ɡɹˈeɪt bˈʊks dɪskˈʌʃənz jˈuːs ɐ dɪstˈɪŋktɪv dɪskˈʌʃən mˈɛθəd kˈɔːld "ʃˈɛɹd ˈɪŋkwɚɹi", ɪnwˌɪtʃ ðə lˈiːdɚ stˈɑːɹts wɪð ɐn ˈoʊpənˈɛndᵻd kwˈɛstʃən ɐbˌaʊt ðə mˈiːnɪŋ əvə sᵻlˈɛkʃən ænd ðˈɛn ˈæsks fˈɑːloʊˌʌp kwˈɛstʃənz tə hˈɛlp pɑːɹtˈɪsɪpənts dɪvˈɛləp ðɛɹ aɪdˈiəz.
Great Books discussions use a distinctive discussion method called "Shared Inquiry", in which the leader starts with an open-ended question about the meaning of a selection and then asks follow-up questions to help participants develop their ideas.