In this book, Edward de Bono lays out a very simple five-stage structure as a framework for thinking. Much of thinking is a matter of directing attention to what matters and this structure does just that.

'An inspiring man with brilliant ideas. De Bono never ceases to amaze with his clarity of thought' - Richard Branson 'Give your child the edge' - Georges Philips, Amazon review How do you raise children who think for themselves? Edward de Bono, one of the world leading authorities on creative thinking, shows how parents can raise happy, confident and self-assured children through his simple tips, tricks and exercises that you can do with your child. This book will help your child: - Use positive reinforcement effectively - Unleash their creativity Make the best life choices - Plan well for the future Confidence is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child and through this book you will learn how to give them the best start in life.

First published in 1967, this remarkable title from one of history’s greatest minds remains a must-read in the world of creative thinking. Based on the tenet that an error can lead to the right decision, de Bono guides the reader through a series of non-mathematical problems and puzzles, all designed to help us analyse our personal style of thinking, work out its strengths and weaknesses, and to consider the potential methods that we never use. There are three courses, each five days long and each created to focus on a different style of thinking, featuring: The Bottles Problem The Blocks Problem The L-Game The End Game A true life-changer, this book will have you thinking in ways that you never thought were possible.

"Absolutely splendid . . . essential for understanding why there is so much bad thinking in political life right now." —David Brooks, New York Times How to Think is a contrarian treatise on why we’re not as good at thinking as we assume—but how recovering this lost art can rescue our inner lives from the chaos of modern life. As a celebrated cultural critic and a writer for national publications like The Atlantic and Harper’s, Alan Jacobs has spent his adult life belonging to communities that often clash in America’s culture wars. And in his years of confronting the big issues that divide us—political, social, religious—Jacobs has learned that many of our fiercest disputes occur not because we’re doomed to be divided, but because the people involved simply aren’t thinking. Most of us don’t want to think. Thinking is trouble. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits, and it can complicate our relationships with like-minded friends. Finally, thinking is slow, and that’s a problem when our habits of consuming information (mostly online) leave us lost in the spin cycle of social media, partisan bickering, and confirmation bias. In this smart, endlessly entertaining book, Jacobs diagnoses the many forces that act on us to prevent thinking—forces that have only worsened in the age of Twitter, “alternative facts,” and information overload—and he also dispels the many myths we hold about what it means to think well. (For example: It’s impossible to “think for yourself.”) Drawing on sources as far-flung as novelist Marilynne Robinson, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, British philosopher John Stuart Mill, and Christian theologian C.S. Lewis, Jacobs digs into the nuts and bolts of the cognitive process, offering hope that each of us can reclaim our mental lives from the impediments that plague us all. Because if we can learn to think together, maybe we can learn to live together, too.

Western thinking is failing because it was not designed to deal with change In this provocative masterpiece of creative thinking, Edward de Bono argues for a game-changing new way to think. For thousands of years we have followed the thinking system designed by the Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, based on analysis and argument. But if we are to flourish in today’s rapidly changing world we need to free our minds of these ‘boxes’ and embrace a more flexible and nimble model. Parallel Thinking is an invaluable insight into the word of creativity; de Bono unveils unique methods of brainstorming and explains preconceived ideas of what creativity involves and is. This book is not about philosophy; it is about the practical (and parallel) thinking required to get things done in an ever-changing world.

First published in 1991. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

People spend a fortune on their bodies, their faces, their hair, their clothes. Cosmetics, plastic surgery, diets, gym membership - everyone's trying to be more attractive. But there's an easier way to become a beautiful person. It doesn't have to be physical. No matter how you look, if you have a mind that's fascinating, creative, exciting - if you're a good thinker - you can be beautiful. And being attractive doesn't necessarily come from being intelligent or highly-educated. It isn't about having a great personality. It's about using your imagination and expanding your creativity. And it's when talking with people that we make the greatest impact. A person may be physically beautiful, but when speaking to others a dull or ugly or uncreative mind will definitely turn them off. In clear, practical language, de Bono shows how by applying lateral and parallel thinking skills to your conversation you can improve your mind. By learning how to listen, make a point, and manoeuvre a discussion, you can become creative and more appealing - more beautiful.

Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.

THE classic work about changing yourself and how others see you from the world-renowned writer and philosopher Edward de Bono People spend vast amounts of money, time and energy to achieve and maintain beauty, and yet despite its undisputed importance few of us devote similar efforts to be interesting. It is often thought that intelligence, beauty and confidence make you more interesting. This is not true. Being interesting is actually a state of mind. In How to be More Interesting, lateral-thinking guru Edward de Bono reveals how playing with ideas, making connections, speculating and using the imagination are at the heart of being an interesting person. With seventy exercises that will help you bring humour, insight and surprise to everyday situations, this book will ensure that people not only find you fascinating company but also won't be able to forget you.

Everybody wants to be creative. Creativity makes life more fun, more interesting and more full of achievement, but too many people believe that creativity is something you are born with and cannot be learned. In How to Have Creative Ideas Edward de Bono - the leading authority on creative thinking - outlines 62 different games and exercises, built around random words chosen from a list, to help encourage creativity and lateral thinking. For example, if the task were to provide an idea for a new restaurant and the random word chosen was 'cloak', ideas generated might be: a highwayman theme; a Venetian theme with gondolas; masked waiters and waitresses. Or, if asked to make a connection between the two random words 'desk' and 'shorts', readers may come up with: both are functional; desks have 'knee holes' and shorts expose the knees; traditionally they were both male-associated items. All the exercises are simple, practical and fun, and can be done by anyone.