Ask a Little—Learn a Lot: How Questions Change Everything

R. W. A. Mitchell

iUniverse, Aug 22, 2012 - Education - 204 pages

The best way to learn comes by simply asking questions. Its truly one of the most useful skills you can acquire. In Ask a LittleLearn a Lot, author R. W. A. Mitchell teaches you how to ask the kinds of questions that have changed our world.

Lively, fun, and easy to read, Ask a LittleLearn a Lot includes examples of some of the best questions ever asked, illustrated with examples from a wide range of topics including mathematics and science, philosophy, game theory, gambling, lucky numbers, and even game shows. You can learn how to learn, just by asking questions! This guide explores questions based on the following, among other things:

What kinds of questions are asked by the greatest thinkers?

How can you surf the North Pole?

How can you type like a monkey?

How you can win on Lets Make a Deal

You can also learn about the peculiar and tricky questions that make up paradoxes and about the weird science of Wile E. Coyote!

Ask a LittleLearn a Lot communicates that the best way to explore new ideas comes simply by asking questions. When you ask questions, you learn things. Thinking inspires. And with a bit of imagination, it creates.

Contents

• Ask Away: 1
• Not a Trivial Pursuit: 9
• A Good Question about Questions: 15
• A Good Question about Thinking: 19
• Questions That Moved the World: 27
• Why Cant We Ever Just Sit Still?: 31
• How Fast is Fast?: 37
• How Big Is Big?: 41
• A Paradox in the Game of Baseball: 49
• A Good Question to Ask Ketchup: 53
• How to Surf the North Pole: 57
• One Hot Question about Global Warming: 63
• Why Dont We Make Math More Fun?: 67
• Wanna Flip for It?: 73
• Theres a Sucker Born Every Minute: 83
• Luck Be a Lady Tonight: 87
• Stay or Switch?: 97
• The Art of Selling Valuable Baseball Cards: 103
• Friend or Foe?: 107
• Why Do Things Move the Way They Do?: 111
• Wile E CoyoteSupergenius or What?: 117
• Can Anybody Turn Lead into Gold?: 121
• Gravity Sucks: 127
• What Weighs More?: 133
• Bankers and Their Adventures with Scientists: 135
• Aha Now I Get It: 141
• Experiments You Can Do in Your Head: 147
• Einsteins Relatively Good Questions: 151
• How Small Is Small?: 159
• Does the Flap of a Butterflys Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas?: 167
• What to Ask about Yourself: 173
• Ask a LittleListen a Lot: 177
• One Last ThoughtThink: 181
• Further Reading: 185
• Index: 187
• Back Cover: 192

About the author

R. W. A. Mitchell holds a BSc in physics from Queens University at Kingston and an MSc degree in nuclear physics from the University of Alberta. He pursued a career in finance and worked for several major investment banks where he created many innovative securities. Mitchell lives in Toronto, Canada.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Ask a Little—Learn a Lot: How Questions Change Everything
• Author: R. W. A. Mitchell
• Publisher: iUniverse, 2012
• ISBN: 1475933800, 9781475933802
• Length: 204 pages
• Subjects: Education / General