- Think Better. Question Better. Decide Better.
Learn How to Think — Not What to Think
We are surrounded by opinions, persuasion, headlines and competing claims. Tom Rowley's books and courses give you practical tools to question assumptions, evaluate information, solve problems and make better-informed decisions.
Dr. Thomas Rowley
Author, Educator & Skeptic
Featured Book
Dr. Thomas Rowley
Author, Educator & Skeptic
Featured Book
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Education
Blame This On ’Nam Too
How Education Became Indoctrination and What You Can Do About It
We live in a world overflowing with information, opinion, persuasion and competing claims. Blame This On ‘Nam Too asks how we reached this point and, more importantly, what an individual can do about it. Tom Rowley examines changes in education and public discourse while giving readers practical tools for evaluating sources, questioning assumptions, solving problems and making better-informed decisions. At the center is a simple habit: become a Respectful Skeptic. Ask better questions, look for evidence and decide for yourself.
Available formats:
- Paperback
- Kindle
Why This Book?
Hear It From Tom
Tom presenting Blame This On ‘Nam Too at Live and Invest Overseas — 15 of 40 attendees purchased the book on the spot.
Other Books by Dr. Tom
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
Teacher's Guide to Empower Your Children
The book that started it all. An honest examination of why critical thinking disappeared from American education and what it cost us.
- Education
- Parenting
Blame It on 'Nam
A practical guide for parents and educators on raising young people who ask better questions and think for themselves.
- Education
Empower Your Children
A companion workbook for educators, exercises and frameworks for bringing critical thinking into any classroom.
COURSES
Transformative Courses & Workshops
The books show you why critical thinking matters and how it was lost. The Respectful Skeptics courses show you how to build it back — practising the questions, the evaluation habits and the decision-making skills that turn ideas into a daily discipline.
Foundational Level
The Apprentice
$497
For anyone ready to build the critical thinking foundation that better decisions, clearer communication, and stronger leadership all depend on.
What You'll Learn
- The Four Ws framework in depth
- Evaluating sources and claims
- Recognising assumptions and bias
- Making better-informed decisions
Advanced
The Challenger
$997
For those ready to go deeper, apply critical thinking in high-stakes conversations, lead others through difficult decisions, and perform under real pressure.
What You'll Learn
- Everything in the Apprentice course
- Advanced discourse and decision making
- Leading others through disagreement
- Live cohort — limited places
Join the Respectful Skeptic Community
Join the free Respectful Skeptics community on Facebook, where readers and course participants continue the conversation.
The author
Thomas Rowley, Ph.D.
Thomas Rowley, PhD, has spent more than four decades teaching, writing and helping people become better problem solvers.
A former university professor and lifelong educator, he has seen firsthand the difference between memorizing information and learning how to evaluate it. His books challenge readers to examine sources, separate fact from opinion or promotion, consider consequences and make informed choices.
Tom developed the Four Ws as a simple way to build the habit of becoming a Respectful Skeptic. His goal is not to tell readers what to think, but to give them practical tools to decide for themselves.
A gift from tom
The Four Questions That Will Change How You Think
Tom has spent decades distilling critical thinking into four simple questions. Enter your name and email below, and he will send them to you, along with a short guide on how to use them.
“Ask these four questions about everything you read, hear and are told. The answers will surprise you.”
ON THE STAGE
Speaking & Keynotes
What Horses Can Teach Us About Leadership
Presented live at the 2024 Leadership Summit, Tom reveals how horses lead entire herds without a single word, and what that teaches us about earned authority, clear communication, and becoming the kind of leader people actually follow.
Leadership Summit 2024 — Preview
A two-minute introduction to Tom's Leadership Summit 2024 presentation, the core question every leader needs to answer, and why the horse herd holds the answer.
Connecting With Intent — Conversation with Dr. Tom Rowley
Tom sits down with host Muhammad West to talk about why he started writing, what the military taught him about teaching, and why asking the right questions, not the right people, is the real skill no school teaches anymore.
Would you like Tom to speak at your next in-person or virtual event?
Two Pillars of Inquiry
Understand Why. Then Learn How.
The book
The Foundation
Understand Why These Skills Matter
In Blame This On ’Nam Too, Dr. Rowley traces the historical evolution of modern institutional education, unveiling how open debate and critical inquiry gradually yielded to standardized compliance and ideological dogma.
The Course
The Application
Put Those Skills Into Practice
The Respectful Skeptics Masterclass equips you with hands-on cognitive frameworks, peer-reviewed evaluation rubrics, and real-world case studies designed to sharpen daily decision-making across all domains.
More From Dr. Tom Rowley
Beyond the books, explore Tom’s critical thinking courses and the E3A equine leadership programme for organisations.
Tomrowley Phd
The hub for everything Tom does. Discover his work across courses, books, leadership development and tax consulting.
E3A Leadership Programme
Discover experiential leadership training through equine-assisted facilitation, fostering authentic communication and trust.
Reading Room
