[Note: I received a free copy of this product in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.]

Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said that good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.

And it’s hard to deny that. Whether it’s a late night chat with friends, a conversation over drinks with a colleague or a loved one, or a spirited debate at a cocktail party, engrossing discussion is good for the soul, good for the mind, and good for the ego, whether people agree with you or not.

Sometimes these conversations emerge organically, and other times, someone asks a question that prompts discussion, debate, disagreement, understanding, or some combination of all.

Well, if you’re looking to spark a conversation, THINK. Conversation Cards are an excellent place to start.

Each of the 120 high-quality cards in the THINK. deck poses a question in one of eight headline categories. It could be about faith, technology, morality, public service, or our role in society / the world at large.

For example: What should a society reward more: effort, skill, risk, or results?

And as the discussion unfolds, you can flip the card over and delve into the topic with several follow-up questions. They might ask you to go deeper into your own beliefs, or to ponder a specific scenario related to the main question, or pose a tangential hypothetical.

But each card is carefully crafted to ask difficult questions without judgment, and encourage everyone at the table to share their thoughts and consider the words and opinions of others.

(Obviously some cards will lead to more agreement than others, but most are worded in a way that at least encourages some debate, even if most people will end up agreeing.)

Some of the best social games — Superfight, Cult Following, Secret Hitler — involve passionate discussion and challenging strongly-felt opinions as part of a winning or losing strategy. THINK. bypasses the gameplay aspect entirely, focusing on discussion.

It’s obviously not appropriate for every get-together (I’ll probably leave it at home come Thanksgiving, heh), but I am looking forward to my next chance to pull out the deck and have a thoughtful exchange of ideas with friends.

[THINK. is available for $29.99 at thinkconversationcards.com. There’s no age listing, but I wouldn’t play with kids, given some of the challenging topics. It lists 2-6 players, but the more the merrier, I say.]