it's arranged in a logical framework, so it's easy to understand and work through. There are a lot of diagrams, many of which are shown repetitively—this might bother some readers, but I found it much more convenient than constantly flipping back to reference the information presented earlier, and the narrative isn't repetitive, just the diagrams.

This clear presentation, combined with a mnemonic, the solid underlying framework, and ample examples of how it works in the real world—all work together to create a process I'm confident I can follow.

One more recommendation: for more on the decision-making process specifically, you may want to also pick up “Decisive” by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. The two books have a little bit of overlap, but the focus is different enough to give a well-rounded approach, and I appreciated seeing some of the same ideas covered from complementary angles.

Note: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.