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.

"What's the Question?" offers a practical approach and powerful tools that will help you design a good market research study. When we say "good," we mean a study that produces results that can actually be used as a basis for making marketing decisions. We will show you how a thorough problem analysis beforehand can make the difference between usable and useless research. We describe the search for the true market research problem: the right research questions. The search helps clients better understand what information they really need. We explain step-by-step how to arrive at the right research questions. Then we explain how to choose the methods and techniques that will best serve your purposes to answer these research questions. The book provides a refreshing look at what can and cannot be researched, and which methods are the most appropriate. Misunderstandings are corrected, and myths are debunked. You'll end up with a realistic idea of what you can and cannot achieve with market research. "A problem well stated is a problem half-solved." (Charles Kettering, 1876 - 1958, inventor of such things as the electric starter which is still in use today.) In this book we present a practical approach to setting up market research, using models and tools that can be used in many types of situations. Do not expect a cookbook that will almost always lead to the optimal result if the right amounts of the right ingredients are combined in the right way. Setting up a market research study also requires a dose of creativity and analytic ability. Furthermore, there is more than one way to get the job done. Our approach will help you discover these ways and make a considered choice. "Don't just buy it, but study it thoroughly and then apply it to your own professional practice!" (Prof. Dr. Edward Groenland, Professor of Business Research Methodology, Nyenrode Business University) "This book is about the essence of market research and about how to tackle market research problems." (Wiebe de Ridder, Managing Consultant, USP Marketing Consultancy) For whom is this book? In writing this book, our thinking focused largely on those who are asked to set up and carry out a market research project or have it carried out by others. The book is written from the perspective of the agency researcher who has to make a research proposal. It is, however, not really relevant whether it is written from the perspective of the client or of the research agency because the line of thinking is the same. We assume that a research proposal must be composed. For clients who need to draw up a briefing and for those who help them, this book will provide concrete leads for ways in which the research problem can be structured and for what information is needed. Students who in doing an internship assignment or a graduation project must set up their own research study, often run into difficulties creating the design. Their coursework has dealt with operational elements such as making a questionnaire and selecting the sample, but the analysis of the problem was not dealt with in depth. After some consideration, they come up with a long list of research questions that may be relevant to answer. But choosing the most relevant research questions and then choosing the best methodology to answer them is quite a challenge. Particularly for those students who are dealing with this for the first time, the structured approach we provide in this book will help create clarity about what they actually need to research before they start work on their project.

In this indispensable guide for anyone who must communicate in speech or writing, Schwartzberg shows that most of us fail to convince because we don't have a point-a concrete contention that we can argue, defend, illustrate, and prove. He lays out, step-by-step, how to develop one. In Joel's Schwartzberg's ten-plus years as a strategic communications trainer, the biggest obstacle he's come across-one that connects directly to nervousness, stammering, rambling, and epic fail-is that most speakers and writers don't have a point. They typically have just a title, a theme, a topic, an idea, an assertion, a catchphrase, or even something much less. A point is something more. It's a contention you can propose, argue, defend, illustrate, and prove. A point offers a position of potential value. Global warming is real is not a point. Scientific evidence shows that global warming is a real, human-generated problem that will have a devastating environmental and financial impact is a point. When we have a point, our influence snaps into place. We communicate belief, conviction, and urgency. This book shows you how to identify your point, leverage it, stick to it, and sell it and how to train others to identify and successfully make their own points.

The phenomenon returns! Originally published in 1987, The Book of Questions, a New York Times bestseller, has been completely revised and updated to incorporate the myriad cultural shifts and hot-button issues of the past twenty-five years, making it current and even more appealing. This is a book for personal growth, a tool for deepening relationships, a lively conversation starter for the family dinner table, a fun way to pass the time in the car. It poses over 300 questions that invite people to explore the most fascinating of subjects: themselves and how they really feel about the world. The revised edition includes more than 100 all-new questions that delve into such topics as the disappearing border between man and machine—How would you react if you learned that a sad and beautiful poem that touched you deeply had been written by a computer? The challenges of being a parent—Would you completely rewrite your child’s college-application essays if it would help him get into a better school? The never-endingly interesting topic of sex—Would you be willing to give up sex for a year if you knew it would give you a much deeper sense of peace than you now have? And of course the meaning of it all—If you were handed an envelope with the date of your death inside, and you knew you could do nothing to alter your fate, would you look? The Book of Questions may be the only publication that challenges—and even changes—the way you view the world, without offering a single opinion of its own.

