The Books That Taught a Harvard Debate Champion How to Argue

The Atlantic| Bo Seo

Harvard alum (AB ‘17, HLS ‘24) and former Harvard debate team coach explains that "through reading, I learned that disagreement can be a source of good, not ill, even in our polarized age.” He recommends 10 books to help us better understand our own ideas, opposing ideas, and advocate for our positions. The larger message is one that supports debate as part of a healthy democracy.

“For 15 years, I debated. I won two world championships and coached the Australian and Harvard teams. In that time, I almost always carried a book, taking from it new ideas and inflections of voice, anything to give me an edge…[but] Nowadays, disagreement is out of fashion. It is seen as the root of our personal and political troubles.”

“I believe that arguments can be a source of good, and not ill, in our polarized age. Here are the books that show me why—and how.”

Read the Article and Book Summaries

Bo Seo is the author of Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard.