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Book Review: Malcolm Shepherd Knowles: A History of His Thought

English. It involves a time of silent reflection during which students write their comments on the board prior to a class discussion, allowing students time to gather their thoughts and compose reflective comments. Brookfield wraps up this “conversation” by sharing the challenges, risks, and misunderstandings he has experienced when implementing his critical thinking framework. He then relates these issues back to the theoretical foundation presented in the initial chapters and finishes with an admission of the assumptions he holds about teaching critical thinking. He states, “I know that no matter what the context, being able to think critically is crucial to your survival and to helping you make choices that are in your best interests” (p. 259). These words serve as Brookfield’s powerful rationale for overcoming the challenges of implementing his critical thinking framework into adult and higher education learning environments. Brookfield asserts that critical thinkers seek and evaluate relevant assumptions of a situation. Are there assumptions held by the author that affect the quality of this book? The first is an assumption that the reader accepts the importance and utility of teaching critical thinking skills. Brookfield does not engage in any persuasion; he assumes that the reader is ready to integrate critical thinking into the curriculum. Additionally, Brookfield is a leading critical theorist and reaffirms this stance in the book. However, he may have underestimated the strength of this perspective on his framework. Despite the clarity of Brookfield’s writing, this could present a challenge for readers unfamiliar or unaligned with critical theory. In summary, Brookfield also asserts that the final step of the critical thinking process is to take informed action. This work provides an excellent resource for educators desiring to do just that. The combination of the theoretical and practical presented in a thoroughly engaging style marks this as an invaluable resource for educators in adult and higher education settings.