jokes on critical thinking

84 Logic Jokes

Logic jokes offer a unique and amusing perspective on the world of reasoning and rationality, providing a lighthearted and clever way to engage with logical concepts. These jokes playfully blend the principles of logic with everyday scenarios, resulting in humor that appeals to both those well-versed in formal logic and those encountering these ideas for the first time .

From puns that involve syllogisms to wordplay that navigates the intricacies of reasoning, these jokes showcase the wit and creativity inherent in logical thinking. In this compilation of logic-based humor, we find ourselves immersed in a world where logicians tackle hide and seek , gardening , and even relationships with a dash of logical flair. So, let’s embark on a journey through the realms of rationality and wit, where premises and conclusions blend seamlessly with laughter and amusement.

Top 84 Logic Jokes:

• Why don’t logicians play hide and seek? Because good luck hiding when you leave premises everywhere!
• What do you call a three-valued logic system at a music concert ? A rock and roll band… because it’s not just black and white, there’s a lot of noise too!
• Why was the logical statement at the gym ? Because it wanted to work on its abs(tractions)!
• Why did the logician work at a bakery ? Because he kneaded the dough!
• Why did the logician bring a ladder to the bar? Because he heard the drinks were on the house!
• Why was the logician’s garden so organized? Because he planted all his flowers in a neat logical order!
• How does a logician break up with their partner? “It’s not me, it’s the conditions of our truth table.”
• Why don’t logicians get lost? Because they always follow the right path in the decision tree !
• Why did the logician go to therapy ? Because he had unresolved issues with his parents… thesis.
• Why don’t logicians make good cooks ? Because they’re always reducing things to their simplest form!
• Why was the logical argument so fit ? Because it was in good shape (valid and sound)!
• Why did the logician refuse to play cards with the jungle cat ? Because he was afraid of cheetahs (Cheetah’s)!
• Why did the binary logic gate go to school ? To improve its logic skills and make better decisions!
• Why was the logician bad at hide and seek? Because wherever he went, he left a trail of syllogisms!
• Why did the logician put his money into the freezer? Because he wanted cold hard cash!
• Why did the logician bring a map to the party ? Because he didn’t want to get lost in conversation!
• Why did the logician refuse to play poker ? Because he knew when the chips were down, it was all about bluffing!
• Why did the logician get kicked out of the fruit store? Because he was caught trying to compare apples and oranges !
• What do you call a logician skydiving? A falling truth value!
• Why did the logician go to the art museum? To appreciate the abstract ideas!
• Why did the logician keep his work a secret? Because he didn’t want anyone to steal his thunder (demonstrations)!
• Why did the logician refuse to go to the circus ? Because he couldn’t bear to see the clowns juggling truth and falsehood!
• Why did the logician carry a notebook everywhere he went? Because he wanted to jot down every logical fallacy he encountered!
• Why did the logician go to the beach ? To swim in the sea of truth!
• Why did the logician go to the opera? Because he loved dramatic structures!
• Why did the logician refuse to play chess ? Because he was tired of making calculated moves!
• Why did the logician go to the park ? To take a stroll through the trees (of logic)!
• Why was the logician always fair in arguments? Because he always played by the rules (of inference)!
• Why did the logician bring a flashlight to the debate? To shed light on the subject!
• Why did the logician never get surprised? Because every event was either necessary or contingent!
• Why did the logician go to the zoo ? Because he wanted to study animal reasoning!
• Why did the logician refuse to play the lottery ? Because the odds were irrational!
• Why was the logician so good at fishing ? Because he knew the best ways to bait his hook (line of reasoning)!
• Why did the logician keep a calendar? Because he wanted to keep track of temporal logic!
• Why did the logician bring a compass to the debate? To find the right direction in the argument!
• Why did the logician go to the library ? Because he was in search of knowledge and understanding!
• Why did the logician love to dance ? Because he loved moving in logical patterns!
• Why did the logician love the sea? Because he enjoyed navigating the waves of reasoning!
• Why did the logician get along with everyone? Because he understood the principle of non-contradiction!
• Why did the logician go to the construction site? To see how arguments were built!
• Why did the logician love gardening? Because he loved planting seeds of thought !
• Why did the logician refuse to argue with the mime? Because actions speak louder than words!
• Why did the logician love the mountains? Because he was always looking for higher truths!
• Why did the logician go to the forest? To study the trees of logic!
• Why did the logician love to sail? Because he loved navigating through the sea of arguments!
• Why did the logician refuse to watch the horror movie ? Because it was full of fallacies!
• Why did the logician go to the music concert? Because he wanted to analyze the rhythm of the argument!
• Why did the logician go to the bakery? To buy some pi(e)!
• Why did the logician go to the circus? To see the juggling of facts and fallacies!
• Why did the logician go to the boxing match? To see a knockout argument!
• Why did the logician go to the casino ? To calculate the odds!
• Why did the logician go to the grocery store? To buy some fruit for thought!
• Why did the logician love to play soccer? Because he was good at tackling the issues!
• Why did the logician go to the train station? To understand the tracks of thought!
• Why did the logician go to the coffee shop? To brew some ideas!
• Why did the logician love to play baseball ? Because he loved hitting the ball out of the park (making a strong argument)!
• Why did the logician go to the pizza shop? To get a slice of knowledge!
• Why did the logician go to the clothing store? To find a suitable argument!
• Why did the logician go to the race track? To see the horse of a different color (different perspective)!
• Why did the logician go to the ice cream parlor? To taste the sweet success of a well-formed argument!
• Why did the logician go to the barber shop? To cut through the hair-splitting arguments!
• Why did the logician go to the park? To see the branching paths of reasoning!
• Why did the logician go to the movie theater? To analyze the plot (line of reasoning)!
• Why did the logician go to the flower shop? To smell the roses of success (successful argument)!
• Why did the logician go to the bank? To deposit his valuable thoughts!
• Why did the logician go to the jewelry store? To buy a ring of truth!
• Why did the logician go to the toy store? To pick up some building blocks of logic!
• Why did the logician go to the candy store? To enjoy some sweet reasoning!
• Why did the logician go to the electronics store? Because he needed to charge his thoughts!
• Why did the logician go to the hospital? To see the pulse of life and death logic!
• Why did the logician go to the zoo? To observe natural logic in action!
• Why did the logician go to the museum? To see the evolution of thought!
• Why did the logician go to the airport ? To catch a flight of ideas!
• Why did the logician go to the amusement park? To enjoy the rollercoaster of reasoning!
• Why did the logician go to the toy store? To buy some logic puzzles !
• Why did the logician go to the pet shop? To buy a parrot that could repeat his arguments!
• Why did the logician go to the sports store? To get some gear for his mental workout !
• Why did the logician go to the bookstore? To buy some logical literature !
• Why did the logician go to the hardware store? Because he needed tools for his arguments!
• Why did the logician go to the farm ? To see the chicken-or-egg problem in action!
• Why did the logician go to the theater? To watch a drama of deduction!
• Why did the logician go to the magic show? To see the illusion of false arguments!
• Why did the logician go to the swimming pool ? To dive into deep thought!
• Why did the logician go to the mountain ? To reach the peak of understanding.

As we conclude our journey through the realm of logic jokes, we find ourselves appreciating the ingenuity and playfulness that underlies these witty quips. These jokes serve as a testament to the fascinating world of logic and how it can be intertwined with our daily lives, infusing humor into the most mundane situations. From the gym to the zoo, from the bakery to the theater, logicians seem to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of logical amusement.

Through these jokes, we’ve come to realize that the pursuit of reason and rationality need not always be a solemn endeavor. Humor allows us to view logic from a fresh perspective, making it more approachable and enjoyable for all. It reminds us that, despite the complexity of logical systems, there’s room for levity and laughter in our explorations of the truth.

So, the next time you find yourself pondering logical conundrums, remember to take a moment and enjoy the lighter side of reasoning. Whether you’re a seasoned logician or just dipping your toes into the waters of logic, these jokes offer a delightful break from the seriousness of formal deductions and proofs. Let the laughter flow as you appreciate the wit and cleverness that logicians bring to the world of humor. After all, what better way to celebrate the intricacies of logic than with a good-natured chuckle?

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The Magic of Logical Jokes: Unleashing the Power of Wit and Reason

Have you ever come across a joke that not only made you chuckle but also ignited your thinking? Logical jokes, with their clever wordplay and witty punchlines, hold a special place in the world of humor and problem-solving. In this article, we delve into the significance of logical jokes and explore why they have become beloved gems of wit and intellect. So join us on this journey as we uncover the hidden wonders behind these humorous puzzles.

Igniting the Flames of Critical Thinking:

Logical jokes have a delightful way of coaxing our minds into action. Through their twists and turns, they challenge our thinking and invite us to engage in critical analysis. They spur us to flex our mental muscles and approach problems from fresh perspectives. With each logical joke, we exercise our critical thinking skills, honing our ability to unravel complex riddles and conundrums.

Unleashing Intellectual Engagement:

There's something magical about encountering a logical joke. Our brains immediately kick into high gear, craving to unravel the cleverness embedded within its words. This intellectual engagement nurtures our curiosity, prompting us to dive deeper into the logical puzzle presented. Logical jokes provide an avenue for intellectual stimulation, allowing us to revel in the joy of mental exploration.

Cementing Memories with Laughter:

Laughter has a remarkable way of enhancing memory retention, and logical jokes are no exception. The fusion of wit and logic creates an indelible imprint in our minds. As we laugh at the punchline, our brains forge stronger connections, making it easier to recall the joke and its underlying principles. By incorporating logical jokes into our learning or teaching endeavors, we can transform mundane concepts into memorable adventures.

Nurturing the Seeds of Creativity:

Thinking outside the box is an invaluable skill in the realm of logical problem-solving. Logical jokes, with their unconventional and unexpected connections, serve as catalysts for creativity. They nudge us to break free from conventional thinking patterns, unleashing our imaginative potential. By embracing these playful twists, logical jokes inspire us to discover innovative solutions and explore uncharted territories.

Bridging Connections through Humor:

Humor acts as a universal language that transcends barriers, fostering connections among individuals. Logical jokes, in particular, possess the power to bridge gaps and create a sense of camaraderie among those who appreciate their inherent logical humor. Whether shared in a classroom, an online community, or a detective-themed website, logical jokes have a remarkable ability to bring like-minded individuals together through shared laughter.

Logical jokes offer more than just a momentary laugh; they ignite our minds, nurture critical thinking, foster creativity, solidify memories, and create a sense of connection. Their skillful play with words and logic makes them invaluable tools for educators, puzzle enthusiasts, and anyone seeking to infuse humor into their problem-solving endeavors. So, the next time you stumble upon a logical joke, embrace it with a smile, relish the intellectual delight it brings, and uncover the hidden treasures that lie within its cleverness. After all, a good logical joke is not just a source of amusement; it's an invitation to delve deeper, think sharper, and discover the extraordinary world that awaits beyond the ordinary.

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Writer Name : YUGANT LOYA

Date : 2023/05/16

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• Critical Thinking

What Comedy Can Teach Us About Critical Thinking

by Erik Meira · December 7, 2014

Photo credit: Joe Loong

Over the years I have learned to use sense of humor as a litmus test for critical thinking. When I meet someone who takes everything very seriously and lacks any kind of sense of humor, I know they suck at critical thinking. Here is why that is.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved comedy

I used to watch ANY stand-up I could find. I owned comedy albums that I would listen to over and over again so I could memorize them and recite the bits to friends (I can still rattle through Steve Martin albums from memory). Currently I offer my professional services to local comics pro bono just to do whatever I can to support the team. Comics, like most other artists and performers here in the US, are woefully underinsured.

When I attend conferences, my favorite people to hang around are skeptical researchers. Hanging out with these folks is a freaking party. And I don’t mean a “hit the clubs” drunkfest. Rarely is there much, if any, drinking and we tend to congregate in crappy foodcourts or hotel lobbies. It is a party because it is non-stop jokes and laughing. Now, I know what you are thinking,

Researchers are FUNNY?

Yes, because a good scientist sees the world in the same way as a comic. There is a reason that both comics and researchers start out life as the weird nerdy kid in high school. When a comic recognizes something as funny, they actually explore WHY something is funny. This allows them to find jokes in unexpected places. It turns out that the ability to find the humor in something is an exercise in critical thinking. It also is the same skill that makes magic work, which is why some of the greatest and most outspoken critics of pseudoscience have historically been magicians (Houdini, The Amazing Randi, Penn & Teller, etc).

In order to understand this, let’s look at how to develop a joke

Of course I’m not talking about reciting a joke you have heard before (joke delivery is something different) but creating one from scratch. Any comic will tell you that comedy is a skill that you need to practice intentionally on a regular basis. It’s not simply “being funny”; that is just a prerequisite. Most comics spend their days working on joke development – it is a full time job.

Many jokes are based on observational humor. The first thing a comic will do is make observations about the world around them and common life experiences. They will usually start with a list of mundane occurrences. These observations will generate the eventual set-up for the joke. Then they will examine one of those observations and think about the common ways that most people intuitively interpret that observation (the more universal the better).

