Lateral thinking: creativity step by step

Most of us learn to tackle problems directly, working straight at the obstacle. Edward de Bono calls this vertical thinking, and it serves well enough when a situation is simple. It tends to break down, however, when the usual methods stop working. This book proposes lateral thinking as the answer, a way of loosening the imagination so that familiar problems can be seen from unexpected directions.

De Bono sets out a sequence of practical techniques that readers can use alone or with a group. Each one is designed to jolt the mind out of its habitual routes and generate fresh possibilities. As readers practise them, they are encouraged to view a difficulty from several angles and arrive at solutions that are both original and workable, building skills that carry into work and everyday decisions.

De Bono, a writer and philosopher, invented the term lateral thinking and is widely regarded as an authority on teaching creative thinking as a skill. He has written more than sixty books, which have been published in around forty languages, and his methods are taught in many countries.