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

Innovation specialist Berger (Glimmer) takes on some big questions in this absorbing treatise that calls for more curiosity in our corporate development and daily lives. Having studied the business realm, Berger found that many companies establish cultures that discourage inquiry, particularly the all-important question: “Why are we doing this particular thing this way?” Since entrenched practices tend to hold sway, Berger claims, people often try to solve problems by answering the wrong questions. His argument is structured, naturally enough, around “questions that can be acted upon and… can lead to tangible results and change.” Chapters examine both the business and personal arenas, from “Why do smart businesspeople screw up?” to “What if you make one small change?” He also explores why companies don’t train people to question and how they might go about it if they decided to try. Quirky sidebars on topics ranging from George Carlin to hard-boiled eggs add to the book’s inquisitive spirit. This potential game-changer will help readers identify where opportunities lie and how to seize them. Agent: James A. Levine, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (Mar.)