Now here is the hard part. At this point the comic must look for alternative interpretations that no one else has considered but are just as true, if not more so. This is known as the turn or the twist of the joke and is what actually makes it funny. The more the alternative interpretation is unintuitive yet true, the funnier it is. That is why a very common reaction to a really good joke is, “Oh my God! That is SO true!”

Absurdist humor is also popular among critical thinkers. This involves following an intuitive “truth” to a logical yet absurd conclusion or just throwing something out completely unexpected. Both observational and absurdist humor have similar properties.

Once a good comic creates a joke, they develop the joke further by expanding the setup. They do this by creatively hardening the expectation of the audience. The comic really drives and reinforces that intuitive picture in the mind of the audience so they can rapidly pull the trigger on the turn.

If you’re a musical comic, just give ’em a little weird voice inflection. Then take a Viagra and slap ’em with a rock hard misdirection . [link NSFW] – Bo Burnam

This actually works best if the audience needs to make the connection themselves – never explain a joke. A little bit of thinking makes a joke funnier.

Among comics there is the derogatory term “hack”: A comic can be generally called a “hack” or a specific joke can be considered “hacky”. This is when you lazily take an alternative yet obvious interpretation – in other words, the obvious and easy joke. Your classic “fart joke” if you will. (Not to bad mouth a good fart joke, which we can all appreciate from time to time.)

Why is this derogatory? These jokes only work on either stupid or, at least, unsophisticated audiences. More sophisticated audiences can see the joke coming from far away. Some comics will use these effectively by creatively over-selling the delivery, which creates an unexpected element to the joke, or by absurd or specific tagging, but this can get a bit arcane and I’m boring you already…

How does this apply to critical thinking?

As you think about the importance of expectation and misdirection, I’m sure you can see the parallels with magic: Setup/expectation followed by a turn. But can you see the parallels with critical thinking?

When presented with a scenario, the average mind will go first to the intuitive and obvious. At best, it will think of the hack alternative explanation (this is often an easily dismissed straw man position which strengthens their original belief). The world is as expected and, well, boring.

A good critical thinker won’t be satisfied with the obvious or the hack explanation. They will explore ALL the possible explanations looking for the “real” truth, the more hidden the better – exactly the way a comic sees the world. This is where large leaps occur in knowledge. Find that “deep cut” of underlying and hidden truth that no one else has considered and then test it.

Think about the last time you had your mind blown by a new explanation backed by some elegantly simple research. My automatic reaction is always laughter followed by the words, “Son of a bitch. Why didn’t I see that before?”

Having your expectations messed with makes life exciting. Science is hilarious. When I picture my favorite critical thinkers, there is always a smirk on their face.

In conclusion, I embedded sets from three of my favorite Portland-grown comics. Sean Jordan (who was just named Portland’s Funniest Comic  and is a great guy),  Ian Karmel , and Ron Funches . Why? Because they are awesome and I’m proud of my town. Watch the setups and turns and enjoy!

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85 Tricky Riddles for Adults That Will Really Test Your Knowledge

These brain-teasers range from super easy to downright mind-boggling.

We've got plenty of clever, hard and downright mind-boggling brain-teasers for you to solve. But if you're looking for something a little easier, we also got a ton of kid-friendly riddles you can figure with your children. There are also plenty of math riddles , too, which will come in handy as icebreakers during work meetings, in the classroom or at a party.

And don't think we just left you hanging with these questions. All of the answers to the mysteries are included.

Be sure to let us know which was your favorite in the comments below!

Easy Riddles

Q: What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Q: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

A: Footsteps.

Q:David's father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and _____?

Q: What is more useful when it is broken?

Q: I am easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I?

A: A feather.

Q: Where do you take a sick boat?

A: To the dock-tor.

Q: Which fish costs the most?

A: A goldfish.

Q: What goes up, but never comes down?

Q: A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and rode out on Friday. How is this possible?

A: His horse's name is Friday.

Q: What has a neck but no head?

A: A bottle

Q: What is full of holes but still holds water?

A: A sponge

Q: How do you spell COW in thirteen letters?

A: SEE O DOUBLE YOU.

Q: Why is Europe like a frying pan?

A: Because it has Greece at the bottom.

Math Riddles

Q: If 2 is company and 3 is a crowd, what are 4 and 5?

Q: I add 5 to 9 and get 2. The answer is correct, so what am I?

A: A clock. When it is 9 a.m., adding 5 hours would make it 2 p.m.

Q: Rachel goes to the supermarket and buys 10 tomatoes. Unfortunately, on the way back home, all but 9 get ruined. How many tomatoes are left in a good condition?

Q: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

A: Chicago!

Q: If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?

A: 977 animals (100 x 2 = 200; 200 + 800 = 1000; 1000 – 23 = 977)

Q: I saw my math teacher with a piece of graph paper yesterday.

A: I think he must be plotting something.

Q: If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?

Q: I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Q: What 3 numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together?

A: 1, 2, and 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 x 2 x 3 = 6).

Q: What's a single-digit number with no value?

Q: A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of ten years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height?

A: Nine years.

Funny Riddles

Q: How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

A: Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Q: Pronounced as 1 letter, And written with 3, 2 letters there are, and 2 only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black blue, and gray, I’m read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I?

Q: Who has married many women but was never married?

A: The priest

Q: Forward, I am heavy; backward, I am not. What am I?

Q: What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

A: Your left hand.

Q: If two snakes marry, what will their towels say?

A: Hiss and hers

Q: What does a man do only once in his lifetime, but women do once a year after they are 29?

Hard Riddles

Q: Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

A: They all made right-hand turns.

Q: I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I?

A: A kitten.

Q: Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?

A: A coffin.

Q: What has hands but cannot clap?

A: A clock.

Q: Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

Q: What gets broken without being held?

A: A promise.

Q: Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

A: Nothing.

Q: What is the longest word in the dictionary?

A: Smiles, because there is a mile between each ‘s’.

Q: Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?

A: Corn on the cob.

Q: What is at the end of a rainbow?

A: The letter W!

Q: What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

Q: They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

Q: What is always in front of you, but can’t be seen?

A: The future.

Q: You’ll find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. But never Neptune, or Venus. What am I?

A: The letter “R”.

Q: How many months have 28 days?

A: Every month has 28 days.

Q: I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?

Q: I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I?

A: An echo.

Q: When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account?

A: When it peaks one’s interest.

Q: A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood, or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why doesn’t the man have wet hair?

A: He’s bald.

Q: I love to dance, and twist. I shake my tail as I sail away. When I fly wingless into the sky. What am I?

Q: When you stop to look, you can always see me. But if you try to touch me, you can never feel me. Although you walk towards me, I remain the same distance from you. What am I?

A: The horizon

Q: You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk. But when you look back, you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

A: All the people on board are married.

Q: What is it that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either?

A: A lawsuit.

Q: I welcome the day with a show of light, I stealthily came here in the night.I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn, But by noon, alas! I'm gone.

A: The morning dew.

Q: What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?

Q: What can be touched but can't be seen?

A: Someone’s heart.

Q: In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest?

A: The baby of the pregnant lady.

Q: When it is alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?

A: A birthday candle.

Q: What can go through glass without breaking it?

Q: What gets bigger the more you take away?

Q: I have no life, but I can die. What am I?

A: A battery.

Q: What kind of room has no walls, door or windows?

A: A mushroom.

Q: It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?

A: Your name.

Q: What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?

A: Lunch and dinner.

Q: I make a loud sound when I’m changing. When I do change, I get bigger but weigh less. What am I?

A: Popcorn.

Q: It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it?

A: A keyboard.

Q: I’m orange, I wear a green hat and I sound like a parrot. What am I?

A: A carrot.

Q: What runs all around a backyard, yet never moves?

A: A fence.

Q: Take off my skin - I won't cry, but you will! What am I?

A: An onion.

Q: What invention lets you look right through a wall?

A: A window.

Q: What is always on its way but never arrives?

A: Tomorrow.

Q: Two girls were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, in the same month and year, and yet they're not twins. How can this be?

A: The two babies are two of a set of triplets.

Q: What has a bottom at the top?

A: Your legs.

Q: What can you catch but never throw?

Q: What has many teeth but cannot bite?

Q: What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves?

Q: What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it?

Q: What do you buy to eat but never consume?

A: Cutlery.

Q: Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

A: They are grandfather, father, and son.

Q: A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?

A: He was walking.

Q: If an electric train is traveling south, then which way is the smoke going?

A: There is no smoke—it's an electric train.

Q: Where is the only place where today comes before yesterday?

A: The dictionary.

Q: What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?

Q: How can kids drink beer and not get drunk?

A: By sticking to root beer.

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Crypto Mind Benders®: Classic Jokes - eBook

Deductive and mathematical reasoning skills.

Grades: 3-12+

Critical Thinking, Mathematics

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This fun, thought provoking 48-page book of puzzles, develops mathematical reasoning and critical thinking skills that are vital to achieving academic and lifelong success. They're great for introducing students to encryption, algebraic thinking, and basic computer programming operations. It compels students to break a secret code so they can identify a hidden joke. To break the code, students must apply logic and mathematical reasoning to 3-sets of clues. The challenge is getting all the information out of each clue! Once students break the code, they can solve the cryptogram by substituting the numbers with their corresponding code letters. This book familiarizes students with classic, good-humored jokes that both kids and adults enjoy. It also helps ELL/ESL learners further understand the English language and culture.

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The 17 Best Books on Critical Thinking (to Read in 2024)

All products were independently selected by our editors and contributors. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The aim of improving your skill of critical thinking isn’t just to be able to reason and give logical arguments about a subject skillfully; your goal is to get to the right answer, to make the right decisions and choices for yourself and others.

Critical thinking helps you:

First , improve the quality of your decisions and judgments, and reevaluate your beliefs objectively.

The human mind is rarely objective. However, mastering the skill of critical thinking keeps your mind objective, at least about those things based on facts.

Take for example the beliefs you have about yourself; Some are based on facts, some on subjective (negative) opinions of others.

Second , become an independent thinker (learn to think for yourself); take ownership of your values, beliefs, judgments, and decisions.

Mastering critical thinking is essential , especially in our modern times, because you must:

• Make a tone of decisions every day;
• Think and come to the right conclusion fast;
• Solve (mostly alone) your problems and issues;
• Weigh carefully facts and information you receive from the dozens of sources you have at your disposal;
• Reevaluate your strategies, beliefs, and habits periodically.

Critical thinking is a skill that you must learn; you’re not born with it. To make your journey a little easier, we’ve gathered the best critical thinking books so you can learn from the masters. Get inspired to become a critical thinker in no time!

The best books on critical thinking:

Table of Contents

1. Critical Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide to Critical Thinking, Better Decision Making, and Problem Solving – Jennifer Wilson

2. wait, what: and life’s other essential questions- james e. ryan, 3. think smarter: critical thinking to improve problem-solving and decision-making skills – michael kallet, 4. brain power: learn to improve your thinking skills – karl albrecht, 5. the art of thinking clearly – rolf dobelli, 6. being logical: a guide to good thinking – d.q. mcinerny, 7. predictably irrational, revised and expanded edition: the hidden forces that shape our decisions – dr. dan ariely, 8. a more beautiful question: the power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas – warren berger, 9. a rulebook for arguments – anthony weston, 10. thinking, fast and slow – daniel kahneman, 11. the organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information overload – daniel j. levitin, 12. don’t believe everything you think: the 6 basic mistakes we make in thinking – thomas e. kida, 13. the decision book: 50 models for strategic thinking – mikael krogerus, roman tschäppeler, philip earnhart, jenny piening, 14. weaponized lies: how to think critically in the post-truth era – daniel j. levitin, 15. the demon-haunted world: science as a candle in the dark paperback – carl sagan, ann druyan, 16. how to think about weird things: critical thinking for a new age – theodore schick, lewis vaughn, 17. the 5 elements of effective thinking – edward b. burger, michael starbird.

As the title says, this book introduces you to the art of critical thinking. You’ll discover in it:

• What is critical thinking in practice,
• The different thought processes of critical thinking,
• How will your life be better mastering critical thinking,
• The things your brain needs to enjoy exercising critical thinking,
• Techniques you can use for solving problems,
• How to become a better decision maker, Strategies to use in your critical thinking processes,
• Ways to make good decisions when more people (not just you) are involved,
• Tips to frame your questions in order to maximize the efficiency of your critical thinking.

Wisdom comes from observation, learning, practice, and asking the right questions.

Using examples from history, politics, and his own personal life, James e Ryan shows you the importance of knowing how to:

• Ask questions and gain a better understanding,
• Get to be more curious,
• Push yourself to take action,
• Make your relationship stronger,
• And stay focused on the important things in life.

Related:  Critical Thinking Examples

The book starts with the five fundamental questions:

• Couldn’t we at least…?
• How can I help…?
• What truly matters….?

Knowing how to formulate, address, and deliver the right questions doesn’t leave room for misunderstandings, misinterpretations; asking the wrong questions will most probably give you a wrong answer.

This book (Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions) will make you feel (more) courageous; after all, asking questions thanks courage. Asking yourself and others the right questions helps you make informed decisions and decisive action.

This book is a guide on how to train your brain to work even more for you. The author (Michael Kallet) is a critical thinking trainer and coach and gives you a practical set of tools and techniques for critical thinking in your day-to-day life and business.

If you want a clear, actionable step by step program to:

• Improve your critical thinking skills,
• A better understanding of complex problems and concepts,
• And how to put them in practice, then this book is for you.

Learn how to discover the real issues that need a solution, so you don’t waste your time in trying to solve imaginary problems. Increase your mental toughness, useful and productive thought.

In this book, Karl Albrecht shows you how to:

• Build your mental strength,
• Think more clearly logically and creative,
• Improve your memory,
• Solve problems,
• Make decisions more effectively.

Karl Albrecht talks in this book about the six functional abilities you need to have and become more adaptable and an innovative thinker.

The book is packed with practical exercises, fascinating illustrations, games, and puzzles to improve your mental capabilities.

The art of thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is a window into human psychology and reasoning; how we:

• Make decisions;
• Evaluate choices and options;
• Develop cognitive biases.

This book helps you notice and recognize erroneous thinking and make better choices and decisions, change unwanted behaviors and habits.

It will change the way you think about yourself and life in general because you have in this book 99 short chapters with examples of the most common errors of judgment and how to rectify them.

If you wish to think more clearly, make better decisions and choices, reevaluate your biases, and feel better about yourself, this book is for you.

When you decide you want to study the field of logic more closely and improve your critical thinking, this book might be exactly what you need. It’s written clearly and concisely laying out for you the basic building blocks of logic and critical thinking.

The ancient civilizations understood better than us how important is to study logic and rhetoric. With the help of this book, you’ll bring back into your life these essential things that our modern society forgot and missed to teach you as a child.

Having increased logical thinking doesn’t mean to ignore your emotions. It means to start from your emotions and together, (emotions and logic) to take better decisions and see more clearly your choices to move forward in life.

“Predictably Irrational, The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” is a book packed with examples of how:

• Irrational are our choices;
• We make decisions on impulse;
• We fool ourselves with optimism- “that must work for me.”

The author presents you, in this book, a large number of mental traps and flawed tendencies which can make your life harder.

After reading this book, you’ll be better informed about a variety of human flaws and how to avoid being trapped by irrational thinking. You’ll be better prepared to make decisions and choices based more on facts rather than subjective personal opinions.

Knowing how to ask the right questions is determining your success about many things in your life:

• Influencing others,
• Getting out of tricky situations,
• Reevaluating your beliefs,
• Offering yourself and others compassion,
• Overcoming mistakes and fears.

Warren Berger shows you in this book examples of people who are successful (partially) because they are experts in asking questions and don’t have preconceived ideas about what the answers should be.

This book helps you avoid wasting your innovative and brilliant ideas by presenting them in the same way over and over and getting nowhere over and over.

Asking yourself (and others) the right questions gives you the opportunity to display your ideas in a way that those around you feel compelled to listen.

This book is impressive because, Anthony Weston gives you a lot of excellent and practical advice, ordered in a logical and clear manner.

The examples in this book are realistic and useful, ranging from deductive to oral arguments, from argumentative essays to arguments by analogy.

Once you read this book you’ll want to have it on hand to sort out all sorts of situations you’ll encounter in your day-to-day life.

Daniel Kahneman, the author of this book, is a renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics.

In this book, you will discover where you can and cannot trust your intuition; how to use the two systems that drive the way you think.

The first system is fast, intuitive, and emotional; the second system is slower, based on facts, and more logical.

The author argues that knowing how to use these two systems can make a huge difference in how you:

• Design your strategies,
• Predict consequences,
• Avoid cognitive biases,
• (and even simple things like) choosing the colors for your home office.

If you want to improve your critical thinking, know when you should use logic (instead of using emotions), and become mentally stronger this book is definitely for you.

Critical thinking can’t be created in a cluttered mind. It’s like trying to prepare a gourmet meal for your loved ones in a cramped and dysfunctional kitchen.

As if is not enough all the information you store in your mind from what you personally experience every day, our modern times forcefully adds to that information a lot of junk.

The book “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload” by Daniel J. Levitin will help you sort out and organized your thoughts with the help of the four components in the human attentional system:

• Mind wandering mode;
• Central executive mode;
• Attentional filter;
• Attentional switch.

The book is showing you how you can improve your critical thinking and make better decisions concerning many areas of your life.

This book can (really) change your life if you’re dealing with procrastination, multitasking, the inability to switch off and block the outside world.

All in all, you’ll be better prepared to think straight in the age of information overload.

Thomas E. Kida talks in this book very elegantly about the six basic mistakes your thinking can make.

• The first mistake is being mesmerized by stories and ignoring the facts or statistics.
• The second mistake is searching to confirm what we already know or believe.
• The third mistake is to discount the role that chance and coincidence play in our life.
• The fourth mistake is believing that what you see it’s always the reality.
• The fifth mistake is to oversimplify things.
• The sixth mistake is to believe (trust) faulty memories.

This book can be for you an eye-opener into critical thinking, accepting who you are as you are, and improving the way you choose and make decisions.

Did you know you have a strategy for everything you do? From brushing your teeth to making new friends? From choosing a career to dealing with difficult people?

Considering you have a strategy for everything you do, it’s only logical the try to improve every day the way you develop your strategies and don’t leave it to chance, habit, or convenience.

“The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking” can improve your critical thinking and help you make your life easier and more enjoyable.

This book is interactive and provokes you to think about some of the strategies that don’t bring you the results you want.

It contains 58 illustrations offering summaries for known strategies such as the Rubber Band Model, the Personal Performance Model, and the Black Swan Model.

This book is for you if you want to improve the flexibility of your thinking, accept challenges more comfortable, feel more in control of your decisions and choices.

From this book, by Daniel Levitin, you’ll learn how to think critically and avoid being manipulated by things like misleading statistics and graphics, extreme view, or fake news.

The book contains three main sections:

• Evaluating numbers – how to read statistics and data to find out what lurks underneath and make a more objective analysis
• Evaluating words – how to assess the information you receive from experts, understanding the difference between incidence and prevalence, risk perceptions, and probabilistic thinking
• Evaluating the world – how to interpret scientific methods for different types of reasoning (induction, deduction, abduction)

This book will help you improve your critical thinking providing you with a lot of food for thought.

You know how in a criminal trial they call two experts that have divergent opinions on the same facts? Depending on whose side they are? This book teaches you to see the truth.

Although written in the 1990s, this bestseller book is still relevant in today’s society.

With both intelligence and compassion, Carl Sagan lays out the importance of education, logic, and science. This book will show you a ton of practical skills for assessing arguments, recognizing logical fallacies, and applying the scientific method.

