Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

James E. Ryan (Author, Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)

Joining the ranks of Tina Seelig's What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20, Clayton Christensen's How Will You Measure Your Life, Mary Karr's Now Go out There, and George Saunders' Congratulations, by the Way is an insightful guide that reveals the secret to pursuing a rich, fulfilling life: the art of asking (and answering) good questions.

In his commencement address to the graduating class of 2016, James E. Ryan, dean of the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, offered remarkable advice to the crowd of hopeful men and women eager to make their marks on the world. The key to achieving emotional connections and social progress, he told them, can be found in five essential questions:

Wait, what?
I wonder if...
Couldn't we at least?
How can I help?
What truly matters?

"Wait, what?" is at the root of all understanding. "I wonder if..." is at the heart of all curiosity. "Couldn't we at least?" is the beginning of all progress. "How can I help?" is the basis of all good relationships. And "what truly matters?" gets you to the heart of life. By regularly asking these questions, Ryan promises, you will be prepared to enthusiastically answer yes to one final - and, ultimately, most important - question: "And did you get what you wanted out of life, even so?"

In this thoughtful, illuminating book, Ryan builds upon his wildly popular and universally praised address, which has been viewed more than four million times online. Wait, What? offers further insights into the art of asking good questions, highlighted by hilarious and surprising anecdotes from Ryan's personal and professional lives as well as stories from politics, popular culture, and social movements throughout history.

Engaging and inspiring, Wait, What? will change the way you look at yourself and the world and, in the process, help you get what you want most out of life.

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Listening Length	2 hours and 49 minutes
Author	James E. Ryan
Narrator	James E. Ryan
Audible.com Release Date	April 04, 2017
Publisher	HarperAudio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B01MTAXJ2Z
Best Sellers Rank	#22,239 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #222 in Medical Cognitive Psychology #381 in Cognitive Psychology (Books) #1,113 in Psychology (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

5 star		73%
4 star		15%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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D. Manzo

Made my list of "must reads"

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

"Wait, What?," Jim Ryan's 144 page book is a gem.

Ryan makes an argument to listen for and ask great questions.

He offers 5 critical questions (and a bonus question, too) with humor, passion and insight.

The questions:

Wait, what?

I wonder…?

Couldn’t we at least…?

How can I help?

What truly matters?

If you're an audio fan, Ryan reads his book and you can hear his inflections and subtle emphasis.

Many many years ago reading Night, by Elie Wiesel, I heard that the power lies in the question.

Wiesel has often been the spokesperson for one of the most painful experiences of the 20th century, the Holocaust.

In his book Wiesel describes his childhood during Nazi Europe, including the deaths of members of his family.

In the opening pages of the book, the pious young boy is asked a question by Moshe the Beadle and the following conversation ensues:
"Why do you pray?" Moshe asked me, after a moment.

Why did I pray? A strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?

"I don't know why." I said, even more disturbed and ill at ease. "I don't know why."

After that day I saw Moshe often. He explained to me with great insistence that every question possessed a power that did not lie in the answer.

Then, after a while, the boy turned the question on the holy man.

"And why do you pray, Moshe?" I asked him.

"I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions."

Ryan's book complements Wiesel's passage perfectly.

56 people found this helpful

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Doug McDavid

Terrific book

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is the finest thing I can remember reading in my 70 years on the planet. I laughed and cried and now have these powerful tools. Enjoy!

66 people found this helpful

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Tulip

New Avenues of the Mind

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

There are so many books on the shelves that offer ways to better understand ourselves, feel better about ourselves and have a life beyond our dreams. But this short book offered me five questions and a bonus question that, for me, gave me something useful to think about. If find myself going over the same thoughts and questions every day in a reverberating circle. The questions in this book helped me think more productively. I have bought two books for friends and would recommend it to others who enjoy exploring new avenues of the mind.

40 people found this helpful

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Darlene M. Schueler

Don't wait, buy now.

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

Don't wait, buy this now. I heard the author speak on NPR, and enjoyed him. Bought several copies to share with friends and their families. The five questions (and a bonus) are illustrated with delightful stories that make them easy to remember and then put to use. Simple, easy to digest gung ho advice.

