The subtitle of the book is What the art of debating can teach us about listening better and disagreeing well. The author is Australia’s two-time world debating champion, and the book will certainly teach you a lot about how debating works, and how it compares with the kinds of disagreements we have in everyday life. However, the book is also a memoir of a young South Korean immigrant as he adjusts to Australian school life, and then university at Harvard, as well as some time in a university in China. For me, the story about the author’s relationship with debating, his friends, his parents and the different countries he has lived in was fascinating in itself. It provides context and colour around the more theoretical content about forms of argument and debate. However, the two are intrinsically intertwined. We learn along with the author as we follow his story. For me, this book has everything – great quality content and an engaging story. It’s a must read!
