Our personal and political worlds are rife with arguments and disagreements, some of them petty and vitriolic. The inability to compromise and understand the opposition is epidemic today, from countries refusing to negotiate, to politicians pandering to their base. Social media has produced a virulent world where extreme positions dominate. There is much demonization of the other side, very little progress is made, and the end result is further widening of positions. How did this happen, and what might be done to address it? Walter Sinnott-Armstrong says there is such a thing as a "good" argument: Reasonable arguments can create more mutual understanding and respect, and even if neither party is convinced by the other, compromise is still possible.

Think Again shows the importance of good arguments and reveals common misunderstandings. Rather than a means to persuade other people or beat them in an intellectual competition, Sinnott-Armstrong sees arguments as an essential tool for constructive interaction with others. After showing how the failure of good arguments has led us to society's current woes, he shows readers what makes a good argument.

In clear, lively, and practical prose, and with plentiful examples from politics, popular culture, and everyday life, Sinnott-Armstrong explains what defines an argument, identifies the components of good arguments as well as fallacies to avoid, and demonstrates what good arguments can accomplish. Armed with these tools, readers will be able to spot bad reasoning and bad arguments, and to advance their own views in a forceful yet logical way. These skills could even help repair our tattered civic culture.

我们的个人和政治世界充满了争论和分歧，其中一些是琐碎和刻薄的。如今，从拒绝谈判的国家到迎合本国基础的政客，无法妥协和理解反对派的行为已成为普遍现象。社交媒体已经形成了一个极端立场占据主导地位的恶毒世界。对另一方的妖魔化程度很高，进展甚微，最终结果是立场进一步扩大。这是怎么发生的，应该怎么做才能解决呢？沃尔特·辛诺特·阿姆斯特朗说，有一个“好”的论点：合理的论点可以创造更多的相互理解和尊重，即使任何一方都不被对方说服，妥协仍然是可能的。

三思而后行显示了好论点的重要性，也揭示了常见的误解。辛诺特·阿姆斯特朗（Sinnott Armstrong）认为，辩论不是说服他人或在智力竞赛中击败他人的手段，而是与他人进行建设性互动的必要工具。在展示了好论点的失败是如何导致我们陷入当前社会的困境之后，他向读者展示了什么是好论点。

在清晰，生动，实用的散文，并从政治，流行文化和日常生活中大量的例子，辛诺特阿姆斯特朗解释了什么定义了一个论点，确定了好论点的组成部分以及要避免的谬误，并证明了什么好论点可以完成。有了这些工具，读者将能够发现错误的推理和错误的论点，并以一种有力而合乎逻辑的方式提出自己的观点。这些技能甚至可以帮助修复我们破败的公民文化。