Sagan felt that reason and logic could make the world a better place.

This book contains invaluable instructions on logic and reason using critical thinking, without being dull or difficult to understand.

Schick and Vaughn effectively laid out the key elements on how to assess evidence, sort through reasons, and recognize when a claim is likely to be accurate, making this book an absolute must-read for all students.

If you want to be better at decision-making based on sound evidence and argument, then this book is for you.

If you ever found yourself stuck on a problem, or having trouble in forming new ideas, this book will guide you in finding creative solutions to life’s difficult challenges.

This book emphasizes the value of effective thinking, how it can be mastered, and how to integrate it into everyday life.

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5 tips for not getting tricked online this April Fools' Day — and beyond

Rachel Treisman

It's increasingly hard to tell what's real online, especially on April Fools' Day. Experts offer these tips to avoid getting tricked. Getty Images hide caption

It's increasingly hard to tell what's real online, especially on April Fools' Day. Experts offer these tips to avoid getting tricked.

Myths and misinformation run rampant on the internet all the time these days, but never more reliably than on April 1.

People have celebrated April Fools' Day for centuries with all sorts of jokes and pranks, and while old-school traditions (hello, rubber snakes) remain plenty popular, gags have grown considerably more high tech over the years.

And fake news and announcements — whether by a major company, public figure, a random social media user or your childhood best friend — can take off quickly and morph wildly, thanks to social media.

Games & Humor

April fools' day might be the world's longest-running joke. no one knows how it began.

It can be tough to tell whether something online is real, especially with artificial intelligence making it increasingly easy for anyone to create fake images, video, audio and text.

It took Sam Gregory, for example, under a minute to write the text prompt needed to create a fake image of the Easter Bunny for his kids last year, as he told NPR. He's well-acquainted with the challenges of combating deepfakes as the executive director of WITNESS , a human rights nonprofit whose work involves helping people recognize and respond to deceptive AI.

"We're in this moment where it's much easier to make both personalized and individualized, realistic images and audio and increasingly video, and in the hands of many more people," Gregory said. "And then the flip side of that is that the tools are not easily available on the technical side to spot them."

There are some resources out there — from news literacy nonprofits to trusted media sources — that can help sort fact from fiction. But much of that responsibility falls to internet users themselves.

Part of that involves understanding the moments where myths tend to spread, like in the immediate aftermath of a breaking news event or on April Fools' Day, says Dan Evon, the senior manager of education design at the News Literacy Project and a former Snopes fact-checker.

Untangling Disinformation

Ai fakes raise election risks as lawmakers and tech companies scramble to catch up.

He says April Fools' Day, with its trend of advertisements masked as jokes, is a perfect time for people to get in the mindset of anticipating and investigating misinformation.

"April Fools' Day jokes in general don't try to persuade your politics or make you angry or target the negative emotions that are dangerous online," he told NPR. "And a lot of the things that you find are humorous. So from a news literacy perspective, it's kind of fun to encourage people to practice your skills."

Plus, he notes, some of the rumors that originate on April Fools' Day could have staying power or resurface much later, like the fake image of an elephant carrying a lion cub that circulated years after it was first posted as a prank.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce your chances of getting fooled online, on Monday and beyond.

The biggest piece of advice that Evon tells people is to simply slow down.

"Social media is really fast, and there is so much information that comes at us at once," he says. "You don't have to go through this stuff so quickly, you can take some time — just a few extra seconds — to examine these posts."

Gregory similarly says to stop when you see something that's "too good to be true, or too crazy to be believable, or too-anger inducing."

He cites the SIFT methodology for evaluating information, developed by researcher Mike Caulfield . It stands for: Stop, investigate the source, find better coverage and trace claims, quotes and media to the original context.

Once a piece of media gives you pause, he says, consider who shared it. Are they friend, foe or stranger?

The Protojournalist

5 april fools' pranks gone bad.

"Is it your friend who's sharing it, or someone you know? And is it something they made themselves?" Gregory adds. "Or is it online and it's just a random X account that is trying to explain to you that the King of England has just died, but they seem to generally tweet gossip, and they're based in California?"

In other words: Are they a credible source for the context in which you're encountering the information?

This step is a little trickier on April Fools' Day, Evon adds, because a lot of the jokes are likely to be coming from verified official accounts. That's why it's especially important to consider the context.

"If you're going to encounter an AI image, you don't just see the AI image," he says. "You see where it's been posted, you see the comments that are attached to it, you see the caption that's presented — on April Fools' Day, you see the date. And maybe that makes you a little skeptical of whether or not it's real."

See what others are saying

The next step is to do what experts call "lateral reading," which is basically seeing what else is out there.

"If your only source of information is the one post that you're seeing, there's good reason to be skeptical of that," Evon says.

For instance, he says, if a major tech company is actually announcing a new initiative, there's likely to be news coverage of it from at least some credible sources.

AI images and conspiracy theories are driving a push for media literacy education

This isn't a foolproof test. Just because people are talking about something online doesn't make it reliable — take all the amateur forensic experts analyzing Kate Middleton's controversial family photo , Gregory notes.

But seeing what — and how much — people have to say in the comments section of an X post or TikTok video can be a helpful clue, both experts agree.

"I think it's often worth looking at the comments not because the comments tell you the truth, but the comments tell you if there's a debate around this that merits further investigation," Gregory says.

Look for the original

Another tactic is to try to track down the original image, something Gregory says is easier to do with "shallow fakes," or photos manipulated with basic editing software.

Oftentimes people will take an existing image or video and just say it's from another time or place. Doing a reverse image search can help you challenge or back up that claim.

That basically involves "taking a screenshot and plugging into a search engine and then seeing what pops up," according to Evon. He recommends using sites like Google Images, TinEye and Bing.

AI-generated images are everywhere. Here's how to spot them

Making sense of those results requires some more critical thinking, Gregory explains.

"It's going to pop up and say, 'Wait a second, someone told you this image was from yesterday, but we have an earlier version that's from last year,' " he says. "Now, it doesn't mean the image is from last year, but it certainly tells you it's not from yesterday."

When it comes to AI deep fakes, Gregory says there are plenty of clues that people have been told to look for to try to spot manipulated photos and videos — from hands that don't look quite right, to garbled writing in an image, to eyes that don't properly blink.

The problem, he adds, is that most of those glitches are going away as companies get better at AI.

"If we had talked a year ago, it would have been more reliable to say, look at the hands. The hands have got better," he says. "If we talked a year ago it'd been more reliable to say, look at the writing. But then companies have introduced ways to write more accurately."

