Just ask

The secret of persuasion is not stating facts but asking questions. It's not an original idea, to be sure, but Trey Gowdy makes the most of it in his persuasive book Doesn't Hurt to Ask (2020).

Gowdy is both a former prosecutor and a former member of Congress, and he uses his experience in both arenas to good advantage here. Being a husband and a father has also given him valuable experience in the art of asking persuasive questions.

He admits that in Congress it is virtually impossible to convince anyone of anything. Members of Congress, he says, have already made up their minds, their decisions having more to do with politics than truth. Virtually all congressional investigations are a waste of time, he believes. He gives plenty of examples

He favors the courtroom, where reaching decisions based on truth is the clear objective each time and where the jury at least pretends to be objective. In both cases, however, as well as in his personal life, he favors questions as the best way to make one's case and, if possible, change someone's mind. He calls it the "quizzical approach to life."

He explains how to use another person's careless or overly broad words against them. He explains how effective it can be to repeat the same question or variations on the same question. He argues that "why?" may be the most powerful question of all.

Gowdy tosses in many personal stories, mixed with good humor, to keep his book readable and entertaining.

The author says that as a prosecutor he never once asked a jury for a conviction and as a politician never once asked anyone for their votes. He simply asked a lot of questions and won both convictions and votes.