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amymo73's review against another edition
3.0
In all honesty, I picked up this book because of the title. I absolutely loved the sentiment and wanted to know more. After all, I have lots of projects that I've started or would like to start and always seem to run into the question (whether from others or in my own head) exactly how are you going to do this?
In this book, Block looks at how we are caught up in a results-oriented culture that looks for the right answers when perhaps we should be looking for the right questions. We want to know what to do before giving ourselves a chance to go deeper, to play with the questions, to think about what really matters to us. Block writes, "We are at times so eager to get practical right away that we set limits on ourselves. We become imprisoned in our belief that we don't know how and therefore need to keep asking the question." It's not that asking questions of "how" is wrong. It's that we tend to ask them too soon.
The most valuable part of this book for me were the first chapters when Block examines the questions of "how" and then shows how we can alter to them the question of yes. "Yes affirms the value of participation, of being a player instead of a spectator to our own experience." The second half of the book deals more specifically with business and organizations. While interesting and thought provoking, I was most captivated and inspired by the earlier chapters.
As I continue to pursue my projects and my dreams, this was a great reminder that getting too practical too soon is a sure way to kill my projects and my dreams. By going deeper, by focusing and acting on what matters most to me, I not only create more opportunity for myself but I help contribute to the community. Sometimes, you need to step away from the end-game, numbers-driven model and practice living what you want instead.
In this book, Block looks at how we are caught up in a results-oriented culture that looks for the right answers when perhaps we should be looking for the right questions. We want to know what to do before giving ourselves a chance to go deeper, to play with the questions, to think about what really matters to us. Block writes, "We are at times so eager to get practical right away that we set limits on ourselves. We become imprisoned in our belief that we don't know how and therefore need to keep asking the question." It's not that asking questions of "how" is wrong. It's that we tend to ask them too soon.
The most valuable part of this book for me were the first chapters when Block examines the questions of "how" and then shows how we can alter to them the question of yes. "Yes affirms the value of participation, of being a player instead of a spectator to our own experience." The second half of the book deals more specifically with business and organizations. While interesting and thought provoking, I was most captivated and inspired by the earlier chapters.
As I continue to pursue my projects and my dreams, this was a great reminder that getting too practical too soon is a sure way to kill my projects and my dreams. By going deeper, by focusing and acting on what matters most to me, I not only create more opportunity for myself but I help contribute to the community. Sometimes, you need to step away from the end-game, numbers-driven model and practice living what you want instead.
malmalisme's review against another edition
2.0
So hard to read. It is both repetitive and meandering. I wanted to like it, but at the end, I am not even sure what it was about.
foggettparker's review against another edition
4.0
I discovered Peter Block's writing quite by accident. When I realized that he has written several books on community, stewardship, and work, I immediately checked all of his books out of the library.
This is the first book by Block that I have read and I'm going to keep reading his books.
He offers a new way of thinking about our actions that help free us from being controlled by the bombardment of messages about how we should live and act.
There are so many takeaways from this book. Taking them away and acting on them will be a challenge that should take a lifetime. This isn't a book about tips and techniques for asking better questions. It's not a book about how to hack a better work environment. This is a book about reframing yourself and your life and your thinking to choose accountability, passion and purpose from your life's work.
There are many questions in Block's book, but I felt the ones that will take me my lifetime to struggle through were "What do we want to create together? and "what is the question that, if you had the answer, would set you free?". My short term take aways from these questions are that going forward, I'm going to ask colleagues, friends, community: "what do we want to create together?", rather than "how do we do XYZ"?
This is the first book by Block that I have read and I'm going to keep reading his books.
He offers a new way of thinking about our actions that help free us from being controlled by the bombardment of messages about how we should live and act.
There are so many takeaways from this book. Taking them away and acting on them will be a challenge that should take a lifetime. This isn't a book about tips and techniques for asking better questions. It's not a book about how to hack a better work environment. This is a book about reframing yourself and your life and your thinking to choose accountability, passion and purpose from your life's work.
There are many questions in Block's book, but I felt the ones that will take me my lifetime to struggle through were "What do we want to create together? and "what is the question that, if you had the answer, would set you free?". My short term take aways from these questions are that going forward, I'm going to ask colleagues, friends, community: "what do we want to create together?", rather than "how do we do XYZ"?
anndouglas's review
3.0
A guide to "pursuing what most matters to us and living with the adventure and anxiety that this requires." A bit abstract and philosophical for my taste, but still a worthwhile read.
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