Lateral thinking : a textbook of creativity / Edward de Bono

Introduction -- Use of this book -- The way the mind works -- Difference between lateral and vertical thinking -- Attitudes towards lateral thinking -- Basic nature of lateral thinking -- The use of lateral thinking -- Techniques -- The generation of alternatives -- Challenging assumptions -- Innovation -- Suspended judgement -- Design -- Dominant ideas and crucial factors -- Fractionation -- The reversal method -- Brainstorming -- Analogies -- Choice of entry point and attention area -- Random stimulation -- Concepts/divisions/polarization -- The new word po -- Blocked by openness -- Description/ problem-solving/ design -- Summary.

This is the classic work about improving creativity from world-renowned writer and philosopher Edward de Bono. In schools, we are taught to meet problems head-on: what Edward de Bono calls 'vertical thinking'. This works well in simple situations — but we are at a loss when this approach fails. What then? Lateral thinking is all about freeing up your imagination. Through a series of special techniques, in groups or working alone, Edward de Bono shows how to stimulate the mind in new and exciting ways. Soon you will be looking at problems from a variety of angles and offering up solutions that are as ingenious as they are effective. You will become much more productive and a formidable thinker in your own right.