Want to learn the ideas in A More Beautiful Question better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of A More Beautiful Question

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on A More Beautiful Question, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Warren Berger.

1-Page Summary of A More Beautiful Question

Introduction

As writer Warren Berger interviewed some of the world’s leading innovators and creators, he found that they all ask questions.

Questions are an important part of Western society. They’ve been at the center of philosophy since Socrates, and some great thinkers have questioned everything they could. Einstein was very curious and saw curiosity as a “holy” thing. In addition, research has shown that executives ask many questions to help them adapt to changing markets and succeed in business.

In this world where everything is changing, the ability to ask the right questions will allow us to embrace change and move forward. This book explores how we can ask the right questions in order to lead well.

The Power of Inquiry

In 1976, Van Phillips asked himself why they couldn’t make a better artificial leg for people who had lost their limbs. He enrolled in Northwestern University’s prosthetics program and spent the next 10 years working on building a better foot. After making many prototypes, he learned from each one and questioned what didn’t work or broke down during testing.

Phillips didn’t know much about the research, so he was driven to learn more. This is a common reason for breakthroughs in science and technology. Ignorance leads people to ask many questions, which generate new fields of study and move scientific research forward.

Innovation begins with a “why” question. It frames the issue and provides context. When faced with a problem, innovative thinkers will ask “why?”

People who are good at presenting their ideas are more successful. One way to be better at that is to figure out the best idea communicators and dissect their techniques. We can do this by looking at TED (Technology, Education, Design) presentations as well as interviews with those speakers and the author’s insights from business leaders.

We must take action when we ask why. Berger noticed that those who follow with action tend to tackle issues in the following pattern: a problem is encountered, and the person asks why. They brainstorm possible solutions, which usually take the form of what if propositions. The possible solutions are explored by asking questions that begin with how. As Phillips gained experience and developed expertise in his industry, he moved from “why?” to “what if?”, and his imagination began generating innovative solutions. He worked with the springboard motion he noticed in a diving board, even exploring animal anatomy after becoming interested in the powerful force inherent in cheetah hind legs. What if prosthetic feet could spring up like diving boards ? What if they could work like cheetah legs ?

As fun as it is to ask questions and think about the world, eventually you have to get down to business. Phillips made hundreds of prototypes before he finally developed a working prosthetic foot. This changed the way people with amputations live their lives by allowing them more freedom. It also led other innovators to create better feet for amputees that allowed one person to climb Mount Everest and another compete in the Olympics. The ability to ask good questions comes naturally for some people, but not everyone has this talent. How did Phillips come by this skill? And why don’t others share his talents?

Why We Stop Questioning

As any parent can tell you, children ask a lot of questions. Research shows that they ask about 40,000 of them during the period of rapid brain growth between two and five years old. Once kids start school, though, they begin to stop asking as many questions because it’s not encouraged in school settings.