What is a Beautiful Question?
A question could be considered “beautiful” for all kinds of reasons. Here’s mine….
A More Beautiful Question
All about the book, plus the Table of Contents.
What’s your “Inquiry Quotient”?
Think you’re already a good questioner? See where you rank.
Why Should You Care About Questioning?
The importance of questioning in school, business, and daily life.
Freebies, Anyone?
Promotions, contests, merchandise, and free things….
What Can We Learn from “Master Questioners?”
A lot. Insights, examples, inspiration…
Quotes About Questioning
Many famous people have opined on the rich topic of questioning.
What’s Your Beautiful Question?
A list of reader-submitted Beautiful Questions, and send us yours.
Airbnb’s $10 billion valuation all started with a Beautiful Question.
Facing disruptive change.
A decades-long journey by a water-skier.
A favorite question of author Daniel Pink about finding and living your purpose.
Is “critical thinking” in critical condition? How questions can help.
Want to be a better critical thinker? Questions can be a powerful way to spot false narratives and “weaponized lies.” Read more about it in this article I wrote for The Atlantic’s Quartz.com.
Find Your Passion with These 8 Thought-Provoking Questions
The following eight questions—shared by a noteworthy lineup of entrepreneurs, innovators, consultants, and creative thinkers—can help you figure out where your heart lies and what you really ought to be doing.
The inquiring mind of Reggie Watts: A Top 12 list of his questions
I don’t know if they qualify as “beautiful questions” but there’s something oddly fascinating about the imaginative questions that band leader Reggie Watts asks the guests of James Corden’s The Late Late Show.
Coaching and the art of asking beautiful questions
At the 2016 Capital Coaches Conference I’ll be discussing my belief that coaches, who already know the power of great questions, should teach their clients how to become beautiful questioners themselves.
“The best coaching question in the world” from Michael Bungay Stanier
In The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier, Michael shares 7 powerful questions that can make someone a better leader or manager.
The AMBQ playlist—50+ “question” songs
How can we teach kids to question?
Is questioning the starting point of creativity?
“We know that the art of asking questions is at the heart of discovery in science, philosophy, medicine—so why don’t we extend that power to all areas of our lives? The questions Warren Berger raises in this book are thoughtful, provocative, odd, serious, and silly, but in every case they are indeed the kind of ‘beautiful questions’ that can help us identify the right problems and generate creative solutions.”
—Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell is Human
“Most people believe that great leaders are distinguished by their ability to give compelling answers. This profound book shatters that assumption, showing that the more vital skill is asking the right questions…. Berger poses many fascinating questions, including this one: What if companies had mission questions rather than mission statements? This is a book everyone ought to read—without question.”
—Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, as quoted in “13 Must-Read Business Books in 2014”
“In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today’s dynamic, lean economy, it’s more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.”
—Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean Startup
“In this wise book, Warren Berger shows us how crucial it is to question every aspect of our lives, from business to school to our choice of toothpaste. My question: Why wouldn’t you read this book?”
—A.J. Jacobs, New York Times best-selling author and Esquire columnist
“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if…?’ Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don’t spout out answers.”
—Guy Kawasaki, author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, and former chief evangelist at Apple
“Mastering the art of asking questions is essential to creativity and innovation. A More Beautiful Question should be standard reading for all aspiring design thinkers as well an inspiration to those searching for a life of curiosity and meaning.”
—Tim Brown, Chief Executive, IDEO and author of Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations
“In an age of instant information, it’s easier than ever to find answers, but also easy to forget how important it is to ask the right kinds of questions. In this deeply thought-provoking book, Warren Berger shows how learning the art of good questioning—and resisting the urge to race too quickly toward conclusions—is the path to a far more fruitful and creative way of engaging with the world, at work and in life as a whole.”
—Oliver Burkeman, columnist at The Guardian and bestselling author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking
“A More Beautiful Question is a tour de force on how asking questions shapes the life and work of creative leaders. I founded The 4-24 Project because questions are the lifeblood of innovation, and thus, our future. Berger’s engaging collection of narratives will undoubtedly propel this question mission forward, inspiring readers from all walks of life to challenge the status quo by asking more of the world.”
—Hal Gregersen, co-author, The Innovator’s DNA and founder of The 4-24 Project
“Why has a book like this never been written before? Here is a persuasive case for the simple and yet extraordinary power of a question. Fascinating, engaging stories give life to a strong argument about how much can be accomplished, in every domain of our lives, ‘just’ by asking questions. Innovators, entrepreneurs, citizens, parents, teachers, idealists and realists—all of us have much to gain by reading A More Beautiful Question.”
—Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, co-directors, The Right Question Institute
“Questions have literally moved mountains, powered rockets, and instantly developed images. Berger focuses on what he calls ‘Beautiful Questions’… that can lead to game-changing answers and results. These are questions that, once raised, tend to get people thinking in a different way.”
—The Atlantic
“The desire to ask bigger and better questions is on the rise… Warren Berger has been tracking a movement toward questioning that is running very strong in Silicon Valley, but also seems to be spreading throughout the business, nonprofit and education sectors.”
—Forbes.com
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Is “critical thinking” in critical condition? How questions can help.
Want to be a better critical thinker? Questions can be a powerful way to spot false narratives and “weaponized lies.” Read more about it in this article I wrote for The Atlantic’s Quartz.com.
Find Your Passion with These 8 Thought-Provoking Questions
The following eight questions—shared by a noteworthy lineup of entrepreneurs, innovators, consultants, and creative thinkers—can help you figure out where your heart lies and what you really ought to be doing.
The inquiring mind of Reggie Watts: A Top 12 list of his questions
I don’t know if they qualify as “beautiful questions” but there’s something oddly fascinating about the imaginative questions that band leader Reggie Watts asks the guests of James Corden’s The Late Late Show.
Coaching and the art of asking beautiful questions
At the 2016 Capital Coaches Conference I’ll be discussing my belief that coaches, who already know the power of great questions, should teach their clients how to become beautiful questioners themselves.
“The best coaching question in the world” from Michael Bungay Stanier
In The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier, Michael shares 7 powerful questions that can make someone a better leader or manager.
Questioning Fuels Innovation. So Why Don’t We Inquire More?
By being willing to ask ‘why,’ inquiring leaders can inspire others around them to do likewise. And as the questions proliferate, some good answers are likely to follow.
Interview: 5 Questions You Shouldn’t Ask
My recent good conversation with WNYC.org, where the host challenged me about whether appreciative inquiry is direct and honest enough. You know my opinion.
Warren Berger
Nicole Ferrante
Yudith
Glenny
Joseph Jordania
Warren on the web