Interviewing is more complex than just asking questions. A successful interview involves multiple skills, including active listening, commitment to a line of questions, and the ability to adapt to whatever unfolds throughout the process. Paul McLaughlin has spent decades studying the art of the interview as a working journalist, interviewing coach, and educator. Using personal examples and anecdotes involving other journalists, this comprehensive handbook offers easy-to-read, practical tips for professional questioners in any field - whether in the newsroom, the boardroom, or a podcast studio. Asking the Best Questions offers insights for every step of the process: researching and securing an interview, building trust and rapport, developing empathy, overcoming your fears, and creating strategies to navigate conversations about complex and traumatic issues. Along the way, McLaughlin shows you how to deal with difficult guests, intimidating topics and unexpected twists and turns. McLaughlin shares the invaluable tools he carries with him into every interview. And he answers the question everyone wants to know: what to do when the interview doesn't go as planned?