Customer Reviews

Lateral Thinking

5 star:		(3)
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3 star:		(1)
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This is one book where the author spends 70 % of the time in telling "why" should you ever consider Lateral Thinking. In between this justifications there are few good ideas.

De Bone has given some interesting ideas that should be looked closely and practised by everyone, like the ones given below.

1. Look at the problem from a different angle (try reversing the problem)
2. Don't stop when one solution is found and keep looking for better ones for some more time
3. Try rearranging and jumping forward in solution seeking process even if the intermediate steps sounds illogical
4. Try to delay judgment so as to let new ideas grow
Place two irrelevant things in the mind for some time and analyze it, this might create an opportunity to look at the problem differently
5. Don't challenge an idea to find if it is right or wrong but look if it can add any insight at a different angle
6. Remove No and replace it with a new word (here he suggests using PO) that would challenge the statement and generate new ideas rather than rejecting an irrelevant one
7. Remove the cliché patterns my removing or looking deep into the labels

Looks more of a teacher's manual rather than a thought provoking book, might be of interest if you are planning to get new idea to teach your kid.

The strength on the book is how concise De Bono manages to be. Written in an unpretentious style the reader's own thoughts are sparked and finishing the book leaves you wanting more. I can see that it is simplistic but I doubt whether writing more words on the subject would be helpful to the reader. In fact I think it would be detrimental as we wouldn't want to drill into the reader's mind landscape too heavily!

It's a book written on serious things in a very light style. Sometimes we are very near to hear a tellerstory and soon after we are close of a professional dealing with mind and differents ways to learn. Its very interesting and usefull for professors, teachers and persons that love work thinking.

Important work demonstrating the limits of logic and showing readers how to move in new, more creative directions reason alone cannot reach. More than thinking outside the box, lateral thinking let's us escape the box and leave it behind Also consider reading the newer Why Didn't I Think of That? - Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness.