The 7 Powers of Questions: Secrets to Successful Communication in Life and at Work

Rating:
Summary: Hey MOM, WHAT? WHEN? is Dinner?
Review: GOOGOO Gogga! This book is great for teaching people in general to ask WHY? The problem with many institutions is the shunning of questions and replying with "that is just the way it is!" This book spurs one on to ask till you reach the meat of the situation that one encounters in this uncertain world. Why am I here? What is my objective? Great questions to spur individuals to a higher level of learning: synthesis or ownership of knowledge. This book helps people to stop "going with the flow of ordinary life."

Rating:
Summary: What a helpful book!!!
Review: I am a college senior job hunting right now and decided to get this book to improve my communication skills. I'm only through about half of this book and already love it. It has so much great information about improving communication. I have actually started using some of the information in the book...asking a lot more questions than I used to, and I have seen excellent results!

Rating:
Summary: What a helpful book!!!
Review: I am a college senior job hunting right now and decided to get this book to improve my communication skills. I'm only through about half of this book and already love it. It has so much great information about improving communication. I have actually started using some of the information in the book...asking a lot more questions than I used to, and I have seen excellent results!

Rating:
Summary: Top Notch
Review: I saw Dorothy Leeds at a book talk and was so impressed that I had to buy her book. I am very impressed at the breadth of occupations and life situations to which her writing applies. It is very practical information that almost anyone can use. I am in the field of education, and it will certainly help me to ask better questions as a teacher. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Top Notch
Review: I saw Dorothy Leeds at a book talk and was so impressed that I had to buy her book. I am very impressed at the breadth of occupations and life situations to which her writing applies. It is very practical information that almost anyone can use. I am in the field of education, and it will certainly help me to ask better questions as a teacher. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe 4.5 - Worth the Read
Review: Overall this is an outstanding little read. The book is a useful tool for those who are already questioners but who could hone their skills, and especially for those who plod through life without having yet developed the knack for learning, and persuading, and encouraging, and directing, and inspiring, through questions.

Very minor quibbles only. First, the author seems not to know what a leading question is. To a lawyer, a leading question can be the most explosive tool to reveal weak positions and to challenge the credibility of underlying conconlusions. Leeds does mention what she describes as leading questions, and in fact properly describes a leading question by definition. Then, however, she not only goes on to provide examples of questions which are not truly leading in the courtroom sense, she fails to develop the use of the technique into her otherwise thorough consideratin on the power of questioning. That's truly a large oversight; major decisions are made, and altered, every day in courtrooms through a skillful cross examination. This tool is invaluable in challenging lives generally, and although confrontational in style, can and should be used in the appropriate non-courtroom setting for the same purpose. In fairness to Leeds, entire books have been written on the topic of leading questions in cross examination, and there's no way she could have done it justice here as only part of the overall subject. But given the amazing persuasive ability of the mechanism, I was surprised it did not get fair play.

The other minor quibble might be deemed unfair, but here goes. Something big is missing. Whatever one thinks of Jesus, it cannot be seriously doubted that he forever changed the world. More has been written about him than any other person in history, and more has happened in the world in his name (good and bad) than in any other. Key to his ministry was the perfectly timed question. Yet, in all the examples given, he is not mentioned, depite numerous cites to rabbis and other religious personalities. Not to knock the Jewish perspective of the book, it would have done the subject of questioning more justice, I think, had there been the best examples imaginable included in the book among so many others. He asked such persuasive questions as "What does it profit if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul?" and "Why do you call me 'Lord' but do not do the things that I say?" And perhaps most quoted, "Who is without sin among you? Let him cast the first stone." I'm not sure how these life changing and history altering questions could be overlooked, even if one does not recognize Jesus as the Christ.

Now again, let's not lose sight of the rating. The book is a good, concise, persuasive and encouraging book for the use ofquestioning in a wide variety of useful motivations. I give it a near perfect score, despite these minor shortcomings. To be clear, what I have pointed as shortcomings are really just things that might be added to the book to perhaps add even more value to a volume that packs a good punch.

I would put this on anyone's must-read list. After you read it you will be better equipped to question your own direction in life, to gather information in a more organized and thoughtful way, to be more deliberate and effective in meaningful dialogue, and to become motivational to others. Use the suggestions and become more thoughtful, as well as to lead those in your circle also to become more thoughtful.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe 4.5 - Worth the Read
Review: Overall this is an outstanding little read. The book is a useful tool for those who are already questioners but who could hone their skills, and especially for those who plod through life without having yet developed the knack for learning, and persuading, and encouraging, and directing, and inspiring, through questions.

Very minor quibbles only. First, the author seems not to know what a leading question is. To a lawyer, a leading question can be the most explosive tool to reveal weak positions and to challenge the credibility of underlying conconlusions. Leeds does mention what she describes as leading questions, and in fact properly describes a leading question by definition. Then, however, she not only goes on to provide examples of questions which are not truly leading in the courtroom sense, she fails to develop the use of the technique into her otherwise thorough consideratin on the power of questioning. That's truly a large oversight; major decisions are made, and altered, every day in courtrooms through a skillful cross examination. This tool is invaluable in challenging lives generally, and although confrontational in style, can and should be used in the appropriate non-courtroom setting for the same purpose. In fairness to Leeds, entire books have been written on the topic of leading questions in cross examination, and there's no way she could have done it justice here as only part of the overall subject. But given the amazing persuasive ability of the mechanism, I was surprised it did not get fair play.

The other minor quibble might be deemed unfair, but here goes. Something big is missing. Whatever one thinks of Jesus, it cannot be seriously doubted that he forever changed the world. More has been written about him than any other person in history, and more has happened in the world in his name (good and bad) than in any other. Key to his ministry was the perfectly timed question. Yet, in all the examples given, he is not mentioned, depite numerous cites to rabbis and other religious personalities. Not to knock the Jewish perspective of the book, it would have done the subject of questioning more justice, I think, had there been the best examples imaginable included in the book among so many others. He asked such persuasive questions as "What does it profit if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul?" and "Why do you call me 'Lord' but do not do the things that I say?" And perhaps most quoted, "Who is without sin among you? Let him cast the first stone." I'm not sure how these life changing and history altering questions could be overlooked, even if one does not recognize Jesus as the Christ.

Now again, let's not lose sight of the rating. The book is a good, concise, persuasive and encouraging book for the use ofquestioning in a wide variety of useful motivations. I give it a near perfect score, despite these minor shortcomings. To be clear, what I have pointed as shortcomings are really just things that might be added to the book to perhaps add even more value to a volume that packs a good punch.

I would put this on anyone's must-read list. After you read it you will be better equipped to question your own direction in life, to gather information in a more organized and thoughtful way, to be more deliberate and effective in meaningful dialogue, and to become motivational to others. Use the suggestions and become more thoughtful, as well as to lead those in your circle also to become more thoughtful.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and helpful
Review: This book is easy to read and full of great examples. I've started asking better questions already and I've noticed my job performance getting better. My wife read the book, too, and I think our marriage will benefit more and more as we communicate better -- all because of asking good questions.