**Reading Notes**

The way the mind works is a complex and fascinating subject. There is a distinct difference between lateral and vertical thinking. Vertical thinking is the traditional, linear approach, while lateral thinking is more creative and unorthodox.

Attitudes towards lateral thinking can vary. Some people embrace it as a means to break free from the constraints of conventional thinking and come up with innovative solutions. Others may be more skeptical or resistant.

The basic nature of lateral thinking lies in its ability to generate alternatives and look at problems from different perspectives. It encourages us to think outside the box and consider possibilities that might not be immediately obvious.

The use of lateral thinking can lead to significant innovation in various fields. By employing different techniques, such as fractionation and the reversal method, we can overcome dominant ideas and crucial factors that may be阻碍ing progress.

Techniques like fractionation involve breaking a problem down into smaller components and examining each one separately. The reversal method, on the other hand, requires us to reverse the usual way of thinking about a problem and look at it from the opposite perspective.

By generating alternatives and using these techniques, we can enhance our creative thinking and increase the likelihood of coming up with truly innovative solutions.

Skim reading is a useful skill that can help you quickly understand the main ideas of a text.

It involves looking over the text rapidly, focusing on headings, subheadings, bold or italicized words, and the first and last sentences of paragraphs.

By doing this, you can get a general sense of what the text is about without having to read every word.

Skim reading is especially helpful when you have a lot of information to process, such as when you are studying for an exam or doing research.

It can also be used to preview a text before reading it in more detail, allowing you to better understand the context and structure of the material.

To improve your skim reading skills, practice regularly by skimming through different types of texts, such as newspapers, magazines, and books.

With time and practice, you will become more efficient at quickly extracting the important information from a text.

Edward de Bono's "Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity" (Paperback) is a renowned work on creativity and problem-solving that has had a significant impact on leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and professionals worldwide.

The book posits that conventional thinking, or "vertical thinking," limits us and keeps us in rigid patterns. In contrast, lateral thinking allows us to explore unconventional approaches and find innovative solutions.

De Bono organizes his theory and practice around a series of chapters and concepts that explore the basics of lateral thinking, its techniques, practical applications, and the continuous development of this skill.

The structure of the book is divided into a theoretical explanation of lateral thinking and a series of specific techniques and practices. Through this structure, De Bono presents a comprehensive methodology that can be applied in work, education, and daily life to stimulate creativity and find solutions to complex problems.

The first part focuses on the fundamentals of lateral thinking, including the nature of lateral thinking, perception and mental patterns, and the importance of alternatives.

The second part delves into specific techniques of lateral thinking, such as the technique of provocation (PO), fractionation techniques, changing the focus, and rapid alternatives.

The third part explores the practical applications of lateral thinking in daily life and the professional realm, including in the workplace, education, and personal innovation and development.

To apply lateral thinking daily, a practical guide is provided, which includes exercises such as generating alternatives, asking open-ended questions, using techniques of provocation, fractionating problems, changing the perspective, and applying lateral thinking in group projects.

In conclusion, De Bono's "Lateral Thinking" is not just a guide to problem-solving but a complete shift in mindset that promotes creativity and adaptability in all aspects of life. By integrating these techniques into our daily lives, we can transform our ability to solve problems innovatively and enhance our capacity to face challenges with a broader and more creative perspective.

I did not enjoy this book.

While many of the ideas presented within it are actually quite good, the book unfortunately failed to capture my interest.

I also encountered difficulties in picturing real scenarios in which I could apply some of the ideas in my own classroom. That is, putting the ideas into context proved to be a challenge.

Part of this failure was likely due to my own lack of interest and motivation. However, I do believe that it is the author's responsibility to engage the reader and make the content interesting. Regrettably, in this case, that simply did not occur.

The book had the potential to be a great resource, but it fell short in several aspects. It failed to draw me in and make me excited about implementing the ideas.

Perhaps with a different approach or more engaging examples, the author could have made the book more enjoyable and useful for readers like myself.

As it stands, I cannot recommend this book to others.

I have been pouring over this for the past few months.

I have also renewed it at the library numerous times.

I truly think that I would rather have had it taught to me exactly as it is referred to in the book.

However, that being said, there are still some practical ideas that I have already put to use in my everyday life.

These ideas have proven to be quite beneficial and have made a positive impact on my daily routine.

Despite not having the ideal teaching situation, I have managed to extract valuable information from the book and apply it to my life.

I am grateful for the knowledge that I have gained and look forward to continuing to explore and learn from this source.

Overall, it has been a worthwhile experience, and I would recommend this book to others who are interested in the subject matter.

The gift from my uncle.

I liked the way in which the author helps the reader in some way to understand many processes regarding the creation of ideas, formulations, and problem-solving. These are not the types of books that I usually read, but giving them a chance was good, and I think they helped me in some aspects.

It's interesting to explore different genres and expand our knowledge. Maybe this gift from my uncle opened up a new perspective for me.

Although it wasn't my typical choice, it still had some value. It made me think differently and consider new approaches to various situations.

I'm grateful for this unexpected gift that led to a new learning experience.

Who knows, maybe this will inspire me to read more books outside of my comfort zone in the future.

This book titled "Lateral Thinking" was truly an unusual one. It managed to evoke a plethora of new thoughts and fresh insights within me.

However, after flipping through just a few pages, I couldn't help but feel that some of the points were being repeated, albeit in different manners. The illustrations provided, along with the diagrams, were indeed self-explanatory and added value to the understanding of the concepts.

Another drawback that I would like to put forward is that this book, for the most part, seemed to be crafted specifically for school teachers or those working in groups.

Altogether, despite its few shortcomings, I can still call this book a good read. It offers unique perspectives and can stimulate the mind in ways that other books might not. It's definitely worth giving a chance to those who are interested in exploring new ways of thinking.

The book is truly written by making use of Lateral Thinking.

The examples and explanations provided to illustrate Lateral Thinking are drawn from an incredibly wide range of different things. This causes your mind to constantly swing back and forth, often resulting in a headache.

Change is indeed painful, and thinking outside the box is extremely tough.

Bringing in things that are not initially relevant to the context in order to think innovatively requires practice.

Edward De Bono has done an excellent job of explaining all these concepts in such a way that anyone who reads the book will likely change the way they think when it comes time to think of something new.

I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone read the works of Edward De Bono. It can open up new perspectives and ways of approaching problems and ideas, ultimately leading to more creative and effective thinking.

This evaluation does not necessarily reflect the quality of the book.

In general, the book talks about lateral thinking, which is non-traditional or non-linear thinking. It presents some interesting examples about some scientists and the role of chance and lateral thinking in their discoveries.

Lateral thinking encourages us to look at problems from different angles and break free from the constraints of traditional thinking. By doing so, we may be able to come up with innovative solutions and make unexpected discoveries.

The examples in the book serve as illustrations of how lateral thinking can lead to breakthroughs in various fields. They show that sometimes, the most creative ideas come from the most unexpected places.

Overall, the book provides an interesting exploration of lateral thinking and its potential applications. It may inspire readers to think more creatively and approach problems with a fresh perspective.

To me, the essence of this book could perhaps be encapsulated in an epigram that is presented within its pages. Although I don't recall it verbatim, the fundamental idea is that while logic can create a very deep hole, one won't encounter water until lateral thinking is employed to determine precisely where to place that hole.

This concept reminds me vividly of my encounters with school systems that place a premium on rote learning. When I initially entered such a school, I was astounded by the remarkable speed and thoroughness with which the majority of students could commit things to memory. I, on the other hand, have always struggled with memorization, finding it a laborious process and retaining very little. My admiration persisted until I presented a problem to some of them. "Look," I said. "If you modify this and introduce that, doesn't that imply this particular result?" They regarded me as if I were speaking an incomprehensible language like Sanskrit. Further interrogation disclosed that they had memorized the formulae proficiently and could apply them without much difficulty. However, they had no comprehension of what the formulae actually meant, how they were derived, or how they could be altered.

This book serves simply as a starting point for those individuals who have a genuine desire to learn rather than merely memorize. To borrow Ms Frizzle's line from The Magic School Bus, "Take risks. Make errors. Get messy." Once one grasps the underlying principle, the remainder of the book consists mainly of exercises and illustrations. Useful though they are, one could conceivably develop their own – and perhaps should.

