
The Art of Disagreeing Well
How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard
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Narrated by:
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Bo Seo
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By:
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Bo Seo
About this listen
‘Electrifying … A user manual for our polarized world’ Adam Grant, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Think Again
How do you win an argument? How do you disagree without hard feelings? How do you debate in a way that moves the topic forward to an answer?
Arguments matter, because we have them every day. We do it with loved ones and at work, over which restaurant to go to and which social viewpoint is right or fair. We trust the people we elect to argue on our behalf. We trust the news to dissect the arguments different parties are proposing. We have a system of justice which trusts the better argument will win out.
Once, argument was taught and celebrated as a fundamental part of being a good citizen. But it isn’t anymore, and often we struggle to argue without furthering divisions, without hurt feelings or a useful progression of ideas at stake.
As a two-time world debate champion, Bo Seo has made a career out of arguing well. In this book, he provides the reader with an unforgettable toolkit to improve their own disagreements, so that the outcome of having an argument is better than not having it at all.
A thrilling adventure into the past and present of competitive debate, Good Arguments proves that good-faith disagreements can enrich our friendships, workplaces, and democracies — and in the process, our world.
Previously published as The Art of Disagreeing Well
©2022 Bo Seo (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic reviews
"At a time of polarisation and rage, we all need to learn how to disagree well—and this important, compelling and wise book should be at the heart of how we do so." (Johan Hari,Sunday Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus and Lost Connections)
Not only do we get his own story, but his research into other debaters of recent history or even his connections to other interesting people of our time to deepen his points are beautiful interlaced within the main narrative.
However, I felt the book lacks practically. Yes, he goes over how to debate and fundamental principles and his own learnings, however, I feel that his theory lacks examples to make my understanding of the theory more concrete. I would of liked a lot more sections in the book that say: "One key element of good rebuttal is X, for example, imagine your friend is telling you Y, as a good rebuttal you could say Z o A."
I believe he does do this once in the book, however, what I found hard is that his definition of good argument/rebuttal, etc, changes throughout the chapter and so he says something at the beginning of the chapter and then contradicts it's later on. So here I would have appreciated chapter summaries or a "key-takeaways" section.
In sum, a great book, really enjoyed it, however, honestly I don't feel now that much more confident at the moment of arguing/disagreeing with someone than when I started the book, which was my ultimate aim :( Might have to read it again to find the gems of wisdom.
oh and he says "however" like 1000 times xD maybe you picked up the joke in this review.
Really good, however...
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Made me take it personal
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I like the way various topics of debate is explained using story telling methods by the author. All the points he made were backed by his own life experiences and his observations. I felt as if I was watching a movie, where in a moment, I saw all his life stories unfolded between the read, followed by his deep thought and reflections. Soon later that moment was interspersed with another historical anecdote, mythical or fantany stories that he felt relatable.
Bo Seo shows us debate is not just a skill that is useful academically or in a competition but also centrepiece of our everyday life, a skill that we should hone for improving our relationship with ourselves, family and friends.
Personally, I find this is a book full of substance and I had reread it multiple times in different language, both English and Chinese.Thank you Bo Seo for writing this book! It had enriched and benefited me so much!
Just my cup of tea
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A distilled version of debate and how to think
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Gracefully written, persuasively delivered.
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Not what I was expected.
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Good, surprisingly personal.
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I made it about halfway before I had to give up out of sheer boredom.
It’s a biography, not a guide
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