By Marilynn Jackson, Donna D. Ignatavicius, and Bette Case. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, Mass, 2006. $37.95. ISBN 0-7637-3871-9. 297 pp.

This is a well-written "how-to" book that is based in theory and offers creative, helpful suggestions on how to incorporate critical thinking into practice and assisting members of the healthcare team to expand their own skills in this area. It is proposed that asking the right questions through logic and critical thinking will encourage nurses to find the appropriate solutions to the right questions. An analogy is made to the story of the 4 blind men describing an elephant as they stand at different places around the elephant. This theme in understanding critical thinking from many perspectives and philosophies is carried out throughout the book. The thesis is that with the promotion of learning from these foundations, better clinical judgments are created.

This book is very comprehensive in scope covering education, practice, and research. It addresses the needs of individuals and groups. The theme of the elephant descriptions organizes the chapters and creates a logical presentation of the material. The authors point out early in the book that they do not advise reading the book from cover to cover, but rather to be selective according to one's needs. The Table of Contents encourages this approach.

The authors point out that critical thinking is essential to asking the right questions and finding appropriate solutions. The book's approach is conversational in style. It would be a helpful addition to the bookshelves of both the clinical nurse specialists in directing their search for answers to the complex problems they face every day in the management of care in both primary care and acute care settings. The creative ideas found in The Appendix would be especially helpful in working with nurses and other health professionals in planning programs to develop and improve critical thinking skills.