A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas - Hardcover

Berger, Warren

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1620401452 ISBN 13: 9781620401453

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2014

Synopsis

To get the best answer―in business, in life―you have to ask the best possible question. Innovation expert Warren Berger shows that ability is both an art and a science.

It may be the most underappreciated tool at our disposal, one we learn to use well in infancy―and then abandon as we grow older. Critical to learning, innovation, success, even to happiness―yet often discouraged in our schools and workplaces―it can unlock new business opportunities and reinvent industries, spark creative insights at many levels, and provide a transformative new outlook on life. It is the ability to question―and to do so deeply, imaginatively, and “beautifully.”

In this fascinating exploration of the surprising power of questioning, innovation expert Warren Berger reveals that powerhouse businesses like Google, Nike, and Netflix, as well as hot Silicon Valley startups like Pandora and Airbnb, are fueled by the ability to ask fundamental, game-changing questions. But Berger also shares human stories of people using questioning to solve everyday problems―from “How can I adapt my career in a time of constant change?” to “How can I step back from the daily rush and figure out what really makes me happy?”

By showing how to approach questioning with an open, curious mind and a willingness to work through a series of “Why,” “What if,” and “How” queries, Berger offers an inspiring framework of how we can all arrive at better solutions, fresh possibilities, and greater success in business and life.

About this title

About the Author

Warren Berger has studied hundreds of the world's leading innovators, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers to learn how they ask questions, generate original ideas, and solve problems. His writing and research on questioning appears regularly in Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed book Glimmer, a groundbreaking analysis of innovative thinking that was named one of Businessweek's Best Innovation and Design Books of 2009. Berger has appeared on NBC's Today Show, ABC's World News, CNN, and NPR's All Things Considered. He lives in New York. His website is www.AMoreBeautifulQuestion.com.

Review

“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 thoughtful, provocative questions Warren Berger raises in this book 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

“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 bestselling author and Esquire columnist

“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn't it be cool if?' Warren Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don't spout out answers.” ―Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist at Apple and author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur

“Berger presents a simple three-part framework, the 'Why-What If-How' model , to guide effective inquiry.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“This thought-provoking book offers important insights to executives, and to those aspiring to leadership, for their business and personal use.” ―Booklist

“A practical testament to the significance of the questioning mind.” ―Kirkus Reviews

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1620401452
• ISBN 13: 9781620401453
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272