Amplify responsibly

Internet trickery doesn't mean you can never retweet a funny post or play a harmless prank again. But experts urge caution when amplifying information, no matter the date on the calendar.

"There are going to be jokes that people are going to circulate, in a lot of instances these are going to be funny," acknowledges Evon. "I don't think it's ever good to intentionally lie to someone or mislead someone, so if you do share something, maybe comment and remind people that it's fake."

She reads the newspaper on TikTok — and her videos are going viral

He offers this broader rule of thumb: If you're skeptical of something, don't help it go viral. And if you do encounter accurate information — like a fact-check or correction — help amplify that instead.

When it comes to reposting, Gregory recommends pausing "in proportion to your emotional reaction." So if you're about to share something inflammatory, defamatory or that reinforces a worldview in a "highly emotional way," he says stop first to consider your motivations for sharing it — and whether that post is the best way to achieve them.

Consider patterns

April Fools' Day may be a unique day in many ways, but it also reflects broader trends in misinformation.

It's not the only day of the year where people should be bracing for falsehoods online, Evon says, noting that people tend to exploit major breaking news stories (like the collapse of the Baltimore bridge ) to promote misinformation.

"What we really want people to do is, we want to learn the patterns that these things follow, so that they can better recognize them in the future," he explains.

This year, Gregory is most expecting to see the proliferation of AI images — because they're so easy to make — and audio, because it's already being seen in so many other contexts, from phone scammers using voice clones to an election-related robocall purported to be from President Biden.

Tech giants pledge action against deceptive AI in elections

"I bet we're going to see many, ho-ho-ho April Fools' jokes with audio clones, some of which you and I will never hear because it'll just be me making one for my friend and sending it to them," he says. "And of course if you go on TikTok you're gonna see fake AI audio everywhere. And it cuts across that whole spectrum, from humorous and prank to financial scam to political upheaval."

He also notes that the uncertainty created by AI hasn't only made it easier for people to falsify things, but for people to try to dismiss real footage as fake. That's just another reason, he says, to pay close attention.

• online misinformation
• April Fools Day
• artificial intelligence

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Trump Will Face His Greatest Fears as Two Legal Threats Coincide Monday

Donald J. Trump could receive a trial date for his criminal hush-money case on the same day that he must provide a half-billion bond for a civil fraud judgment.

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By Maggie Haberman and Ben Protess

Donald J. Trump is expected to spend his Monday morning in the courtroom of a New York judge who might soon preside over his criminal trial and, ultimately, throw him behind bars. And that’s not even the legal predicament that worries Mr. Trump most that day.

The hearing in his Manhattan criminal prosecution — in which he is accused of covering up a sex scandal to pave his way to the presidency — comes as he races to fend off a financial crisis arising from a $454 million judgment in another case. The New York attorney general, Letitia James, who brought that civil fraud suit against the former president and his family business, might begin to collect as soon as Monday.

To avoid a mortal threat to the Trump Organization, Mr. Trump must persuade another company to post a bond on his behalf, promising that it will cover the judgment if he loses a pending appeal and fails to pay. Yet Mr. Trump’s lawyers in court papers said that securing the bond would be a “practical impossibility,” because he would need to pledge some $550 million in cash and liquid investments as collateral to the bond company — an admission that laid bare the former president’s cash crunch.

Unless Mr. Trump strikes an 11th-hour deal, Ms. James could freeze his bank accounts, and begin the long and complicated process of seizing some of his properties. And barring Mr. Trump’s lawyers achieving an improbable legal triumph, the judge in his criminal case could set a trial date for as soon as next month.

The twin threats — on the same day, in the same town — crystallize two of Mr. Trump’s greatest and longest-held fears: a criminal conviction and a public perception that he does not have as much cash as he claims.

For decades, Mr. Trump employed a broad array of tactics to keep those fears at bay, learning from his well-connected father and his own ruthless lawyer and fixer, Roy M. Cohn. After fending off local and federal investigations, not to mention financial ruin, Mr. Trump came to believe that any problems could be solved by personal connections — and a whole lot of money.

“If Trump uses one thing to score the game, it has always been money,” said Jack O’Donnell, a former casino executive who worked for Mr. Trump in the early 1990s and wrote a tell-all book about him. “If he has more money than someone, he is winning and the other person is losing. And if someone has more money than Trump, he has the fear that someone will say he is losing to that person.”

Mr. Trump himself has also described the shame of becoming a criminal defendant four times over. Even as his advisers used the indictments to great effect in fund-raising and galvanizing his Republican base, the former president has conceded that the charges pained him.

“Nobody wants to be indicted,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard his airplane in June. “I don’t care that my poll numbers went up by a lot. I don’t want to be indicted. I’ve never been indicted. I went through my whole life, now I get indicted every two months.”

It was a major shock for a man who, until then, had navigated a wary path around law enforcement scrutiny throughout his long public life.

He was investigated criminally over a land acquisition in the mid-1970s, yet escaped unscathed. A federal special counsel examined possible ties between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russia, as well as his effort to obstruct the investigation as president, and recommended no charges. He was twice impeached by a Democrat-led House, but twice the Senate did not convict him.

Before 2023, nothing stuck.

“He’s been so lucky, and nobody’s ever had worse adversaries than this guy,” said Ty Cobb, a lawyer who worked in the Trump White House during the special counsel investigation and has become sharply critical of the former president.

Some of it was luck, but his public relations strategy paid off as well. Mr. Trump deployed a mix of bare-knuckle tactics — attacking prosecutors as “corrupt” and guilty of the same conduct of which he was suspected — and arm-twisting charm.

Among Mr. Trump’s prized relationships was with Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney for decades.

While Mr. Morgenthau was in office, he would joke privately that his pet charity, the Police Athletic League, was the only one to which Mr. Trump routinely donated. And when Mr. Trump supported Mr. Morgenthau politically, some Trump Organization officials were told they needed to write checks of their own to the district attorney’s campaign, according to two people familiar with what took place. (People who worked with Mr. Morgenthau, who died in 2019 , said there was nothing directly involving Mr. Trump that crossed their desks that would have required investigation.)

The district attorney’s office, now held by Alvin L. Bragg, was the first to indict Mr. Trump last year before other prosecutors followed suit. The former president privately reacted with disbelief that his hometown district attorney had dared to come after him.

In 2021, when the office was intensifying its investigation, Mr. Trump told an interviewer that “Bob Morgenthau would not have stood for this.”

Mr. Bragg’s case concerns a personally embarrassing episode for Mr. Trump: a $130,000 hush-money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, meant to bury her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. His fixer at the time, Michael D. Cohen, made the payment. Mr. Trump, who has denied the affair, is accused of falsifying business records about his reimbursement of Mr. Cohen.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers, as they do in each of his legal entanglements, are seeking to delay the trial past Election Day. If Mr. Trump were re-elected, the cases against him would likely grind to a halt.