"In 1974 I told the man in the dole office that had verbally gripped my balls and my life, that I would look after my family myself. There was no way on this earth that I would go cap in hand to him or anyone like him ever again."

An award-winning debut novel from a stellar new voice in middle grade fiction.Matt Pin would like to forget: war torn Vietnam, bombs that fell like dead crows, and the terrible secret he left behind. But now that he is living with a caring adoptive family in the United States, he finds himself forced to confront his past. And that means choosing between silence and candor, blame and forgiveness, fear and freedom.By turns harrowing, dreamlike, sad, and triumphant, this searing debut novel, written in lucid verse, reveals an unforgettable perspective on the lasting impact of war and the healing power of love.

Questions have the power to inspire new possibilities in our daily lives. But most of us struggle and spend lots of time thinking about good questions to ask in different contexts. What's Your Question? is the solution. With 630 questions divided into 90 different categories, you will definitely find a suitable one to ask that will help you launch meaningful conversations or trigger more and better questions. For example, Courage - What is the worst thing that could happen? Patience - How can we slow down to move faster? Reframing - What could the other person be thinking? Getting Unstuck - What is preventing us from moving forward? Treat this book as a handy resource when you are required to ask a variety of questions to challenge yourself, help others to reflect, empower your team, and develop breakthrough ideas.

Will our future be a paradise on earth with prosperity and freedom for all? Or will it be a hellish world marked by war, hunger, and poverty? This inspirational book explores some of the timeless struggles that have shaped human history and charts a pathway to building a better world. From innovative solutions for fighting inner-city poverty and ending political gridlock to enabling workers to share in the wealth they help create, the book outlines the steps needed to build an ideal societyone that allows every individual the opportunity to pursue his or her own road to happiness.

What are "essential questions," and how do they differ from other kinds of questions? What's so great about them? Why should you design and use essential questions in your classroom? Essential questions (EQs) help target standards as you organize curriculum content into coherent units that yield focused and thoughtful learning. In the classroom, EQs are used to stimulate students' discussions and promote a deeper understanding of the content. Whether you are an Understanding by Design (UbD) devotee or are searching for ways to address standards—local or Common Core State Standards—in an engaging way, Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins provide practical guidance on how to design, initiate, and embed inquiry-based teaching and learning in your classroom. Offering dozens of examples, the authors explore the usefulness of EQs in all K-12 content areas, including skill-based areas such as math, PE, language instruction, and arts education. As an important element of their backward design approach to designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment, the authors *Give a comprehensive explanation of why EQs are so important; *Explore seven defining characteristics of EQs; *Distinguish between topical and overarching questions and their uses; *Outline the rationale for using EQs as the focal point in creating units of study; and *Show how to create effective EQs, working from sources including standards, desired understandings, and student misconceptions. Using essential questions can be challenging—for both teachers and students—and this book provides guidance through practical and proven processes, as well as suggested "response strategies" to encourage student engagement. Finally, you will learn how to create a culture of inquiry so that all members of the educational community—students, teachers, and administrators—benefit from the increased rigor and deepened understanding that emerge when essential questions become a guiding force for learners of all ages.

What is revealed when you authentically connect with the people around you?In Ask Powerful Questions, Will Wise explains how the questions we traditionally ask are virtually meaningless when it comes to establishing connection. Introducing a set of practical tools for accessing and understanding others by changing the way we ask questions, Will shows how to transform "How are you?-I'm fine, thanks" into a conversation that changes not only how you lead, but who you are as a person. It took years of research, university teaching, and hundreds of client projects for Will to formulate his concept behind the art of asking powerful questions. In his book, Will breaks it down into six simple steps for all of us to be able to understand. The Asking Powerful Questions Pyramid(tm) shows you how to build: Intention Rapport Openness Listening Empathy Business professionals, personal coaches, teachers and anyone in a position of leadership will relate to the personal successes and failures Will shares as he unpacks the art of asking questions that elicit unconventional answers. Powerful questions can be used everywhere: from the board room to the city park, the dinner table to the grocery store. If you want to connect with employees at a team building retreat, hone your leadership skills as a new boss, improve the company culture where you work...this book is for you. If you want to navigate difficult conversations with your spouse or a friend, or practice presence-based listening with your kids...this book is for you. If you want to become a better educator and facilitate an ice breaker conversation with colleagues...this book is for you. Ask Powerful Questions invites the reader on a journey that explores: the clarity of intent, connecting through rapport, creating openness, reflective listening, and empathy. How can we explore the space between ourselves and others, and exchange meaningful perspectives? Just ask-powerfully.