About the Author

Since establishing Independent Thinking 25 years ago, Ian Gilbert has made a name for himself across the world as a highly original writer, editor, speaker, practitioner and thinker and is someone who the IB World magazine has referred to as one of the world's leading educational visionaries.The author of several books, and the editor of many more, Ian is known by thousands of teachers and young people across the world for his award-winning Thunks books. Thunks grew out of Ian's work with Philosophy for Children (P4C), and are beguiling yet deceptively powerful little philosophical questions that he has created to make children's - as well as their teachers' - brains hurt.Ian's growing collection of bestselling books has a more serious side too, without ever losing sight of his trademark wit and straight-talking style. The Little Book of Bereavement for Schools, born from personal family experience, is finding a home in schools across the world, and The Working Class - a massive collaborative effort he instigated and edited - is making a genuine difference to the lives of young people from some of the poorest backgrounds.A unique writer and editor, there is no other voice like Ian Gilbert's in education today.

Reviews

A fabulously entertaining book. The Compleat Thunks Book reignites a sense of curiosity and wonder you'd forgotten you had. Whether you read it alone or read it with friends, these Thunks will unleash your inner awhy?' and make you think.Graham Brown-Martin, author and broadcaster

I love the design, thoughtfulness and impact of these questions.Thunks make you think and often smile a which is a healthy combination for the reader and those on the receiving end of a great question. The variety of questions stimulate the mind and are a great mental workout that should be prescribed daily, or even before every meal.I wholeheartedly recommend The Compleat Thunks Book for school-age philosophers and any adult who is looking for a great mind-stretch.Andy Gilbert, thinking engineer and developer of the Go MAD Thinking system

I really enjoyed reading The Compleat Thunks Book and posing lots of interesting questions to my family members which instigated lots of debate and creative thinking too! The concept of the approach is extremely interesting.Carrie Kirby, Senior lecturer, Oxford Brookes University

If a major educational illness is dry and arid rote learning, then Thunks are a superb antidote. They encourage true independent thinking.I have used many of Ian's Thunks with my own sons a usually at their request a and the laughter and debate they have created remains a beautiful memory of their childhood.Ben Walden, Director, Contender Charlie

Imagine a world where success isn't getting the answer right, but rather being brave enough to take on the question a allowing a little grapple to develop into a full-on wrestling match before pausing only to laugh out loud at yourself and subsequently find new ground. That's The Compleat Thunks Book. It allows, no, actively encourages you to change your mind in the middle of making a point! It's perfect for getting people off automatic using gentle poking.Jaz Ampaw-Farr, Director, Why First Ltd, speaker and The Apprentice candidate

Is Ian Gilbert saner than he ought to be? Is his collection of madness liable to make us all more level-headed? Can he see what was never there in the first place?The Compleat Thunks Book might well tell the reader more about themselves than they already knew. I certainly recommend it.Johnny Ball, TV presenter and science enthusiast

Surprising, provocative and thoroughly entertaining, this is a book filled with 628 thunks. A thunk is quite simply a question that not only makes you think, it has the potential to alter your thoughts. You can read the thunks on your own and have a good old ponder, or read them in company to stimulate conversation, you can simply answer yes or no, or spend a considerable while debating your thoughts. Author Ian Gilbert is described as one of the UK's leading educational innovators, and the thunks certainly suggest a unique mind. Stimulating and clever, The Compleat Thunks Book is a different, imaginative way to spark thought and conversation.Click here to read the review on Love Reading''s website.Love Reading

This book is about developing wisdom. The reader is required to pause, think and analyse their thoughts before coming to a conclusion a a skill that will be essential for success in the modern world, where we are inundated with false information.Floyd Woodrow, author of Elite! and The Warrior, the Strategist and You