The Art of Disagreeing Well

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What to expect

‘Electrifying … A user manual for our polarized world’ Adam Grant, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Think Again

‘Important, compelling and wise’ Johann Hari, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Stolen Focus

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

Critics Review

  • ‘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’
    Johann Hari, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Stolen Focus and Lost Connections

    ‘This is not just the electrifying tale of how Bo Seo won two world debate championships. It’s also a user manual for our polarized world. I can’t think of a more vital resource for learning to sharpen your critical thinking, accelerate your rethinking, and hone your ability to open other people’s minds. The Art of Disagreeing Well is the rare book that has the potential to make you smarter—and everyone around you wiser’
    Adam Grant, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife

    ‘A thoughtful, instructive and eloquent meditation on the art of debate and why its central pillars—fact-finding, reason, persuasion and listening to opponents—are so valuable in today’s alarming ecosystem of misinformation and extreme emotion’
    Michiko Kakutani, New York Times-bestselling author of Ex Libris and The Death of Truth

    ‘Seo’s lucid and humane search for ‘better ways to disagree’ could not be more timely or valuable’
    Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and author of The Case for Courage

    ‘Bo Seo pulls off the hat trick of persuasion, combining crisp logic, a compelling story, and a likeable, trustworthy narrator … his book … makes a compelling argument of its own: that civil disagreement can save our troubled civilization’
    Jay Heinrichs, New York Times-bestselling author of Thank You for Arguing and How to Argue With a Cat

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