Book Review: Think! Before It’s Too Late

by Edward de Bono

The Teak Yew Business Book of the month for July 2010 is Think! Before It’s Too Late, by Edward de Bono.

Edward de Bono is one of the world’s leading thinkers. He came to prominence as the author of Lateral Thinking and his ideas are used around the world.

In Think! Before It’s Too Late, de Bono presents a structured approach to creative thinking to augment our traditional analytical approach. This approach, he argues, is excellent, but not enough. To solve the really challenging problems of our time, we need to look at the world differently and acknowledge that logic will not always provide the answers.

De Bono’s concept of Idea Creativity is not about the random creation of new ideas. Just because an idea is new, does not mean it has value. Idea creativity is a skill that anyone can learn, practise and apply.

Edward de Bono has applied his thinking to a wide variety of different situations, including government organisations, major corporations, not-for-profit groups and sporting teams. A range of formal tools can be used to stimulate the brain to think both creatively and productively, away from the analytical approach of the classical Western tradition. In Think! Before It’s Too Late, de Bono presents a range of these tools and gives practical examples of how they can be applied.

Edward de Bono is on a mission, ‘to save the world from its complacency’ – the complacency of poor thinking. This book provides a starting point for you to do the same.

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