25 people found this helpful

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Chuck Hawley

Fun description on how to get more information out of life by asking questions.

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a fast, fun read about the questions that we should all be asking when someone suggests something that may be a little bit of a stretch. Very humorous, with good examples from the author's life. Recommended.

16 people found this helpful

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Inspirational Stories and Advice

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said that "What comes from the heart, goes to the heart." That aptly describes this book. James E. Ryan believes there are only five essential questions that you should ask in this lifetime, OK six because there is a bonus question. I'd add a seventh but I think he has most of the questions covered.

Since I was called "question box" as a child I could totally relate to James E. Ryan's childhood. It was very amusing that he asked so many questions but if you think about it, he is probably such a success today because he was eternally curious and learned a great deal.

I also love books that make me laugh and cry alternately throughout the book. The story of how the author met his birth mother and the story about Cindy had me close to tears. I also laughed more times that I can count.

What I love about this author is he has the handy knack of looking at both sides of an argument. You will learn a lot of interesting facts like how curiosity helps you live longer. So get asking those questions. I found the question: "How Can I Help?" to be the most helpful for all sorts of situations. You can literally change the world by asking that question. We could end world hunger if we all asked it.

I also felt this book was filled with a lot of practical wisdom. "Ask first, argue second" is excellent advice.

The author has led a very interesting life and has lots of inspirational stories to tell. Some are also quite funny, therefore the laughing.

This is a great book by an author who seems like a wise soul. I give this book 100 stars.

~The Rebecca Review

82 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Great Question!

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a great book for helping you keep an open mind, and stay focused on your environment. If you want to learn how to better work well with others, this is one of those books that can help you do that. I doesn't have anything new, but it puts what we already know into a perspective that can help us not only with communication, but with our relationships with each other. By asking the right questions, we will get much more of what we need to do our jobs, be in better relationships, and become better people.

8 people found this helpful

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S. Ervin

I recommended WAIT, WHAT

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

Adults know this stuff. We've just forgotten it. I recommended WAIT, WHAT? for my literary discussion group. It's a short, easy read, except one has to keep pausing to think. It doesn't hurt to set aside our screens from time to time and do that. Thanks, James E. Ryan.

21 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Rick

What’s next...?

Reviewed in Canada on February 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Not all great talks make great books, not all great books lead to great talks. This though is an example of a great talk followed up by the depth of the book as an extended conversation, an exploration of asking yourself and others though mostly yourself can do to advance understanding and direction in life. Watch the talk, read the book do both, you’ll be better for the time spent. That next bonus question What’s next...comes from President Bartlett of the West Wing presidency and for me it’s striving to apply the essential questions outlined in this book. Thanks

Leonardo

Cuestionamiento

Reviewed in Mexico on May 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

Lo que el autor ha escrito en este libro, me ha permitido poder cuestionar de mejor manera muchas situaciones, es un libro que se puede leer facil, sin terminos rebuscados, lo importante son las diferentes situaciones con las que nos enfrentamos y hacer las preguntas necesarias para mejorar en el desarrollo de nuestro trabajo o hasta en tareas de la casa y escuela.

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Vinícius

Empatia e curiosidade

Reviewed in Brazil on June 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

Grande leitura para aqueles que procuram algumas das nuances em nossas vidas, que mesmo parecendo simples, são elas que fazem enorme diferença. Neste livro somos introduzidos ao motivo da criação do próprio e a relevância de se manter curioso e ampliar nosso papel na sociedade com empatia.O autor utilizou exemplos de sua própria vida e reforça a aplicabilidade das perguntas com seu conhecimento de forma clara e sintétizada. Ler apenas uma vez pode ser um desperdício, arisco dizer que esse livro mudou drasticamente a forma com que lido com perguntas, recomendadíssimo!

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Ravi

Must read. Simple and easy to follow

Reviewed in India on September 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

simple and easy to follow. was really an eye opener for me as i was looking for how to think critically and how to ask relevant questions. really loved this book. hope i can ask this questions often in my life.

Erin Michelle Ross

Common Sense

Reviewed in Canada on July 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

Never listened to the viral graduation speech but apparently it made a publisher sign the author for a book deal. It didn't shatter my world, but it wasn't bad.

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Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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