Although the 2012 Texas Republican Party platform warned of the dangers of teaching “critical thinking,” MonkeyWrench Books will continue to promote these dangerous “higher order thinking skills” by sponsoring a discussion with University of Texas professor Robert Jensen about his latest book, Arguing for Our Lives: A User’s Guide to Constructive Dialog (City Lights).

With the quality of political engagement at an all-time low—and threats to social justice and ecological sustainability at an all-time high—it has never been more important for citizens to be able to argue constructively. In this lively primer on critical thinking that draws on more than two decades of classroom experience and community organizing, Jensen offers practical advice on challenging the conventional wisdom and confronting the crises of our time.

Jensen is a professor in the School of Journalism and a founding board member of the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. He is also the author of a number of other books—including We Are All Apocalyptic Now: On the Responsibilities of Teaching, Preaching, Reporting, Writing, and Speaking Out—that will be available at the store.

Location: MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, Austin, 78751