Name: One Last Question Before You Go
Author: Kyle Thiermann

About the Book

How well do you know your parents? Really. Kyle Thiermann’s dad once bought a hot-air balloon off a hitchhiker. His mom and stepdad are trying to spread a conspiracy theory. Now, with his first book, Kyle wanders the American West—through rich redwood forests, seedy surf culture, and a 1997 RV with teal carpet interior—to probe how asking the right questions can change a relationship. Blending witty narrative with practical advice and twenty-seven bold questions, the popular podcast host and pro big wave surfer shows that interviewing our parents can create way more than digital family heirlooms. It can reframe the way we see each other. One Last Question Before You Go is part story, part strategy—and entirely unexpected.

Praise

“This book is a gentle wake-up call-an invitation to have the conversations we'll one day wish we'd started sooner. Insightful, heartfelt, and wild, it shows that interviewing your parents isn't just about recording their stories-it's about discovering your own.”

— Rich Roll, podcast host and bestselling author of Finding Ultra.

“The best book about how and why to interview your parents? Yes. But I was not expecting his own stories to be so fascinating, too. Couldn't stop reading, start-to-finish.”

— Derek Sivers, author of Anything You Want.

“Over the years, my kids would occasionally ask me what superpower I would choose if I could pick one. Knowing what people secretly thought was often at the top of the list. When Kyle chose our family as the backdrop for this book, I inadvertently got my wish. I had no idea how hard, funny, and valuable it would be.”

— Kimberly, Kyle's mom.

About Kyle Thiermann

An award-winning journalist, pro big wave surfer, and podcast host with more than four hundred episodes, Kyle Thiermann is curiosity in motion. His podcast guests include longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia, 3x Surfing World Champion Mick Fanning, and his own dad-where the idea for this book began. Kyle has written for Outside, SURFER, and Discovery Channel, covering indigenous conflicts in Chile and exposing how Hawaii's wild pigs are killing coral. A cultural provocateur at heart, Kyle has spearheaded national advertising campaigns for cult brands including MUD\WTR, Yeti, and Patagonia, crafting billboards above LAX and viral commercials seen by more than one hundred million people. Earlier, Kyle tried stand-up comedy before realizing that 9:00 p.m. is past his bedtime. At least, that's the story he tells himself.