Eternal Questions: A Maybe Interesting List

Eternal Questions: A Maybe Interesting List by Iwanna Twainbee had me questioning things I had never even considered. The book is made up entirely of questions, from simple, surface-level topics, to deep thought-provoking queries. The novel states at the beginning to “Discuss with friends and loved ones!” as well as to “Resist Google!” and I could not agree more. This book would be very enjoyable to peruse with a partner, as any question you pick would be a great conversation starter.

As stated previously, this book is composed of many light questions, which can provoke an enjoyable conversation between you and a companion, or just as personal food for thought. One of my favorite questions of these was, “What percentage of us, in all honesty, prefers a plate of quinoa over a plate of buttery mashed potatoes?” I love Twainbee’s creativity and spunk with questions like these, as you can see her personality come to life. Another one of the lighter questions I enjoyed asked, “Would incessant petting make a dog bored?” As the owner of a very energetic golden retriever, I think the answer would be yes!

However, this book does contain a large number of deeper questions, which would work as great prompts to start a more serious conversation with a partner. These questions touch on a wide variety of topics, from religion, politics, history, human behavior, life’s purpose, and so much more. One of my favorites of these questions was, “How much weight should we give tradition?” In a society where technology has taken over within the past decade, I think this question is very relevant and necessary. Another question I liked asked, “How do we know whether and if so when to forgive a friend or loved one who has betrayed us?” Truly a timeless dilemma, this question poses relevance to all readers and could be the starter of a fruitful conversation.

Although I found a good amount of Twainbee’s questions to be insightful or humorous, I thought some of the questions were not necessarily debatable. I would have preferred a shorter novel with all questions of the best quality. I also really wish the book had been organized into categories. For example, it would have been nice to have a chapter of just questions on specifically politics, another on religion, another with animal questions, etc. As a reader, I think it can be challenging to mentally shift gears, switching from topic to topic so rapidly; I would have preferred a more concise organization.