The New York judge presiding over the case, Juan M. Merchan, recently delayed the trial three weeks, until April 15, and the hearing on Monday will determine whether he postpones it further.

Despite the best efforts of Mr. Trump’s lawyers to delay or scuttle the case, it’s the indictment about which his advisers are the least concerned. They argue it is the least politically damaging to the presumptive Republican nominee, despite the personally mortifying details.

However, the New York attorney general’s civil fraud case, which accuses Mr. Trump of wildly exaggerating his net worth, has struck a particularly sensitive nerve with the former president.

Mr. Trump measures his wealth in the billions, a sum that largely stems from the value of his properties. While valuing real estate is more of an art than a science, the attorney general disputed some of his purported estimates as wildly exaggerated, concluding that he inflated his net worth by as much as $2 billion.

And then there’s his cash. Mr. Trump argues that he is relatively liquid for a real estate developer, stating in a deposition last year that he had more than $400 million in cash.

Although The New York Times was unable to verify the precise number, records and interviews show that he recently had more than $350 million in cash as well as stocks and other investments he can sell in a hurry. While significant, it’s not enough to secure the appeal bond.

Mr. Trump is so sensitive to the perception that he might not have quite so many billions as he claims that he once sued a journalist, Timothy O’Brien, for pegging his net worth as no more than $250 million. Mr. Trump lost.

On the witness stand at the attorney general’s trial, he declared that his properties were, if anything, undervalued, and that Ms. James was the real fraud.

Typically, when facing outsize financial troubles, Mr. Trump has refused to concede that anything is wrong, dating back to when his business nearly collapsed in the early 1990s. People who have known him for many years say he has become accustomed to believing he can give the appearance of waiting out problems until circumstances change, banking on some sort of rescue at the last minute.

In the ’90s, banks bailed him out even though he had massively overextended himself with a costly development of the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

With Ms. James poised to begin enforcing the $454 million fraud judgment, Mr. Trump appeared to be hoping for similar twists of fate. He could, for example, try to secure a loan from a private equity firm or a hedge fund. He is also hoping an appeals court will pause the judgment.

And then there’s the windfall he could reap from his social media company, whose shares start trading on the stock market as early as Monday. His stake is currently valued at roughly $3 billion, but it might come too late: He is prohibited from selling for six months. While Mr. Trump could find ways around that restriction that enable him to use his stake to raise cash for the appeal bond, no such deal appears imminent.

A post on his Truth Social platform on Friday captured Mr. Trump’s insecurities. He claimed (falsely) that he had almost $500 million in cash, and also claimed (falsely) that he had been planning to use that money to fund his own campaign; in reality, he last spent money on his own candidacy in 2016, and the amount was still nowhere near what he had claimed he would spend.

But his post was honest about at least one thing: To him, the $454 million judgment was a “shocking number.”

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Ben Protess is an investigative reporter at The Times, writing about public corruption. He has been covering the various criminal investigations into former President Trump and his allies. More about Ben Protess

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'Behind the Blue': Ashley Montgomery-Yates on UK HealthCare’s role in critical care

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 1, 2024) — Four years ago, the world at large became more familiar with the field of health care known as “critical care” when the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented numbers of patients being admitted to hospital intensive care units.

Ashley Montgomery-Yates, M.D., a critical care physician and senior vice chair of strategy for the University of Kentucky Department of Internal Medicine, was one of the many health care providers on the front lines of the pandemic.

On this episode of “Behind the Blue,” Dr. Montgomery-Yates discusses what it means to go into the field of critical care, what life was like for the ICU teams during the pandemic, and how staff experiences helped shape the design of UK Chandler Hospital’s recently opened 12 th  floor – the new home of its medical and cardiovascular ICUs.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page .

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click  here .

UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come. 

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Aurora Beacon-News | Problem-solving, critical thinking on display…

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Aurora beacon-news | problem-solving, critical thinking on display at robotics event at aurora municipal airport.

Robots and the kids that built and operated them took center stage all day Friday at the Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove as 17 students 9 to 16 years old squared off in a competition during the first-ever Elite Robotics Camp, hosted by the U.S. Engineering League and the Wong Center for Education.

The Friday showcase was the culmination of a week-long camp program that included four days of workshops held at the Hampton Inn in Aurora.

A press release issued by the robotics camp said the 17 students involved spent time with a variety of national champions from multiple countries under Anthony Hsu of OFDL Robotics Lab Taiwan, “one of the world’s most accomplished coaches.”

Susan Mackafey, publicist for the Robotics group, said the event in Aurora came about as a result of the competitions that the Wong group hosts worldwide. William Wong, the founder of the Wong Center for Education, is the national organizer for the World Robot Olympiad, according to a press release.

“There were some students from Ukraine and Kazakhstan wondering if there would be any other kind of competitions as they wanted to hone their skills with one of the experts,” she said. “Will Wong ran with it, and has arranged the camp and the competition going on this Friday.”

Two of the camp members from Ukraine – Margo Proutorbva and Sofia Sova – were sponsored by the Wong Center for Education.

“It’s been an emotional trip for them,” Mackafey said, given the war going on in their homeland. “A lot of the kids are looking to train and do this as their careers and they love to compete. There are various levels of this competition that take place on a global scale.”

Local students were on hand as well, some of whom are being sponsored by the Wong Foundation, sources said.

Wong, of Naperville, was supervising Friday at the airport facility and said he started a robotics program with kids back in 2008.

“STEM has become a lot of the focus,” Wong said. “Even before I started, STEM was a big word. Engineering coding has always been there. It’s just how can we have kids do more of it. What’s happened is there are education companies like LEGO and other companies that have built robots that allow us to teach kids robotics in an easy fashion and we can create real world challenges off those robots so they literally are engineering, building and creating, designing and working with teams to have robots do tasks.”

Other than the collaborative learning, Wong said the biggest takeaways of the program “are problem-solving, figuring out how to make things work, a lot of trial-and-error, analysis and critical thinking.”

“There is teamwork, but the biggest is perseverance and working through the problems,” he said. “If the robot doesn’t work the first time or the second time or the 100th time, they are truly going through the engineering process – building, design and the whole cycle.”

Margo Proutorbva, 14, spoke about robotics and said through an interpreter she got interested in them two years ago.

“I’ve learned to assemble them,” she said. “The most difficult part of this has been when you assemble a robot with someone else – it’s way easier when you do it on your own. My robot can grab different objects, follow lines and turn in different ways.”

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

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