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Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas [Paperback]

Edward De Bono
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 1993
A fundamental book on deliberate creative thinking from a world-renowned expert in the field and the inventor of the systematic process of lateral thinking. Used correctly, creating thinking can save companies millions of dollars as the best and cheapest way to get added value out of existing resources and assets. Line drawings.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

De Bono's term "lateral thinking" (the title of a previous book) refers to problem-solving by apparently illogical methods. In a fertile user's manual to the mind, de Bono, a prolific author and business consultant, tackles creative thought as a skill that can be taught, a systematic process of breaking free of old concepts and finding alternatives. In an informal, discursive style, he presents an arsenal of techniques for cultivating ideas and harvesting the usable onesto avoid mixed metaphor; also, harvest is late stage of agricultural process, so should come after 'nurture' or 'cultivation' . Rooted in his theory that creativity flows out of the way human perception works as a self-organizing information system, these techniques include random word generation, multiple focuses, "provocations" that provide a novel framework through which to look at things, and the "six hats method" encouraging cooperative exploration instead of adversarial thinking. His insights seem broadly applicable to business, education, law and other fields.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Harperbusiness (May 1993)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0887306357
  • ISBN-13: 978-0887306358
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,046 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

4.7 out of 5 stars
(11)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 71 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars buy only this one... December 5, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
By now I think I have read about fifteen of De Bono's books and this is certainly the best. Many of the others seem to be mostly regurgitations of the the same old stuff. Does he get paid by the word? He claims to have written about 25 books, but I think he has to a great extent written one book over and over again. And he seems so pompous and arrogant. How can someone with such arrogance be creative? He never quotes others (perhaps to him there are no others) or cites other works on creativity, even in cases where his ideas were clearly not first his. This is an excellent book, but by an ego-centric author and that unfortunately colors all his writing.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars agreeing with the reader from New York August 27, 2002
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I read the review written by someone from New York. I was surprised that he or she had the same feelings about the book as I had. This is a shocking book. On the one hand, it is excellent and teaches people a lot about how to think about a problem. On the other hand, the author is so self-conceited that sometimes I asked myself: if he is so creative, why didn't he invent ANYTHING apart from his own way of making money?
The funny thing is, that I still recommend this book!

Peter Fabri, Budapest, Hungary

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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I am impressed! September 3, 2003
Format:Paperback
I recently attended an Optimal Thinking for Leaders seminar by Dr. Rosalene Glickman who referred to Dr. De Bono as the world authority on creativity. She recommended to the audience of 500 to read this book and especially to take note of the "Small Map" and the "Big Map". Well, I have to say De Bono is a brilliant author, and I finally understand what creativity means and how to apply it most effectively during conflicts and other situations. I highly recommend this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Least creative book on creativity I've ever read.
While I think De Bono had some great points, you could read the summary and the appendices at the end of the book, and have gotten most likely more information than reading the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by fiveinfinity
5.0 out of 5 stars De Bono's Best Work
To my mind, Edward de Bono is one of the grand masters of creative thinking. In this book, he covers the how and why of creative thinking through the framework of lateral... Read more
Published on March 23, 2011 by bronx book nerd
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful
Wonderful book...good tips and information to be creative. I would now buy any book by Edward de Bono.
Published on August 5, 2010 by Kumar Sathyanarayana Raju
5.0 out of 5 stars Very intuitive read
De Bono is new to my list of reading but already high on it. He makes clear what normally would be abstract, and paints a nice picture while doing it. Read more
Published on May 8, 2009 by Steven G. Trutanich
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful explanation of creativity.
In my estimation, Edward de Bono is the world authority on creativity. I have read most of his books, and seen him speak at the International Conferences on Thinking. Read more
Published on April 2, 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful explanation of creativity.
In my estimation, Edward de Bono is the world authority on creativity. I have read most of his books, and seen him speak at the International Conferences on Thinking. Read more
Published on April 2, 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!
This is a must read! Also get the Serious Creativity CD -- the two complement each other. I've taught creativity using both the book and CD. Read more
Published on October 21, 1999 by Timothy P. Schweizer
5.0 out of 5 stars Trying to reach you--this book is IN print as of 7-99
Advanced Practical Thinking Training acquired the rights to this book and reprinted it as a PB. Amazon can get it for you, we are a source of other de Bono books for Amazon.
Published on July 13, 1999
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