A Curious Mind (35 page)

military:

curiosity and,
54

miscommunication,
112
–13

Moonves, Leslie,
125
–26,
203
,
204
,
205
,
206

Mossad agents,
49

motivation:

curiosity for self-,
132
,
174

and making connections,
142

movie business.
See
entertainment business

movie production executive:

Grazer's meeting with,
134
–36

See also:
specific person

movie theaters:

lines at,
108
,
218

Murase, Tsuzo,
128

music:

of Brown,
137
–39

Eminem-Grazer conversation about,
48

and good taste,
179
–80

hip-hop,
47
–48,
168
,
180

Jackson-Grazer conversation about,
214
–15

See also:
specific artist

My Girl
(movie),
213

Nabokov, Vladimir,
39

Nardino, Gary,
29
–30

Nasar, Sylvia:

A Beautiful Mind
by,
163
,
164

Nash, Alicia,
164
,
165

Nash, John,
45
,
148
,
163
–66

See also:
A Beautiful Mind

National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA). See
Apollo 13
(movie)

National Public Radio (NPR),
79
,
80
,
280

“natural” curiosity,
116

NBC,
29

New York Times
:

Night Shift
based on story from,
102
,
281

The New Yorker
:

Grazer as “cultural attaché” story in,
23

Newton, Isaac,
193

Nicholson, Jack,
165

Night Shift
(movie),
31
,
45
,
77
,
102
,
103
,
108

Nixon, Richard,
45
,
177

See also: Frost/Nixon
(movie)

“no”:

and anti-curiosity,
170
–71,
172
–73

and asking questions,
116

to Dr. Seuss story,
113

fear and,
116

to Grazer,
101
,
102
,
103
–5,
106
–7,
114

Grazer saying,
178

in Hollywood/entertainment business,
33
,
61
,
101
–2,
169

as inside your head,
114
,
116
,
118

persistence and,
109
,
114
,
118

reactions to,
101
–2

Splash
and,
103
–5,
106
–7,
109

ways to beat,
102
,
114
,
116
–18

Noah
(movie),
78
,
280

Obama, Barack,
13
,
207
,
209
–11,
212

obstacles, Grazer's views about overcoming,
167
–69

open-ended questions,
139
–40,
198
–99,
261

openness,
181
–85,
198
–99,
200

opinions,
177
–78,
179
,
180

optimism,
172

others:

curiosity on behalf of,
162
–66

See also:
point of view; relationships

Out of Africa
(movie),
157

Ovitz, Michael,
121

Page, Larry,
146

painful topics:

and when not to be anti-curious,
175

Paley, William,
204

The Paper
(movie),
128

Paramount Studios:

Grazer as producer at,
28
–31

Parenthood
(movie),
31
,
45
,
128
,
213

Parker, Dorothy,
1
,
273

parochialism,
44
–45

passion,
172
,
173
,
180

Penn, Sean,
93

persistence,
108
–9,
114
,
118

perspective of others.
See
point of view

physics:

Grazer's interest in,
89
–90

Picker, David,
21

Pink Flamingos
(movie),
174

Pinochet, Augusto,
70
,
71
,
72

Places in the Heart
(movie),
107
–8

point of view:

curiosity about others,
53
–67

and disruptions to your own point of view,
53
–67

storytelling and,
35
,
45
–46

Police Department, Los Angeles (LAPD),
39
–40,
41
,
46

polio,
153
–54

political campaigns:

“opposition research” in,
59

Pollack, Sydney,
157

Pop, Iggy,
174

power, curiosity and,
11
,
13
,
15
,
40
,
125
,
195
–96

Presley, Elvis,
217

Price, Jeff,
111

Proctor & Gamble,
57
,
58
,
59

producers:

as “boss,”
141

collective persona of Hollywood,
120

job of,
102
,
111
–12

progress, human,
83
–84

Public Enemy,
48

public sphere:

curiosity in,
15
,
183
–85,
195
–96

questions:

