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Q

The Hidden Power of Questions in a World That Wants Answers
Brief Description
A mind-expanding book about the hidden power of questions in an answer-oriented world, and how we can harness their power for good and work together to build a fairer and richer question-oriented future. Our lives are shaped by questions—they are how we connect, persuade, and flourish.... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4000
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A mind-expanding book about the hidden power of questions in an answer-oriented world, and how we can harness their power for good and work together to build a fairer and richer question-oriented future.

Our lives are shaped by questions—they are how we connect, persuade, and flourish. But we live in a world that wants answers.

Questions are engines of learning, catalysts for connection, and drivers of change. They direct our attention and make us feel closer to loved ones and strangers alike. In fact, we are the only species that truly asks questions of one another.

But school trains us to answer, not ask. Workplaces reinforce that, and technology feeds us solutions before we've described the problem. The result is that we live in an answer-rich, question-poor world. Yet, from doctors' surgeries to courtrooms to dating, the ability to ask questions determines our experiences. In a world obsessed by answers, asking better questions is powerful.

Q takes us on a transformative journey into the art and science of questioning and will shift your perspective on the world. In a captivating narrative from the death of Socrates to the age of AI, Lani Watson draws on research in psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience to show how questions play a vital role in our individual lives and in our shared human story.

Q will make you think about the questions you ask and the ones you don't. It is a life-enhancing invitation to harness the hidden power of our most underappreciated human skill.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781847927859

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 August 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: The Bodley Head Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 40.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 700g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Dr Lani Watson is fascinated by questions. She is a philosopher and Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, and formerly Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. She has spent nearly two decades studying the art and science of questioning. She has worked in schools and courtrooms, hospitals and press rooms, and in the heart of Silicon Valley. Across all her research, she has drawn one conclusion- questions are powerful. And if we learn to use them, we can harness their power for good.

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