Book of Answers

Hold a question in mind, tap the book and read the answer on the page.

Think of a yes-or-no question, then open the book.

?Book of Answers

How the Book of Answers works

The idea comes from a classic party game: hold a question in mind, open a book at a random page and take the first line as the reply. This online version holds about 150 short answers, written for this site. A mix of yes, no, wait and practical nudges keeps the replies varied, and the same answer never comes up twice in a row.

Each answer is picked with the browser's cryptographic random number generator, so every page has the same chance. Everything runs in the browser, and the question stays private because the book never asks to see the question.

Getting the most out of the book

Short, specific questions work best, for example whether to take the earlier train, rather than a broad question about the year ahead. The answer works best as a prompt for thinking. A reply such as "Sleep on the question" or "Ask a friend first" often points at the part of a decision still unresolved. For serious matters, the book works as a conversation starter, and advice from someone qualified comes first.