Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono

This excerpt from Edward de Bono's Lateral Thinking details his methods for creative thinking. De Bono's work focuses on techniques to overcome mental limitations imposed by ingrained patterns of thought. The text presents several exercises, including using analogies, random words, and reframing problems to provoke new perspectives. It emphasizes the importance of suspending judgment and exploring unconventional approaches to solve problems and generate creative solutions. The book advocates for complementary uses of lateral and vertical thinking, with lateral thinking as a means to generate novel ideas and vertical thinking for their refinement and development. Finally, it introduces "PO" as a tool to challenge assumptions and established patterns.