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Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step
The seminal book that introduced a new way of reasoning and decision making. "Dr. de Bono does not claim to be able to turn us all into Miltons, Da Vincis, and Einsteins. . . . The Muse never appears to most of us--hence the value of this book."-- "Times Educational Supplement" "Dr. de Bono does not claim to be able to turn us all into Miltons, Da Vincis, and Einsteins . ....more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 29th 1973
by Harper Perennial
(first published January 1st 1970)
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To me, the crux of this book might be summed up in an epigram that appears in the book. I don't remember it exactly, but the basic premise is that logic can dig a very deep hole--but you won't strike water until you use lateral thinking to decide where to PUT the hole.
It reminds me of my experiences with school systems that encourage rote learning. When I first went to such a school, I was extremely impressed by how quickly and thoroughly most of the students were able to memorize things. I've a...more
It reminds me of my experiences with school systems that encourage rote learning. When I first went to such a school, I was extremely impressed by how quickly and thoroughly most of the students were able to memorize things. I've a...more
Best book on exploring the way we think. Very usefull in making one conscious of the thinking patterns followed and how to brake away from a stalled thinking pattern to see a problem different and to come up with possible solutions.
The book is really written using Lateral Thinking. The things explained to explain Lateral Thinking are from so many different things that your mind swings here and there often which gives you headache. Change is painful and to think out of the box is also very tough. Bringing things that are not relevant to the context to think innovative needs practice and Edward De Bono has explained it so well that anybody who reads the book will change the way they think when it's time to think of something...more
I've always wanted to improve my lateral thinking skills. I guess some childish part of me was hoping for instant gratification, read this book and bing! you're a lateral thinker. Of course not. It's something you need to work on everyday, even for 5 minutes a day (add that to the list of things you should be doing everyday even for five minutes, stretching, meditating, napping, etc). I guess the book was OK, got a little bored wading through the exercises [these are suggestions for a tacher, an...more
This book starts with a dilemma faced by a pretty merchant's daughter confronted by her father's nasty creditor. The creditor says he will settle the issue with a game of chance. Where they stand are white and black stones. he will put two stones in a bag and she will draw one out. A white stone means the debt is settled, a black stone means the debt is settled but she must marry the money-lender. Our heroine notices that the money lender puts two black stones in the bag. So whatever she chooses...more
A book full of exercises aimed at enhancing your creative mind. The book begins with the classical left vs right brain dichotomy. However, he dedicated the majority of his book to creativity enhancing exercises focusing on different idea generation.
This is not a book you read in one go, but should be taken on a daily basis where you expose yourself to different exercises!
I went through this book practicing one a day.
This is not a book you read in one go, but should be taken on a daily basis where you expose yourself to different exercises!
I went through this book practicing one a day.
de Bono has been writing for decades about how to understand creativity, the eureka moment, the literary, artistic and scientific breakthrough, through the notion of lateral versus linear thinking, seen through the lens of neuroscience and the structure of memory and of linguistic categorization. I found the book to be a fascinating analysis of techniques that I use every day in my creative writing workshops and in my own writing practice. This particular book, as compared, for example, to The M...more
An exploration of ways to structurally understand and therefore implement practises of inductive logic. It is through this method if inductuon that new ideas and perspectives are discovered or 'created', a critical skill to intelligent science often overlooked due to its lack of 'objectivity' or 'proof' quality.
I poured over this for the past few months and renewed it at the library numerous times. I think that I would rather have had it taught to me as is refferred in the book. But non the less some practical idea's that I have already put to use in my every day life.
A masterwork. De Bono gives revolutionary tools to assist in the creative process.
This should be mandatory reading for every member of society. It's wisdom will help with idea generation for everyone, from stay-at-home mothers, to PhD candidates.
This should be mandatory reading for every member of society. It's wisdom will help with idea generation for everyone, from stay-at-home mothers, to PhD candidates.
An interesting take on how to approach a problem, a somewhat boring introduction, but once you get past that and manage to actually "read" the book then it is a wonderful tool to stimulate creativity and look at things from different perspectives
Required for my Concepts and Storyboards class (motion graphics minor)... I'm really enjoying it but it seems a little repetitive... or maybe I'm just getting lost and having to reread paragraphs... yeah... that's probably it.
First book I read by De Bono. I liked it, but did not feel it answered the questions I had. It took many years and many books to get all my questions answered and plant new questions in their place.
Edward de buno is a genius on creativity and lateral thinking techniques.I came across this book in my college days and since then become a fan of his books.Gives a new perspective to view things
Jul 04, 2012
Chris Ross
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
business-books,
education
This was a tough book for me to read because I am not a lateral thinker. There were some good ideas in the book and it did teach me knew ways to look at problems.
Excellent book on how to challenge the conventional thinking. I particularly like the use of the word PO to encourage discussion to be parked not dismissed out of hand.
Well it may have been cutting edge in its day, but today it creaks - his methods of thinking now seem as proscriptive as vertical thinking. What a long way we have come in 40 years! And the incidental casual ageism and sexism aren't even quaint, just uncomfortable.
Eh - nothing too terribly new to me, but a good repackage of some sound advice. Not sure about the almost annoying push for 'po' though I do appreciate the intentions.
Creativity and Lateral Thinking are useful techniques to design solutions. I have read, learnt and used the ideas given in this book.
Great book but it is not one to be 'read', rather it is one that needs study and practice - step by step with lots of practice.
Nov 24, 2012
Manikandan T S
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
self-help,
psychology
Everyone is born creative. Creativity can't be learned, but it involves unlearning some of the approaches we learned as part of education.
This book explains the process which helps in improving creativity. This is must read for professionals who solves many technical problems day to day and also for college students to have a successful career.
This book explains the process which helps in improving creativity. This is must read for professionals who solves many technical problems day to day and also for college students to have a successful career.
I did not read this in depth at all. I might go back over it later.
Way too text-bookish and uses an academic approach.
i would like to read this book for developing my thinking
Must read book for thinkers and creatives :)
Interesting book, offering some processes to generate ideas and solve problems.
To me, the main point of the book is to see problems and solutions as patterns, so after you recognize a pattern you can break/rearrange to form new patterns (or new solutions).
The author argues that ideas should not be discarded, no matter how ridiculous they seem. Even the most outrageous ideas can provide insights about a problem. It's not important to be right all along the problem solving process, it's only impor...more
To me, the main point of the book is to see problems and solutions as patterns, so after you recognize a pattern you can break/rearrange to form new patterns (or new solutions).
The author argues that ideas should not be discarded, no matter how ridiculous they seem. Even the most outrageous ideas can provide insights about a problem. It's not important to be right all along the problem solving process, it's only impor...more
This book initially appealed to my pop science sensibilities and the first chapter was interesting enough to pique my curiosity further. The more De Bono developed his theory, however, the more tangled up he got with his 'T unit' analogy. He could have conveyed far more by using more tangiable explanations and once the reader reaches example 46 creating yet another rectangle with said 'T units' using lateral thinking realisation strikes that this book is going to be nothing other than a crashing...more
Want to read this again
See things differently.
good thinking.. ideas
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Edward de Bono is a British physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He is best known as the originator of the term lateral thinking (structured creativity) and the leading proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking in schools.
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Apr 16, 2012 04:06am
Apr 16, 2012 02:59pm