Nonfiction

Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

  • Downloads：8129
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-19 18:16:43
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Bo Seo
  • ISBN：0593299515
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

"The rare book that has the potential to make you smarter--and everyone around you wiser。" --Adam Grant

Two-time world champion debater and former coach of the Harvard debate team， Bo Seo tells the inspiring story of his life in competitive debating and reveals the timeless secrets of effective communication and persuasion

When Bo Seo was 8 years old， he and his family migrated from Korea to Australia。 At the time， he did not speak English， and， unsurprisingly， struggled at school。 But， then， in fifth grade， something happened to change his life: he discovered competitive debate。 Immediately， he was hooked。 It turned out， perhaps counterintuitively， that debating was the perfect activity for someone shy and unsure of himself。 It became a way for Bo not only to find his voice， but to excel socially and academically。 And he's not the only one。 Far from it: presidents， Supreme Court justices， and CEOs are all disproportionally debaters。 This is hardly a coincidence。 By tracing his own journey from immigrant kid to world champion， Seo shows how the skills of debating--information gathering， truth finding， lucidity， organization， and persuasion--are often the cornerstone of successful careers and happy lives。

Drawing insights from its strategies， structure， and history， Seo teaches readers the skills of competitive debate， and in doing so shows how they can improve their communication with friends， family， and colleagues alike。 He takes readers on a thrilling intellectual adventure into the eccentric and brilliant subculture of competitive debate， touching on everything from the radical politics of Malcom X to Artificial Intelligence。 Seo proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that， far from being a source of conflict， good-faith debate can enrich our daily lives。 Indeed， these good arguments are essential to a flourishing democracy， and are more important than ever at time when bad faith is all around， and our democracy seems so imperiled。

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Reviews

Lisa Keuss ，

I enjoyed this as a memoir and as a discussion on what makes a good argument。 But I was initially drawn to the subtitle， "How debate teaches us to listen and be heard"， and that was touched on just ever so slightly。 I enjoyed this as a memoir and as a discussion on what makes a good argument。 But I was initially drawn to the subtitle， "How debate teaches us to listen and be heard"， and that was touched on just ever so slightly。 。。。more

Ashan K ，

I was pretty hesitant reading this for book club as I have a pretty big preconceived visceral distaste for the public speaking competition of debate， but it was alright。I agreed with most of the points in the book， but overall the biggest let down for me was that it felt like it lacked character （and ironically didn't feel very persuasive）。 The patchwork of autobiography， history and debate techniques often didn't feel well connected to me and served to dilute each other at times。 I was pretty hesitant reading this for book club as I have a pretty big preconceived visceral distaste for the public speaking competition of debate， but it was alright。I agreed with most of the points in the book， but overall the biggest let down for me was that it felt like it lacked character （and ironically didn't feel very persuasive）。 The patchwork of autobiography， history and debate techniques often didn't feel well connected to me and served to dilute each other at times。 。。。more

Alicia ，

Heavy on tedious autobiographical details， light on practical advice。 Though the advice is generally thoughtful and useful。

Betty Tóth ，

Seo's book can be described as his autobiography mixed with the principles and basic know-how of debate， more specifically competitive political debate。 I read the book with the intention of learning to argue better in order to be heard as a person with solid values and a lot of ideas， but with a temper not the most compatible with presenting them。 The thing I got was instead， one one hand， a strong resentment that I didn't have the opportunity to try myself out in the debating world when I was Seo's book can be described as his autobiography mixed with the principles and basic know-how of debate， more specifically competitive political debate。 I read the book with the intention of learning to argue better in order to be heard as a person with solid values and a lot of ideas， but with a temper not the most compatible with presenting them。 The thing I got was instead， one one hand， a strong resentment that I didn't have the opportunity to try myself out in the debating world when I was still learning in public education systems， and on the other， I feel like I know more about when to start to debate and when to let it go， I learned that listening can be more important than having the right rebuttal and overally that having the better argument is not enough if one cannot touch the other on an emotional level。 I hope the author would agree with this summary。I totally recommend this book， it's not just theory， but also a short life story - the author's really young - presented in a catching way。 。。。more

Bo Xin Zhao ，

Bo Seo is a role model for many of us debaters， so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his process of finding his voice。 However， and understandably， this book is written for a larger target audience than a competitive debater who yearns to learn about this debate champion's detailed techniques and training in debating。 I cannot help but feel a tiny bit disappointed that I did not find the secret formula to becoming WUDC Champion – and perhaps that is because the secret technique is working hard。 Bo Seo is a role model for many of us debaters， so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his process of finding his voice。 However， and understandably， this book is written for a larger target audience than a competitive debater who yearns to learn about this debate champion's detailed techniques and training in debating。 I cannot help but feel a tiny bit disappointed that I did not find the secret formula to becoming WUDC Champion – and perhaps that is because the secret technique is working hard。 Still， very worthwhile read！ 。。。more