and admitting ignorance,
118
,
123

answers as point of,
152

and asking questions of boss,
150

atmosphere around,
152

benefits of using,
144
–45

in classrooms,
14

complex,
160

creativity and,
37
,
55

culture of,
148
–49,
150
–52

for curiosity conversations,
46
,
261
,
263
,
264
,
265

as dangerous,
11
–13

disadvantages of asking,
149

and familiarity as enemy of curiosity,
158
,
159

fear of asking,
114
,
115
,
151

freedom to ask,
15

of Grazer as child,
3

Grazer's management style and,
28
,
32
–33,
134
–37

about
Grinch
movie,
111

and Howard's curiosity,
32

as impertinence,
196

importance of asking,
33
,
63
,
109
,
116
,
148
–49,
193

as instinctive,
32

as intrinsic to curiosity,
10
–11

and making the case,
139
–40

as management tool,
134
–37,
144
–53,
161

open-ended,
139
–40,
198
–99,
261

and paying attention to answers,
9

preparing,
261

purpose of,
62
,
111
–12,
114
–15,
116
,
137
,
149
–50,
152

reality and,
78

and relationships,
158
–60

stories and,
35
,
37
,
137

teaching people to ask good,
63

underappreciation of,
151

unwelcome,
14

as urgent and trivial,
7
–8

values and,
144

Walton's,
56

as way to uncover ideas,
147
–48,
149

in workplace,
134
–37,
144
–52,
161
,
193

See also:
answers to questions

radio:

“driveway moments” and,
79
,
80
,
280

reading:

Grazer and,
84
–87,
162
,
188

Reagan, Ronald,
25
,
64

real estate agents:

curiosity of,
94

reality:

curiosity as connection to,
76
–79,
118

Reitman, Ivan:

Bronfman's call to,
128

rejection.
See
“no”

relationships:

and benefits of curiosity,
182

Oprah-Grazer conversation about,
225

and purpose of curiosity,
162

respect in,
160
,
161

role of curiosity in,
7
,
158
–60,
189
,
192

surprise in,
160
,
161

See also:
connections; specific relationship

religion,
197
,
285
–86

Renaissance:

curiosity before the,
194
–95

research and development:

curiosity and,
55
,
56
–57

resilience:

De Negri's story of human,
72
–76

respect:

and culture of curiosity,
193

and curiosity conversations,
260
–61,
263

genuine curiosity requires,
160

importance of,
63
,
198

management style and,
145

in relationships,
160
,
161

Rice, Condoleezza “Condi,”
92
–93

Ritz-Carlton Hotel (New York City):

Asimov-Grazer conversation at,
97
–100

Roedy, Bill,
125
–26,
202

Rolling Stones,
138
,
179

Ronstadt, Linda,
157

Ross, Herbert,
106
,
107

routine,
55
–56

Royal Premieres, British,
226
–29

Royalton Hotel (New York City):

Mailer-Grazer conversation at,
222
–23

rules:

for Hollywood/entertainment business,
122

for mermaid story,
105
–6

Ruscha, Ed,
216

Rush
(movie),
172

Sagan, Carl,
23
,
106
,
167
,
183
,
284

Salk, Jonas,
24
,
25
,
50
,
106
,
153
,
154
–57

sampler, Grazer's:

of curiosity conversations,
201
–29

Scherick, Edgar,
26

Scheuer, Michael,
49
,
277

schizophrenia:

and making of
A Beautiful Mind,
163
–66

Schwartz, Sonia (Grazer's grandmother),
3
,
84
–85,
188

scientific curiosity,
194
–95

Seagram Company,
128
,
131

Seaman, Peter,
111

secrets:

and purpose of curiosity conversations,
66

September 11, 2001,
48

Seuss, Dr.,
45
,
110
–12,
113
–14

See also:
Geisel, Theodor

Shadyac, Tom,
110

Sheppard, Sam,
26

The Shining
(movie),
165

Simmons, Russell,
48

sin: curiosity as a,
195

skepticism,
167
,
170
,
183
,
184

Sky, why it is blue,
274
–75

Slick Rick,
48

Slim, Carlos,
25
,
276

speeches:

fear of giving,
114
–16

of Grazer,
114
–16

of Obama,
209
,
211

Spielberg, Steven,
108
,
128
,
178

Splash
(movie),
6
,
31
,
35
,
36
,
97
,
102
–8,
109
,
137
,
155
,
218

sports:

curiosity and,
54
,
59

See also:
baseball

Sports Night
(TV show),
77

standardized testing,
14

Stanford University:

creativity and innovation experts at,
60

Star Wars
(movie),
157

“Star Wars” program,
25
,
64
,
65

Stein, Jules,
5

Stephens, James,
97
,
123
,
280
–81

Sting,
71
,
74

stories and storytelling: