Wait, What? audiobook

Sometimes even the most obvious questions, when actually asked, offer marvelous revelations into the wonders of our mundane, at times boring lives. Exceptionally enjoyable book, heartfelt and insightful.

A good read, well worth your time. As a crisis worker, the author has inspired me to ask more questions of my patients, particularly wait, what? As he says, it is better to ask the right questions, than to try and have the right answers. If we all tried to improve our communication skills, and practice kindness, what a better world it would be.

the most successful people aren’t the ones with all of the answers, but rather the ones with the good questions

I'm a sucker for inspirational, self-help books, especially those with a practical approach. This one hit nicely in that sweet spot between helpful and entertaining. This started as a graduation speech the author made at the Harvard School of Education. As so often happens, the video went viral and publishers came calling. They convinced him to expand his speech into a book and he did a good job with fairly thin material.The strength of the book was in the author's personal experiences. I learned more from his stories than I did from his advice. The advice itself is not earth-shattering, but the most profound answers are usually the simplest ones. It's like at church where the answer to almost every question about how to better know doctrine, change your life, or deal with a tough issue is to pray and read the scriptures. It's simple, but covers a lot of territory. The same thing is true here.While we know that curiosity is important, do we actually practice it? Do we ask ourselves and others the questions we need to understand? I'm often guilty of complacency and being too willing to accept the status quo. Recently I have returned to college after 30 years away and have realized just how set in my ways I've gotten and how unhappy that has been making me. I do need to ask more questions, and the ones outlined in this book are a good place to start.Five stars for practicality and readablity.

James Ryan confirms from a high level (Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education) what I have been trying to impress upon my students for years: It's all about the question! If you ask the right question (right = thoughtful, substantial, open-ended, purposeful), the answer will lead to fruitful dialogue and a purposeful life.As a scientist and science teacher I find that the question drives the research or the attempts at understanding, and I push hard to have my students learn how to ask strong questions. Ryan makes the point that there are really only a few pertinent questions (with a lot of nuance to them) necessary to build a fruitful life. Whether this set of five plus one questions is the exact set might be up for debate, but I believe the consistent use of these questions and the appropriate responses will, as he says, lead to a positive answer to the bonus question. And I, for one, seek to have such an answer!

This is definitely a book I’ll repeat a few times. It feels like a long graduation speech (and that’s fair to say since it came out of one) — or a great lead at an AA or Al-Anon speaker meeting... You learn in the book that his mother was a recovered alcoholic (she’s deceased, this is all a footnote in the book for context) so I’m sure he was influenced... I’d say this “memoir” is very much his personal share of experience, strength and hope... aaaand 1 of the essential 5 questions he suggestions you adopt IS from 12-step programs (“How can I help?”)Buuuuut even if you are unfamiliar or aren’t into 12-step programs there’s a buffet of “food for thought” and little tricks to making life more easeful and fulfilling

This is a thoughtful, life-approach book written by the former Dean of Harvard's Graduate School of Education and is the expansion of a graduation speech he gave while still at Harvard. The book explores the benefit of asking five questions when approaching life's issues, both big and small. "Wait, what?" leads to deeper understanding, "I wonder" promotes creativity, "Couldn't we at least" inspires collaboration and agreement, "How can I help?" builds trust and relationships and "What truly matters?" is, well, self-evident but not frequently enough invoked. This is a quick read at only 140 small pages, but it will make you think and focus on what's important not a bad thing to do during the holidays. I received this book in a book group holiday exchange--perfect timing!

James Ryan was Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education when he delivered the commencement address that is the basis for this short book. He's now the incoming President of the University of Virginia, one of my alma maters, which is why I picked up the book. Ryan argues that asking the right questions is probably more important than having the right answers and he suggests 5 that are important: Wait, what?; I wonder…? Couldn’t we at least…?; How can I help?; and What truly matters? His explanation and discussion of the questions is enlightening and sometimes humorous; the book is a quick yet helpful and inspiring read. One of the better contributions to the self-help genre I usually shy away from.

Even at 144 pages, it might be longer than it needs to be, but this little book is still worth the time put into reading it. My biggest takeaway was the question How Can I Help? It is much more effective than, Do You Need Help? or Can I Help You? How? negates the Yes/No response that most people will give even if they do need help. Try it--I already have!

I love books that encourage bridge building. This book does just that. The encouragement to engage in civil and polite conversations is so welcome and needed. "Questions are like keys. The right question, asked at the right time, will open a door to something you don't yet know, something you haven't yet realized, or something you haven't even considered--about others or yourself." "Even if a better understanding of an idea or perspective doesn't change your mind, it is likely to make you respect or at least appreciate the person proposing the idea more than you would otherwise." "For whatever reason, most people, I have noticed, tend to become less curious about the world as they age."