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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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A More Beautiful Question summary
Warren Berger
The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas
14 mins
Brief summary
"A More Beautiful Question" by Warren Berger is a guide that explores the power and importance of asking meaningful questions in our personal and professional lives. It provides insights and practical tools for improving the way we think, work, and solve problems.
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A More Beautiful Question
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Questions drive creativity and stimulate new ideas; they also tell us what we don’t know.
We humans like to think we’re special, a class apart from the rest of the animal kingdom.
But what exactly makes us special? Opposable thumbs? Or our ability to create and use tools?
While these things are important, what really makes us unique is our innate desire to ask questions. As you’ll find out, the ability to ask questions has been vital to our success as a species.
For starters, asking questions ignites our creativity and stimulates new ideas.
Whenever you ask a question, you automatically highlight the things you don’t know. And once you know what you don’t know, you can then think about how to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
It’s precisely this process that has driven some of the greatest innovations in human history.
For instance, we only have to look back a few decades to see how a single question revolutionized the photography industry.
In the first half of the twentieth century, a young girl asked her photographer father why she had to wait to see the pictures he had just taken of her. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t satisfied by his technical answer – but neither was he.
His daughter’s question continued to nag at him, so he set out to find a better answer. Eventually, after several years of experimentation, he finally came up with a solution: the Polaroid Instant Camera.
Moreover, our questions often turn out to be more important than answers.
In our digital world, facts are more easily accessible than ever before. Whether we need the date of a historical event, a chart of a stock’s performance or even a medical opinion, search engines can comb the internet and deliver the information within seconds.
These bits of information, however, are totally useless by themselves. The facts are only as good as the questions that you ask.
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What is A More Beautiful Question about?
A More Beautiful Question highlights the importance of finding the right questions in our search for success. With the help of cutting-edge research and examples from the business world, this book defines the “beautiful” question and shows you how to start asking such questions yourself.
A More Beautiful Question Review
A More Beautiful Question (2014) by Warren Berger is a thought-provoking exploration of the power and importance of asking the right questions. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It provides a fresh perspective on the role of questioning in unlocking creativity, innovation, and personal growth.
- Through compelling examples from various fields, the book demonstrates the transformative impact that questioning can have on individuals and society.
- With its engaging and accessible approach, the book encourages readers to embrace curiosity and develop their own questioning skills for greater success and fulfillment.
Best quote from A More Beautiful Question
The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert. Such a mind is open to all possibilities and can see things as they are. – Japanese Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki
—Warren Berger
Who should read A More Beautiful Question?
- Anyone who wants to become an innovative thinker
- Anyone who has to come up with creative ideas for a living
- Company leaders, teachers, scientists and creative types
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A More Beautiful Question FAQs
What is the main message of A More Beautiful Question?
The main message of A More Beautiful Question is the power of asking meaningful and thought-provoking questions.
How long does it take to read A More Beautiful Question?
The reading time for A More Beautiful Question varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in about 15 minutes.
Is A More Beautiful Question a good book? Is it worth reading?
A More Beautiful Question is definitely worth reading. It offers valuable insights and encourages a different way of thinking that can be applied to various aspects of life.
Who is the author of A More Beautiful Question?
Warren Berger is the author of A More Beautiful Question.
What to read after A More Beautiful Question?
If you're wondering what to read next after A More Beautiful Question, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Humble Inquiry by Edgar H. Schein
- Doesn't Hurt to Ask by Trey Gowdy
- Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams
- Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John C. Maxwell
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- What Kind of Creatures Are We? by Noam Chomsky
- Questions Are the Answer by Hal Gregersen
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- Non-Obvious Thinking by Rohit Bhargava
- Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard