Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential 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 mark on the world. The key to achieving emotional connections and social progress he told them, can be found in five essential question

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 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 life, 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.