“Death of Why” written by a Brooklynite

Brooklyn–born Andrea Batista Schlesinger gave a compelling lecture that can be seen on C-Span’s website about her new book, The Death of Why?. I haven’t read it yet, but the book raises the issue that people no longer ask questions — questions that upon finding out the answers, the world changes for the better.

The books’ subtitle is: “The Decline of Questioning and the Future of Democracy”. Hmm, does complacency of the people lead to the decline of a country?

Well, as inopportune a child's question can be at times, I've made a point of encouraging them to ask questions and always answering when my kids have asked "why?"… unless they're asking for the umpteenth time why they have to wash dishes. (Guess I have no patience for laziness veiled as a repeated question already answered.)

On leave from the Drum Major Institute (a think tank established in 1961 by Harry Wachtel, an adviser to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), Schlesinger is presently a policy adviser to Mayor Bloomberg’s campaign. Whether you approve of the campaign or not, The Death of Why? really sounds great and… well… raises questions!