Ceil ，

Wonderful book。 Part memoir， part history （of debate）， part cross-cultural journey - insightful analysis of ways we can get past stubborn disagreement to insight and action。

Summer SSS ，

I can’t believe this was my most anticipated release of the year， I’m scared what that implies about how fun of a person I am。 However it totally lived up to my anticipation！ This book was really a really strong， persuasive， argument for why we should value debating skills （I guess that figured lol） Bo Seo is a well known world champion debater， who I first heard about because a girl on my debate team made a funny Christmas themed spoof of his world winning debate speech。 It’s clear the book was I can’t believe this was my most anticipated release of the year， I’m scared what that implies about how fun of a person I am。 However it totally lived up to my anticipation！ This book was really a really strong， persuasive， argument for why we should value debating skills （I guess that figured lol） Bo Seo is a well known world champion debater， who I first heard about because a girl on my debate team made a funny Christmas themed spoof of his world winning debate speech。 It’s clear the book was written for guidance in a real world context and not advice for actual debate rounds， even though it does give good techniques and brings up good considerations for both。 I think if a debater kid is reading this for tips to win the world Championship they are probably going to be let down， but as a novice I really got a lot out of this read still。 I think the writing was really organized and the book well structured。 I think the quotes and historical mentions referenced really added a lot， and were not just put in for their own sake。 The first half of this book might be my favourite part， I actually like some of his personal stories from school the most。 Also， whew 😅 he has an attractive voice。 There’s something about a subtle Australian accent that really hits the ear right。 He should consider doing more audiobooks。 。。。more

Rosaline Walters ，

Unfortunately， I cannot recommend this book。 On the chapter on relationships， the author notes that the average household has 217 arguments related to dishwashing every year。 His comment is "1。 Some of our most persistent disagreements are those with whom we are closest。 2。 They are waged over trivial matters。 Both phenomena were strange。" This is bizarre， given the huge body of research that shows women disproportionately bear the 'invisible load' of emotional labour and household tasks at home Unfortunately， I cannot recommend this book。 On the chapter on relationships， the author notes that the average household has 217 arguments related to dishwashing every year。 His comment is "1。 Some of our most persistent disagreements are those with whom we are closest。 2。 They are waged over trivial matters。 Both phenomena were strange。" This is bizarre， given the huge body of research that shows women disproportionately bear the 'invisible load' of emotional labour and household tasks at home。 The author does not address these issues or dynamics。 He seems， frankly， to simply not know about them。 As such， the book is fundamentally flawed。He may have a number of insights when it comes to debating。 And maybe you may find his techniques useful at work。 I think a lot of men would certainly find it appealing。 But when applying these to personal relationships the thinness of his personal experience and his research shows。 。。。more

Caroline ，

I think I’m smarter after reading this book

Mia Caliendo ，

This is one of my favorite books of 2022。 As a former debater， I not only valued the connections Seo drew between debate and life， but his ability to teach through narrative， his story specifically， was so well done。 Full of valuable insights， lovely anecdotes， introspection， and application， this book is a gem。 I will certainly be reading it again。

Alexandra Kenny ，

A fascinating look at what goes into the elements of debate， from a competitive level。 Super smart read about a world I knew little about。

Christian ，

Seo is a great writer and I hope he writes more。 In this particular book， I found it hard to pin down what to take away。 It starts as memoir， but with a few sections on takeaways for how to debate。 Then it becomes more focused on the art and history of debating itself， while finally weaving in more world examples in addition to his own experiences。 I enjoyed the book and parts of his story but it’s probably not something that will stick with me。

aleeshuschin ，

not bad but i really don't care about bo seo's childhood/debate career， both of which reek of privilege and what is more or less 凡尔赛 （i'm so sad， i go to harvard and just won worlds） three stars because i can't believe the relationship between bo and fanele is real not bad but i really don't care about bo seo's childhood/debate career， both of which reek of privilege and what is more or less 凡尔赛 （i'm so sad， i go to harvard and just won worlds） three stars because i can't believe the relationship between bo and fanele is real 。。。more

Caleb Loh ，

This book is not a technical manual for debaters， though it introduces many interesting heuristics and exercises。 The most important for debaters would probably be to pick your fights。 In real-life， this means using the RISA framework: disagreeing only when it is Realistic， Important， Specific， and the goals of both parties are Aligned。

Laurel ，

Interesting and informative - it’s so rare to actually “listen” and respond to what is said nowadays - it’s all about what you’re “thinking” of how to respond while the other person is still speaking and that’s not just in debate or argument - it’s in everyday chat！

