The Five-Day Course in Thinking [Hardcover]

Edward De Bono (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1967

This book offers a series of problems in thinking that require no special knowledge and no mathematics. The problems are designed to let readers find out about their personal style of thinking, its weaknesses and strengths, and the potential methods that they never use. Being right is not always important - an error can lead to the right decision. A copy of the L-game is inserted in each book for use in the section on strategy.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 209 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 2nd Edition edition (June 1967)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465024491
• ISBN-13: 978-0465024490
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #648,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Edward de Bono is regarded as the leading international authority in the field of conceptual thinking and also the direct teaching of thinking as a skill. He originated the concept of "lateral thinking," which is now officially recognized in the Oxford English Dictionary-and which contributed to the success of the 1984 Olympic Games. He was a Rhodes Scholar at oxford and has held faculty appointments at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Harvard.

He has written twenty-seven books, which have been translated into twenty languages. These include: Opportunities; Lateral Thinking for Management; Future Positive; Atlas of Management Thinking; Wordpower; Children Solve Problems; Tactics: The Art and Science of Success; Conflicts: A Better Way to Resolve Them. He has also made a ten-part BBC series called "De Bono's Thinking Course" and two other television series.

Dr. de Bono's instruction in thinking has been sought by many of the largest corporations in USA, Canada, Europe, and the rest of the world. These include: IM, Exxon, Shell, BP, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Prudential, General Foods, Bell Telephone, Northern Telecom, Monsanto, DuPont, and ICI. He has given seminars all over the world, from Helsinki to Buenos Aires, from Toronto to Tokyo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Invaluable way to Build Self-Assurance and Confidence in ones own Thinking, March 9, 2008

By 

Herbert L Calhoun "paulocal" (Falls Church, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 5-Day Course in Thinking (Mass Market Paperback)

Edward de Bono single-handedly has introduced to the public the notion that being aware of "how we think," can be an important determinant of "how well we think."

This book is "proof of the pudding:" In a series of three carefully gradually 5-Day exercises -- "The Bottles problem:" to improve insight; "The Blocks problem:" To increase Sequential thinking; and "The L-Game:" to improve strategic thinking -- de Bono shows the reader how increasing confidence in how we approach difficult "thinking problems" can improve how well we do at solving them.

Each of the problems begins with an already modestly difficult problem and then ascends to a very difficult problem. The "end problem" is one in which, under normal circumstances the reader never would have tried to approach, without de Bono's assistance.

As but one example the "The bottles problem" is one in which the reader is required to begin on the first day to balance four knives atop four bottles, then each day he is required to remove one bottle so that by the last day the requirement is to balance the same four knives atop a single bottle.

I used this course as a "warm-up" ( and as bonus points on exams) for students from non-scientific areas, entering advanced mathematics for the first time. It proved invaluable in reducing the fear of mathematics.

Five stars.

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining way to stimulate your thinking., September 4, 2011

By 

Steven Unwin "Steve Unwin" (Preston, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 5-Day Course in Thinking (Mass Market Paperback)

This book actually contains three, five day courses, each dealing with a different style of thinking. The focus of the book is directed less towards the solving of the problems, than at helping you understand your approach, and through this awareness, improve your thinking abilities.

Each course sets a practical hands-on problem, that requires no specialist knowledge or maths. Throughout the five days it builds, what begins as a tricky challenge, into one more difficult than you would have imagined being able to solve. En route De Bono offers insights into the problem solving process and pointers to areas you might explore to illuminate your own thought processes.

The three courses look at insight, sequential and strategic thinking. De Bono succeeds in creating an entertaining learning environment. Readers will enjoy the challenges set and will gain valuable insights from their thinking about their thinking.

A powerful book to improve what Woody Allen called his `second most favourite organ'.

Sample Problem
As a taster, this is the first puzzle of the book.

Place three bottles upright on the floor to form a triangle where the distance between the bases of the bottles is slightly larger than the length of a knife. Use three identical knives to form a platform on top of the bottles to support a full glass of water. No part of any knife may touch the floor.

If you like this kind of challenge and can resist turning quickly to the solutions this book will give your the opportunity to explore and learn about your thinking processes.