Kipfer - 4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone

4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone, Second Edition Copyright 2004, 2015 by Barbara Ann Kipfer All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the written permission of the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Random House Reference, Random House LLC, New York, NY. Published in the United States by Random House LLC, New York and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited. Random House is a registered trademark of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. This book is available for special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums.

Special editions, including personalized covers, excerpts of existing books, and corporate imprints, can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, write to Special Markets/Premium Sales, 1745 Broadway, MD 3-1, New York, NY 10019 or e-mail . Visit the Random House Web site:
www.randomhouse.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kipfer, Barbara Ann.
4,000 questions for getting to know anyone and everyone / Barbara Ann Kipfer.
p.cm.
ISBN 978-0-375-42624-7 (trade pbk. : alk. paper)
eBook ISBN: 978-0-375-42625-4
1. 2. 2.

Interpersonal communication. I. Title: Four thousand questions for getting to know anyone and everyone. II. Title.
P95.52.K56 2004
302.2dc22 2004046847 v3.1

In the Internet age, have we forgotten how to talk and really get to know each other? We interact all the time electronically but how well? 4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone was first published 10 years ago, filled with questions for conversation starters, small talk, interviews, and major discussions. I wrote this book because it was fun for me.

Back when I first started compiling questions, my son and his girlfriend used the developing manuscript when they talked on the phone. Once published, many others have found the questions to be fun and entertaining, too. You will find this 10th anniversary edition contains a new chapter to include subjects we talk about in our increasingly digital world. Even though we are still speaking the same language as before, sharing information and opinions with one another, this book helps us to do that even better than social media sites. Use this book to reclaim the lost art of conversation. 4,000 Questions for Getting to Know Anyone and Everyone is fodder for the dinner table, as an alternative to watching TV or videos, for an interesting night with your partner, for parties, for discussions with classmates or coworkers, for getting to know someone you are dating, and for making friends and developing deeper friendships.

Please do write in your answers as well as your own questions to personalize your copy of the book.

Do you like working with a tablet computer? Do you like it better than a laptop or desktop computer? Do you prefer e-mail, telephone, texting, or talking through social media? Are marijuana and alcohol equal in their effect? Should marijuana be legalized? Do you have a landline telephone in your house? If your parents used a social media site, would you still use it? If you lived in a state that legalized marijuana for recreational use, would you use it? Do you text using your thumbs? Do you buy energy-efficient lightbulbs? Would you drive a hybrid or electric car to save energy? Will you sign up for The Affordable Care Act/Obamacare or pay the penalty? If you record a television show, do you fast forward through the commercials or watch them? Do you listen to voice mail or just call the person back? Do you watch reality television? If yes, how many shows? Do you think reality television will last for a long time? Do you think reality television people should be considered stars? How many people do you follow on Twitter? Who do you followfriends/family, celebrities? Do you get your news from Twitter or other social media? Do you use Facebook or other social media? How much time each day do you spend using social media on the Internet? Do you watch videos online? For what reason(s)? Do you read books in print or electronic format? Do you like traditional sports (baseball, basketball, football, soccer) or extreme sports (BMX, Motocross, hang gliding, snowboarding) better? Do you rent DVDs or stream movies or programs online or through your television? Are you a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fan? Should magazine covers use Photoshop techniques to make models perfect? Can a person have too many tattoos? Do you think energy drinks are healthy or dangerous? Do you think climate change is a real phenomenon? Do you think people should shoulder responsibility for climate change or theres nothing we can do? Do you worry about identity theft? Do you feel safe using a credit card in a store? Online? Do you think there should be term limits for all public offices? Will political term limits make our politicians more effective? Do you believe there should be campaign finance reform? Are CEO salaries too high? Should people with mental health issues be allowed to own guns? Should leakers of government information be stopped and prosecuted? Is it constitutional for the government to spy on American citizens? Would you post a selfie online? Have you ever put something up on the Internet that you later regretted? Do you back up files on your computer and other electronic devices? Should victims of terrorism and mass shootings be compensated? Should banks be bailed out in future financial crises? Should a bank or company be too big to fail? Do you think our attention spans have increased or decreased due to technology? Do you think that things you delete from the Internet are really deleted? Have you ever participated in sexting? Would you pay more in order to use renewable-energy sources? How do you view the current drug addiction debate, that we should focus more on treatment and support or punishment and incarceration? Do you want to know if someone you are intimate with is taking Viagra or another erectile dysfunction medication? Would you take erectile dysfunction medication if you had a problem in that area? What should the consequences be for athletes using steroids? Do you read any blogs? How do you learn how to use the latest technology? Do you drink water from a tap or use bottled water? Have you ever been cyberbullied? Cyberstalked? Do you prepare your own taxes with a software program or do you go to an accountant? Are you still covered by your parents health-care insurance? Do you think that climate change is affecting the type and severity of storms we have? Would you take out a student loan to go to college? How much money is an acceptable amount for an individuals student loan debt? Would you use wearable technology? Is it important to stop other countries from developing nuclear weapons? Do you use GPS to get directions? All the time? In 2050, how do you think people will cross oceans and how long will a transatlantic trip take? If you could research and write a Wikipedia article on any topic, what would it be? How comfortable are you using technology? What are the merits of vegetarianism? Would you feel safe doing banking and stock trading over the Internet? What object would you like to have voice-activated? Have you ever Googled yourself? Have you ever Googled friends or romantic partners? Do you use social networking for personal or professional reasons? If wind farms harm some birds, do you still think they are a good form of renewable energy? If a wind farm can be seen from the beach or shore, should it still be built? Should college athletes be paid? Do you use a print dictionary or online dictionary or other online source to look up words? Do you use any print reference books? How much time do you spend each day playing video games? Do you think playing video games affects peoples behavior or social development? Do you think video game content is generally appropriate or inappropriate? Do terrorism threats ever stop you from attending a big event or going out in public places? How long should unemployment benefits last? Do you think inactivity can change the structure and functioning of the brain? Do you have cable television or just rely on the Internet for programming? Do you usually watch television shows when they are on or at a later time online or on tape? Do you usually make restaurant reservations or take your chances with getting in? How do you make restaurant reservations, by calling or reserving online? Have you ever rated a product, restaurant, service, etc. online? Are your reviews or ratings mainly positive or negative? Do you rely on online reviews before you see movies, buy a book, go to a restaurant, etc.? Do you post things online? What type of content? If you saw a celebrity or sports star in public, would you take their picture and post it online? Would you ask for an autograph? Should there be caps on Wall Street bonuses? Do you think the economic inequality gap is widening in the U.S.? What can be done to keep the gap from widening? Would you get into a driverless vehicle? Do you think driverless vehicles are the future? Do you support the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement? What would make you join a social movement like Occupy Wall Street? Do the wealthy 1% of Americans have a greater responsibility to do more to help the other 99%? Where do you get most of your news from? What is the biggest mistake you have made on a social network site? What was the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you online? Have you ever been defriended by someone on a social network site? Have you ever defriended anyone? How do you protect your privacy on the Internet? Do you primarily use a camera or phone to take photographs? What would you do if you owed more for your house than what it was worth, i.e. your mortgage was under water? If you wanted to move, would you be afraid it would be hard to sell your house? Hard to find a new house for the right price? If you got a concussion playing a sport, would you continue to play that sport? What if your child suffered a concussion? Do you know your credit score? Do you know how to find out your credit score? How do we leverage the immense power and potential of the Internet to enable learners and teachers to connect in purposeful ways and make the world a safer, saner, and more just place? Should a government be allowed to require that its citizens purchase health insurance? How many apps do you regularly use on your mobile devices? Do you mind paying for apps or do you just use free ones for your mobile devices? If you are disconnected electronically, how long would it take before you are uncomfortable? In an airport or on a train are you one of the people who is always staring at a device? Are you a person who enjoys the pauses in life that occur while traveling or waiting in line so you can meditate, think, or reflect on life? Do you monitor your kids on social media networks? Do your parents monitor you on social media networks? Have you ever texted while driving? Do you use hands-free technology in your car? Do you think that states that have made marijuana legal for recreational use will see an increase in tourism? Do you think gluten-free diets are a fad or legitimately helpful? Do you think there is a significant nutritional difference between organic food and processed food? What is your mobile phone ringtone? What do you do when someone you dont know on a social or business network site tries to become a friend or otherwise connected to you? Are you a fan or hater of vampire and wizard genre books, shows, and movies? How many telephone numbers do you have memorized? Are you a hipster? On an online dating profile, how honest would you be? How old should an athlete be before they can be recruited for a college scholarship? What was the most expensive thing you ever purchased online? What is the weirdest/strangest thing you ever took a photo of with your cell phone or camera? Do you use your computer or tablet device for educational purposes? What are five apps that you need on your cell phone? Would you invest in a company that may profit from the legalization of marijuana? What kind of earphones do you prefer? What is the age of your computer, tablet, or mobile device? Have you ever voted on the American Idol television show? How much would you pay to be a space tourist? Do you play video games at work? Do you ever use the Internet at work for non-work reasons? Do you watch any food, cooking, or restaurant television shows on TV? Can security measures ever rid the economy of theft and fraud? Do you feel matched or mismatched with your work colleagues? Are antibullying activists the saviors of the Internet or just another form of bullying? Do you think black holes exist in space? Will time travel ever exist for humans? Do you use ad-blocking on your computer? Should e-cigarettes have the same laws and bans as regular cigarettes? What is your opinion about the major information gathering conducted by government agencies and private corporations concerning the activities and habits of ordinary people? Do you worry about the data being collected by websites and search engines and what do you do to protect yourself? Is your social media profile accurate? Will robots ever replace troops on the battlefield? Will you let a robot physically assist you or monitor you as you get older? Do you read the comments sections on websites and blogs? How do you feel when people use their electronic devices in movie theaters, at concerts, in the grocery store, etc.? What do you think about the cost of textbooks? Would you/do you buy e-textbooks? Rent textbooks? Buy used? Do you look at your e-mail right before you go to bed? Do you play in any fantasy sport league? Is owning a Taser gun a good form of protection? Have you ever been Tasered or Tasered someone? Should medication be given to children with a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD? Does the use of tenure help or hurt the education system? What items are a good idea to purchase at a dollar store business? Are you into scrapbooking? Do you use coupons? What type of credit card rewards program do you use? While watching sports on TV do you have the volume on or off? Do you like your drivers license photograph? Would you like to be on a jury or try to get out of it? What talk show would you most like to be a guest on? Do you think an asteroid will wipe out Earth some day? If you were in prison for a long term and had an opportunity to escape, would you? Have you ever participated in a class-action lawsuit? What is the weirdest thing your pet does? Do you fill out a bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament? How many teams should be included in a college football playoff to determine the number one ranked team? Is it a good idea to have the Super Bowl held in an outdoor stadium? Shouldnt the Super Bowl be on a Saturday or the Sunday of a three-day weekend? Do you watch professional sport draft coverage on TV or online? Do you have anything stored in a self-storage facility? Do you watch professional All-Star sporting events? Have you ever been on a meditation retreat, attended a meditation course, or gone on a yoga retreat? Do you consider experiences a luxury good? Did any of your childhood friends become famous? Did you like and get along with your freshman college roommate? If animals could talk, would you be able to understand them? If I had bought shares of _____ when I first thought about it, I would be rich now. How frequently do you shop at bulk/club stores? What do you tend to do with old clothes that either dont fit or that you dont want anymore? Do you think todays youth have it easier or tougher than you did? If you were stranded 300 miles from home do you know someone who would come get you? At a restaurant, if service is good, what percentage do you usually leave for a tip? What if service is bad? Will life on another planet be discovered in your lifetime? Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Should drivers under 25 be allowed to rent cars? What did you do on your college winter and summer breaks? Who do you think was/is the best Tonight Show host? Do you think professional wrestling is real? Do you take a daily vitamin? Do you think taking a daily vitamin is helpful, does nothing, is harmful? Do you like to talk about your problems or escape them? Do you need other people in order to feel happy or can you make yourself happy? Would you move for a job? How much do you spend on coffee per day? How much should you spend on coffee per day? When we die, do we know that we have died? Would you try alternative forms of medicine and treatment in a life-or-death situation? In a nonlife-or-death situation? What quotes do you use often? What is your favorite quotation? Do you prefer the Winter Olympics or the Summer Olympics? Do you wash the dishes by hand or in a dishwasher? Do you prefer wood floors, carpeting, or tile? What was your best idea? What business or company do you despise the most? Where is your favorite place to people-watch? Would you like to visit Antarctica? Do you follow how the stock market is doing? What position would you want to play in football? Baseball? Basketball? How do we move away from the pursuit of the right answer to the capacity to generate profound questions? How do you usually keep track of your place while reading a print book? Where do you get your recipes? How many hands do you keep on the steering wheel when driving a car? Do you think artificial sweeteners are safe or dangerous, healthy or unhealthy? Do you think diet soda is healthy or unhealthy for you to drink? If someone pleads the Fifth Amendment (protects individuals from being forced to incriminate themselves), are they guilty in your eyes? Do you watch the Super Bowl for the game or the commercials? Should the U.S. tax code become simplified? How would you describe your choice of jeans? Do you find it easy to do more than one thing at once? What usually causes you to give up on a new diet or food regime? A new exercise regime? What is roughing it to you? Can you see yourself driving across the country in an RV? Are you a hoarder, compulsive discarder, or somewhere in between? Do you work out or exercise in silence or with sound (music or TV)? How much would you spend at the veterinarian to keep your pet alive? What is the number one thing to do on your bucket list? When you are studying using a printed textbook, do you highlight the important parts? Do you think people are more or less creative when they are high or drunk? Did you ever pretend that you were from somewhere else? That you did something else for a living? Would you ever steal an exam in order to pass it or get a good grade? Did you ever go out on a date with someone because you felt guilty saying no? If you had a criminal past, when you met someone new, would you hide it or share it? Should there be an age limit for trick-or-treating? Should school buses have seat belts? How many times do you go out for dinner per week? Do you believe that fracking is an environmentally safe or unsafe way to get natural gas? Do you think that oil and natural gas should be transported through a pipeline or on rail and trucks? Do you watch political debates on TV? The Presidents State of the Union address? If you went on a cruise ship, would you be worried about contracting an illness? Has a self-help book ever helped you? Are you the parent of a boomerang child who has returned home as a young adult? Are or were you a boomerang child? Are you a good speller? Do you pay to check in luggage/baggage on a flight or do you make sure you always use a carryon? How do you sneeze and protect others from your sneeze? What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Is there an extinct Girl Scout or other brand of cookie that you wish would be brought back? Does your choice of car reflect something about your personality? What is your preferred form of birth control? Do you think that sleeping in separate beds can improve a marriage? Do you know what your cholesterol numbers are? Who was your favorite guest host on Saturday Night Live? Do you get an annual flu shot? Do you like microbrewery beers or large brewer beers? Would you ever invest in a company through a crowdfunding platform? Do you recycle batteries? Do you regularly sell items online? Have you ever sold anything online? Is Web journalism a bubble or lasting business? Is the Human Genome project a good or bad idea? In square feet, what is the smallest house size you would be comfortable in? The largest house size you would be comfortable in? Would you feel comfortable having a boss younger than you? Have you ever purchased an As Seen on TV item? What do you think of stem cell research or the use of stem cells in medicine? Do you support or oppose legislation on background checks before a gun purchase? Do you use an umbrella when it rains? Do you need silence or some type of white noise in order to sleep well? Do you know anyone with an Autism Spectrum Disorder? Do you have the personality and patience to work with special needs children? Do you eat protein bars? Why or why not? Do you prefer to watch movies at home or at a theater? How long before your flight do you arrive at the airport? Why is soccer more popular in the rest of the world than it is in the U.S.? Do you know how to perform the Heimlich maneuver? Have you ever performed the Heimlich maneuver on anyone? During a coin toss, do you usually call heads or tails? Would you like to take an ancestry genetic DNA test? Do you choose plastic or paper bags when you are grocery shopping? Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe ghosts exist? Do you own any domain names? Do you believe in the principles of feng shui? How many remote controls do you have for your main TV? What is your favorite Super Bowl food? What is the perfect Super Bowl menu?