What The Hell Are They Thinking?: The 100 debates that govern your life, written in a way that tells both sides of every story. Paperback – September 12, 2021

A burst of knowledgeI came to realize that this is not a book you read once, or even cover to cover. Rather, it is one of those books that you pick up, choose a topic within it that feels interesting, dive in, and take it from there.Although the political discussions initially drew me in, I found myself most enjoying those debates dealing with living. The universal themes of happiness, death, parenting, etc. are covered in a way that allowed me to get some distance and to reconsider my automatic assumptions about them.I don’t know if “fun read” applies to all debates in this book, but they are definitely an interesting and mind-opening read.

I thought this was going to be a “SparkNotes for debates” kind of book with many debate classics. (I used to be heavily into debating in college.) However, after reading it, I feel that the book's choices of arguments and style of writing make it accessible to a much wider audience.It’s entertaining and does a great job of providing a thought-provoking intro to various subjects. I was surprised to see the parenting section and some of the entertainment stuff but ended up gulping down everything. It was a real treat for the mind!

What the Hell Were They Thinking by Daniel Ravner is a refreshing and intriguing book. The title was enough to catch my attention but the synopsis pulled me in for the long haul. I have always been deeply fascinated how people form such ironclad, immovable opinions about various things and why they absolutely cannot see another perspective. I can think of many people that would benefit from reading Ravner’s book. In these pages you’ll find 100 widely debated topics surrounding everyone’s favorite points of contention: health, religion, politics, sports, and pop culture. As I read the Preface, I knew this book was going to be exactly what I wanted it to be. Ravner captured my undivided attention when he wrote of the Us versus Them mentality, and how the world is a vastly different place now from when he was a child. Why can’t people understand that things are not simply black and white, but varying shades of gray? These are thoughts I myself have had a lot as I get older. Ravner says “If I ever wanted to get people to see things the way I do, I would have to take a risk. I would have to truly open myself up to try and see things the way ‘the other side’ sees them.” That statement alone opened my mind fully to this book, because the author is right when he says it’s just the smart thing to do.The book is easy to read, and allows the reader (much like a choose your own adventure book) to choose which debate to focus on in each sitting. What are you feeling today? Each debate is succinct and straightforward. There are not pages and pages of dialogue to digest. This leaves room for interpretation and supports Ravner’s notion that the debate is about opening minds, not changing them. I found myself mentally choosing debates to share with my kids because I thought this is a great way to start conversations with them about these controversial topics and teach them to formulate their own opinions instead of simply jumping on a bandwagon after reading one person’s post on social media. I was very interested, when reading some of the debates, to see if my own feelings or opinions on the topic were presented in the chosen sides of the debate. Overall, I found the book to be compelling, well written, and a breath of fresh air. I would recommend What the Hell Were They Thinking to parents wanting to talk to their kids, to teachers, to those who simply love a good debate, and especially to those who don’t think there is any room for debate. Well done, Daniel Ravner.

I love this book for so many reasons! I love that it can intelligently conduct a brief debate without interruption. The intriguing part is that you may disagree with a side, but you can’t wait to continue reading the perspective. I enjoy that there is no blatant hate or purely subjective matter throughout. The author is clear and concise and includes excerpts from previous written debates. Referenced facts are found throughout. I love that this book encourages the reader to look for the facts and to look at reputable sources for accurate and non misleading information. This book has much more than just political topics that are debated. I encourage you to pick up a copy and move through the book however you choose. The author has it set up by topic which makes it super versatile. If you like a good debate or prefer to steer clear, this book is for you. You can read both sides without the drama that a debate creates and you may even gain some more knowledge.

I found this book to be quite interesting. Although some of the chapters weren’t something I was looking to get into, there were a few that I found entertaining and thought-provoking.For example, the living chapter and the entertainment chapter are both fantastic ones that can be used in more than just debates. I think if you take the time to read them you can find useful ways to start conversations with people in social settings. Perhaps to even spark your own creativity and thought-provoking moments. I love the idea of sparking up a conversation with my die-hard Harry Potter fanatic friends who have strong opinions on the book vs. movies debate. It’s a fun way to engage and give opinions.Whether you are drawn to the various topics in each chapter or not, it’s a really engaging book. It’s a fantastic way to expand your knowledge and increase your thought process overall. It’s a book I’ll come to over and over. Fantastic read!

I got the book without expectations, and was still dissapointed.The "debates" are so short and lacking in so many important facts, which makes it pretty much useless for whoever wants to know about the various subjects.