Annushka ，

I really enjoyed reading — I hadn’t read very much for pleasure this term and it was good to get back into things。 I thought the narrative of the author’s life was compelling and interesting， and I liked that the book was structured as a memoir rather than a self-help-like list of claims/studies。 Maybe I disproportionately enjoyed the storytelling because it allowed me to better justify spending an absurd amount of time on Worlds Schools this summer — but I do think the character arc would be en I really enjoyed reading — I hadn’t read very much for pleasure this term and it was good to get back into things。 I thought the narrative of the author’s life was compelling and interesting， and I liked that the book was structured as a memoir rather than a self-help-like list of claims/studies。 Maybe I disproportionately enjoyed the storytelling because it allowed me to better justify spending an absurd amount of time on Worlds Schools this summer — but I do think the character arc would be engaging even to those less familiar with the minutiae of the circuit。 There's the David and Goliath appeal of Seo's adventures， of course， and various other well-articulated observations about the nature of conflict。I also appreciated the clear and actionable frameworks for how to integrate good argument into our own lives。 It reduced the sense of intellectual abstraction often found in books about conflict。 In fact， I used the “RISA” criteria for navigating a recent disagreement with my mother over whether we should throw rocks into a tree outside our house to banish a crow egg-eating racoon。 Very nifty。Wrote up some more detailed thoughts on my blog as well: https://agarwhale。com/2022/06/24/on-g。。。 。。。more

Siyun ，

I know very little about the art of debate let alone debate as a sport - growing up Asian， the doctrine has been 'avoid conflicts by all means' :/。 However， I thoroughly enjoy this book。 While it does touch on a few principles and frameworks to deliver a compelling argument， spot the flaws in your opponents' counter claims， it expands beyond the battle field of debate competition and well into everyday life， business， geo-politics， education and other domains。 The author delivered a compelling a I know very little about the art of debate let alone debate as a sport - growing up Asian， the doctrine has been 'avoid conflicts by all means' :/。 However， I thoroughly enjoy this book。 While it does touch on a few principles and frameworks to deliver a compelling argument， spot the flaws in your opponents' counter claims， it expands beyond the battle field of debate competition and well into everyday life， business， geo-politics， education and other domains。 The author delivered a compelling argument （pun intended :） how the principles of a good argument can help us to become a better listener， intermediator， negotiator， friend， romantic partner， family member and very likely， a better person。 Besides， it is well written and structured， introspective， decorated with sparkle of humors。 I am surprised and delighted by the author's ability to explain such an intricate craft that usually limited to intellectuals and aristocrats in an approachable， relatable even， manner。Possibly the best book I have read in a long while。 I might even re-read some point in the future。 。。。more

ไม้ไต่คู้ ，

อ่านจบแล้ว เป็นหนังสือสอนดีเบทกึ่งๆบันทึกประสบการณ์ เล่าชีวิตของ Bo Seo （เฉพาะ part ที่เกี่ยวกับการดีเบท） ตาม timeline ไปเรื่อยๆ แล้วค่อยสกัดเทคนิคจากประสบการณ์เขาไปตามเรื่อง ซึ่งจะต่างจากหนังสือ coaching ทั่วๆ ไปที่จะเน้นบรรยายตัวเทคนิค แล้วค่อยใช้เรื่องเล่ามาเสริมให้เห็นภาพส่วนตัวไม่ใช่คนชอบอ่าน memoir ซื้อมาเพราะอยากรู้เฉพาะ part ที่เป็นเทคนิคดีเบทเท่านั้น ตอนอ่านเลยรู้สึกว่าหนังสือมีน้ำเยอะ และใครอ่านหนังสือแบบไม่ขีดเขียนจะกลับไปทบทวนได้ยาก เพราะแต่ละบทไม่มีหัวข้อย่อยให้ย้อนอ่านได้ง่ายๆแต่ b อ่านจบแล้ว เป็นหนังสือสอนดีเบทกึ่งๆบันทึกประสบการณ์ เล่าชีวิตของ Bo Seo （เฉพาะ part ที่เกี่ยวกับการดีเบท） ตาม timeline ไปเรื่อยๆ แล้วค่อยสกัดเทคนิคจากประสบการณ์เขาไปตามเรื่อง ซึ่งจะต่างจากหนังสือ coaching ทั่วๆ ไปที่จะเน้นบรรยายตัวเทคนิค แล้วค่อยใช้เรื่องเล่ามาเสริมให้เห็นภาพส่วนตัวไม่ใช่คนชอบอ่าน memoir ซื้อมาเพราะอยากรู้เฉพาะ part ที่เป็นเทคนิคดีเบทเท่านั้น ตอนอ่านเลยรู้สึกว่าหนังสือมีน้ำเยอะ และใครอ่านหนังสือแบบไม่ขีดเขียนจะกลับไปทบทวนได้ยาก เพราะแต่ละบทไม่มีหัวข้อย่อยให้ย้อนอ่านได้ง่ายๆแต่ bottom line แล้ว เราว่าเป็นหนังสือที่ดี เพราะพาร์ทที่พูดถึงเทคนิคดีเบทก็ได้แนวคิดที่เป็นประโยชน์หลายอย่างรีวิวนี้จะส้มป่อยเนื้อหาบทแรกเท่าที่พอจำได้คร่าวๆ ใครสนใจก็ไปหาอ่านนะบทแรกพูดเรื่อง TopicBo บอกว่า การเถียงกันในชีวิตจริงไม่ได้มีญัตติเขียนไว้ชัดๆ เหมือนดีเบททางการ หลายครั้งเราเถียงกันเป็นวรรคเป็นเวร แต่เราไม่รู้ด้วยซ้ำว่าเราเถียงกันเรื่องอะไร ขอบเขตอยู่ตรงไหน มิติไหนที่เราเห็นต่างกัน หรือหนักสุดคือเราไม่รู้ด้วยซ้ำว่าเราเห็นต่างกันจริงๆ รึเปล่าก่อนไปเถียงกับใคร คุณจึงต้องตอบตัวเองให้ได้ก่อนว่า "เรากำลังเห็นต่างกันเรื่องอะไร"ถ้าคุณตอบไม่ได้ คุณจะไม่รู้เลยว่าคุณต้องพูด （หรือไม่พูด） อะไร， ประเด็นไหนต้องไล่งับ ประเด็นไหนที่ปล่อยไปได้ รวมถึงคุณจะไม่รู้ว่าคุณจำเป็นต้องเถียงกันเรื่องนี้จริงๆ รึเปล่าด้วยBo แบ่ง disagreement ออกเป็น 3 ประเภท คือ1。 fact - เห็นต่างกันในข้อเท็จจริง เพราะมีข้อมูลไม่เหมือนกัน2。 judgement - เห็นต่างกันว่า A ควรถูกนับว่าเป็น B หรือไม่3。 prescription - เห็นต่างกันว่าเราควรทำอะไรก่อนเริ่มเถียง ตอบตัวเองให้ได้ว่าเราเห็นต่างกันตรงไหนบ้างในสามข้อนี้ เรา agree fact แต่ disagree prescription หรือ agree prescription แต่ disagree fact ข้อไหนที่เห็นตรงกันอยู่แล้วก็ไม่ต้องเสียเวลาเถียงกันอีกเช่น "ช่วยกันใช้ถุงผ้าเพื่อแก้ปัญหาโลกร้อน"คุณอาจไม่เห็นด้วยกับ prescription ที่ว่าใช้ถุงผ้าเพื่อแก้ปัญหาโลกร้อน แต่ไม่ได้ปฏิเสธ fact เรื่องโลกร้อนเมื่อทั้งสองฝ่ายไม่ได้ disagree fact การโยน fact ว่าโลกร้อนอย่างเดียวจึงไม่พอ ฝ่ายโปรถุงผ้าต้องมุ่งเน้นไปที่ prescription ด้วยปัญหาคือ พอเถียงไปเถียงมาเริ่มเหม็นหน้ากัน หลายคนจะคิดว่าการเถียงให้ชนะต้องปัดตกสิ่งที่อีกฝ่ายพูดทั้งหมด และดึงดันปฏิเสธ fact ของอีกฝ่าย จนใครมองมาก็รู้สึกว่ามึงฝืนอะไรขนาดนั้นที่สุดแล้ว Bo เชื่อว่าสังคมที่ผาสุขไม่ใช่สังคมที่ไม่มีความเห็นต่าง เราไม่จำเป็นต้องเปลี่ยน disagree ให้เป็น agree เราแค่ต้องเปลี่ยน bad disagree ให้เป็น good disagree ซึ่งทำได้ผ่านการดีเบทที่ออกแบบมาอย่างดี， มี topic ชัดเจนว่ากำลังเถียงกันเรื่องอะไร， มี mod คอยดูแลไม่ให้โจมตีกันมั่วๆ ฯลฯBo ไม่เชื่อใน civil silence แต่เขายอมรับว่าเวทีดีเบทหลายๆ แห่งยังไม่พร้อมกับการถกเถียงประเด็นอ่อนไหว หลายครั้งมันเป็นแค่การให้พื้นที่คนประหลาดๆ มาพูดในสิ่งที่โหดร้ายเท่านั้น อิสรภาพในการเห็นต่างต้องมาพร้อมความรับผิดชอบที่จะทำให้ความเห็นต่างนั้นเป็นความเห็นต่างที่มีคุณภาพด้วย 。。。more

William Smith ，

For those that thrive on the stomach-turning， bittersweet agony of competitive debating， the anecdotes drive home the universal affection genuine disagreement feels like， and how much our current world is desperately deprived of it。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0