Edward De Bono

Edward de Bono has a Web site at http://www.edwdebono.com/. Quote: Edward de Bono's special contribution has been to take the mystical subject of creativity and, for the first time in history, to put the subject on a solid basis.

Some books by Edward De Bono:

De Bono's Thinking Course ISBN 0816031789
LateralThinking: Creativity Step-by-step ISBN 0060903252
Serious Creativity: Using the Power of Lateral Thinking to Create New Ideas ISBN 0887306357
SixThinkingHats ISBN 0316177911 .
SixActionShoes (no, really!) ISBN 0887305741

He has a new book called simply "Simplicity" (DeBonoSimplicity). I just started reading it last night. It is in an interesting format. I think it will be useful. Check it out, especially if you are struggling with this aspect of WhatMakesXpSoHard?. --KentBeck

I find his Water Logic ISBN 0140230750 to contain an extremely useful and practical technique for finding out the "roots" in problem domains. I find it a useful form of structured complaining which provides prioritisation on the problems which need to be addressed. -- JohnNolan

Here's tuppence: If EdwardDeBono has cracked the secret of creativity, how come the only stuff he's ever created is books on lateral thinking? Where are his movies, sonnets, concerti, programs, corporations, buildings, portraits, etc? If De Bono is not creative, then how much can his theories be worth? -- PeterMerel

While the blurb above was perhaps a bit effusive regarding De Bono's contributions, I have found them interesting and useful. -- RonJeffries
Batting coaches don't all hit .400, but a fascinating question that applies to experts of all stripes -- SteveBrown
Several (10-15) years back, De Bono has had two series on PBS (via BBC). -- DaveSmith
There's a phenomenon that the gifted and the great teachers are two sets that have a very small intersection. Example: Babe Ruth was a lousy coach. He expected everyone to be as great, naturally, as he was. Perhaps EDB isn't Babe Ruth, slapping homers, but rather someone good at helping others reach their potential. (NB: I haven't read EDB, yet.) -- DavidJaquay
I think you may be over-stating his claims more than he does himself. You may also be underrating his success in his chosen field. -- DaveHarris It would be difficult to over-state EDB's claims more than he does himself - have you read the suggestions at the end of the new Simplicity book? sheesh... -- DavidHarvey
Creativity is not merely the province of the arts... de Bono does not only write books. He works with people; and his creative technology is not physical. Not all creative people need to produce 'stuff'. de Bono works with a variety of groups; adults in corporations, children in schools, government agencies. And the creative effect of his work is realized through the outcomes of those groups. -- HeatherJames

Smart people have a problem appreciating De Bono's contribution. They've worked out how to use their brain already. He didn't crack the secret of creativity. Quite the reverse! His early books( "The Mechanism of Mind") use neural networks (he is an MD) to describe how the brain works and deduce certain patterns it falls in to. His lateral thinking techniques are thought out to counter the non-creative patterns.There is no secret royal road to good thinking, it remains hard work. However, whatever reputation I have for being creative (when people stare at me in disbelief at something I've said) comes from applying techniques I got out of his books. -- DickBotting

I like De Bono's work, and in fact, am a certified Bell Labs Creativity Facilitator or some such thing because I took a course based on De Bono's stuff. I think his ideas can help out some cultures. But I also find that the software types I usually run into have creativity coming out of their ears; they'd rather be creative than to use a known, mundane solution. I see the pattern discipline often run up against rabid De Bono's disciples. Has anyone else out there seen CreativityRunAmok? -- JimCoplien

Having been accused of having creativity coming out of my ears, I actually find De Bono's techniques quite useful for providing a structure without hindering creativity, whereas other techniques seem to limit creativity. I would be interested in how RabidDeBonoDisciples? conflict with pattern discipline? -- JohnNolan

De Bono uses the analogy of a ladder: a structure that helps you get somewhere. I see Patterns in this light. Structures that can be used to get to solutions if used correctly. -- DickBotting

I do not know whether Venezuela is still using the (social) programs constructed a few decades ago, by deBono and colleagues, for improving the public level of creativity and intelligence. Check his Thinking Course for an aside on it. Looking forward to using his work in home-schooling my daughter. -- JosephBeckenbach

I don't think they're doing that in Venezuela anymore, and if they are, maybe it doesn't work. Have you seen the situation they are in nowadays??

CategoryBooks CategoryCreativity