A truly helpful and inciteful book that delves deep into the art of approaching problems and thinking in general. De Bono expounds on the common practice of approaching most problems longitudinally. This entails working through a consecutive series of logical propositions that build upon one another with the aim of arriving at a solution. However, he astutely points out a significant problem. If there is even a slight disruption at any given point within this series, then the entire sequence is put in jeopardy.

Lateral thinking, on the other hand, offers a plethora of solutions to any single problem. It involves working through each and every proposition until one perfectly fits the specific situation at hand. This often necessitates completely reframing what needs to be accomplished in order to achieve a more favorable outcome. One particularly vivid example that has remained etched in my mind is the scenario where a car uphill experiences a brake failure. Instead of the instinctive reaction of attempting to reverse your own car and flee, lateral thinking would suggest moving forward to intercept the other car before it has the opportunity to accelerate to a degree that could cause even more extensive damage.

Thinking laterally can be likened to digging numerous holes in a field, while thinking longitudinally is analogous to digging just one hole straight down. Given this understanding, it becomes evident that both methods should be employed in tandem at all times. As an engineering graduate, this concept truly resonates with the way I was educated to approach tasks.

Nevertheless, the book does have a notable drawback. It fails to provide a concrete method for thinking laterally and instead merely presents a multitude of examples. De Bono contends that since lateral thinking involves a fundamental shift in how the mind approaches problems, it cannot be taught in a traditional sense. Instead, one must actively start making oneself think in a wide variety of different ways.

\\n  «Le nuove idee sono la sostanza del cambiamento e del progresso in ogni campo, dalla scienza all’arte, dalla politica alla felicità personale».\\n Edward de Bono
The lateral thinking is closely related to intuition, creativity and humor.
On the back cover, this book is defined as a real \\n  “manual of invention and fantasy”\\n, especially oriented towards teachers who want to stimulate such ability in their students.
de Bono will talk to us about the difference between lateral thinking and vertical thinking, the generation of alternatives, the suspension of judgment and design, how to \\n  question the assumptions\\n …
«Problem: A man worked in a tall office building. Every morning he took the elevator to the ground floor, pressed the elevator button for the tenth floor, got out of the elevator and walked up to the fifteenth floor. In the evening he would then take the elevator from the fifteenth floor and get out at the ground floor. Why did he behave like this?
The explanations provided are various:
The man wanted to keep fit.
He wanted to talk to someone while walking from the tenth to the fifteenth floor.
He wanted to admire the view while going up.
He wanted to make people believe that he worked on the tenth floor (which could be more prestigious) and so on.
In reality, the man acted in this particular way because he had no choice. He was a dwarf and could not reach the buttons higher than the tenth floor. The natural assumption is that the man is perfectly normal and that it is his behavior that is abnormal.»
And also about brainstorming and problem solving, dominant ideas and crucial factors and the method of \\n  inversion \\n…
«A flock of sheep was slowly moving along a country road that was bordered by high slopes. An impatient motorist followed the flock and urged the shepherd to push his flock aside so that the car could pass. The shepherd refused because he could not be sure of keeping the sheep away from the car on such a narrow road, but he reversed the situation. He told the car to stop and then calmly made the flock reverse and led it behind the parked vehicle. In Aesop's fable, the water in the jug was at too low a level for the bird to drink. The bird was thinking how to get the water out of the jug, then it thought it would be more convenient to put something in it. So it threw some stones into the jug until the water level rose enough for it to drink.»
Few pages, but extremely rich in suggestions and food for thought.

This book by Edward de Bono offers a wealth of insights into the world of lateral thinking. It explores the relationship between lateral thinking and other important aspects such as intuition, creativity, and humor. The examples provided, like the man in the office building and the flock of sheep, vividly illustrate the concepts being discussed. By questioning assumptions, generating alternatives, and suspending judgment, we can open ourselves up to new ideas and solutions. The method of inversion also proves to be a powerful tool in problem-solving. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their thinking skills and embrace change and progress in various fields.