“There are entire worlds inside people, waiting for the right question,” said Scott Simon, Founder of the Scare Your Soul courage movement and co-author of The Book of Questions: Courage, the sequel to Dr. Gregory Stock’s 1987 classic The Book of Questions.
Simon recently opened an interactive session with Open Doors Academy staff by asking them to reflect. “Think of a time when one of your scholars did something that was brave for them and inspired you.”
Staff began sharing stories with each other—stories of quiet courage, unexpected growth, and moments that reminded them why they do their work. One question had changed the conversation.
“Courage is not a personality trait,” said Simon. “It's a practice.”
“Something powerful happens when one person asks a real question and another person answers honestly. Walls come down. Trust builds at remarkable speed. People who have worked side by side for years discover each other for the first time.”
Simon’s relationship with Open Doors Academy has grown over the past year. After attending ODA’s Annual Benefit Clambake last fall, he returned this summer to lead the staff experience. Along the way, he decided to donate copies of The Book of Questions: Courage for ODA staff and families, believing the conversations it inspires belong in the organization’s work.
“Of every nonprofit in Cleveland, this just felt like the place where these books should go,” he said. “I could see them in the hands of scholars and their families... putting down their phones, talking, laughing, and really connecting.”
The origins of Simon’s new book are personal. As a teenager, Simon’s family kept the original Book of Questions close at hand, using it to spark conversations that shaped the way he learned to listen, express himself, and understand others. Four decades later, an unexpected meeting with the book's original author led to a new collaboration focused on one theme Simon has spent years exploring: courage.
On Tuesday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m. community members will have the opportunity to experience those questions for themselves when Simon and Stock officially launch The Book of Questions: Courage at Cuyahoga County Public Library's Parma-Snow Branch. The evening will feature a conversation with the authors, moderated by Regina Brett, along with opportunities to learn more about the ideas that inspired the book.
If you’ve ever wondered what one thoughtful question can uncover, this is a conversation worth joining.
Register for this free event here at the Cuyahoga County Library site. VIP options included:
