Simplicity [Paperback]

Edward De Bono (Author), Edward de Bono (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1990

In an increasingly complex world 'simplicity' is going to be a key value. The pace of change is not going to stop so we have to make a conscious effort to make things simpler. Edward de Bono is in an ideal position to write such a book because of his vast experience in the area of creativity, design and perception. In a powerful and simple way, he shows us how very often a lateral thinking approach can simplify a complex matter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Edward de Bono's backlist titles include bestsellers such as: TEXTBOOK OF WISDOM, TEACH YOURSELF TO THINK, SIX THINKING HATS, I AM RIGHT YOU ARE WRONG, TEACH YOUR CHILD HOW TO THINK and WATER LOGIC. He lives in London, W1

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (January 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140258396
• ISBN-13: 978-0140258394
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It falls short to expected, July 16, 2001

By 

José A. Sánchez Villanueva - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simplicity (Paperback)

There are a couple of useful ideas within the book. Advantages and pitfalls of simplicity are outlined and some paths featured. Nevertheless, as it's common, when you end up the chapters little remains. The book is too much dense and padded out. It's a contradiction with the issue of the book. There are 10 rules at the end that summarise the ideas. If some pages with the useful points were added on to this summary, the book could be reduced to 50 useful pages. It's a pity not to practice what one preaches. As stated by himself: "One reason for complexity is trying to show deep knowledge on an issue".

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book is way too long for its contents, February 5, 2001

By 

bored99 (Hamden, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Simplicity (Paperback)

Ironic that a book on simplicity violates its own principles several times. Even though this book is printed on every other page (with "insights" on the even-numbered pages), it takes too long to make its points. There were several interesting concepts in the book, but not enough to justify more than 20 pages or so. Additionally, de Bono oversimplifies (something he cautions us against) by making blanket statements that reveal his lack of understanding regarding industry practices he is critiquing. de Bono himself has developed brilliant theories that have been widely applied around the world, but this book isn't the best source for discovering those ideas.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good book, January 16, 2006

By 

Simon Withers (Perth, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simplicity (Paperback)

This is a great book and I wish that I had read it years ago.

Edward de Bono not only makes the case for simplicity but he exhorts us to pursue it and he gives us a framework for doing so.

I can look back on many occasions when I wish I could whipped out such a book from my briefcase and thumped it in front of the annoying or imbecilic person with whom I was dealing at the time and said "Go home, read that, then come back and resume this discussion".

I find that I have underlined many useful comments or ideas. My favourite is possibly this:

"An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore." On the other side of the coin, de Bono has some harsh words for people who try to establish themselves as experts by making things more complex and more difficult to understand. Keep this in mind when dealing with "experts".

The book loses points for being way too long. In the edition I read, the main text was printed only on the right hand pages and an extract or summary of that text was printed in large letters on the facing left hand page, thereby turning a 150 page book into a 300 page book. Very irritating. Indeed, in illustrating a point in the book, de Bono says that he could have made the book - by which I assume he is referring to the main text on the right hand pages - shorter (simpler) but his publishers told him that it had to be a certain length! So, by his own admission (or, perhaps, apology) this should have been a 50 page book.

It's a pity, because it would have been a better book if it had been simplified.

Maybe one day de Bono will take a leaf out of his own book and simplify his main works into a single slim volume. It must be satisfying to look back on a life's work filling the bookshelves, but how much more satisfying would it be to have that life's work in a single volume and thereby easily accessible. It could be called "The Readers Digest de Bono", or "The Best of de Bono" or, perhaps, ideally, "de Bono Simplified".