Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change
by Frank Sesno
272 pages, AMACOM Books (2017)
Ask More by Frank Sesno takes what many regard as a routine journalistic step and turns it into something far more powerful. Questions become a creative superpower you can wield whether you’re pitching a client or at the dinner table with your teen. Rather than sticking to the familiar “who, what, when,” Sesno shows how a single, well-timed question can spark fresh ideas, surface hidden truths, or anchor a conversation in genuine connection.
Through shared stories of focused on the questions: a son navigating the tender, unspoken terrain of a dying parent; a scientist racing to decode an emerging virus; a physician probing the subtext of a one-word reply to “How are you feeling today?”, Sesno teases out the many archetypes of inquiry, a few include: diagnostic probes, developmental queries, strategic prompts, mission-focused questions, and legacy-shaping conversations. These help us craft stories with enduring impact.
What turns these insights into a masterclass is Sesno’s reminder that to ask, one needs to listen. The stories share how a brainstorming session can turn toward unexpected gold, when embracing silence is the most revealing tool, and ways to follow up without hijacking the conversation flow. Sesno provides a summary of question types, however, this is not a script that one follows like a puppet. These are tools for a variety of contexts, from refining a business model to debriefing a campus visit with your child.
Ask More is a reminder that our biggest breakthroughs and richest connections often begin with a single question.
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