003: Lateral Thinking and Parallel Thinking by Edward de Bono

Left: "Lateral Thinking: An Introduction"

    First published by Jonathan Cape in 1967

    Edition Publication: 2014 Vermillion

    Copyright: © IP Development Corporation 1967

Right: "Parallel Thinking"

    First published by Viking in 1994

    Edition Publication: 2016 Vermillion

    Copyright: © McQuaig Group, Inc., 1994

SYNOPSES

Lateral Thinking:

"This classic book is Edward de Bono's bestselling introduction to lateral thinking.  He explains what lateral thinking is, how anyone can learn the technique, and how it can be used to solve problems and generate excellent ideas with ease."

Parallel Thinking:

"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.

This book is not about philosophy; it is about the practical (and parallel) thinking required to get things done in an ever-changing world."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward de Bono is a Maltese physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He is best known as the originator of the term lateral thinking (structured creativity) and the leading proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking in schools. [Source: Goodreads]

Edward de Bono studied at Christ Church, Oxford (as a Rhodes Scholar);. He also holds a PhD from Cambridge and an MD from the University of Malta. He has held appointments at the universities of Oxford, London, Cambridge, and Harvard.

In 1967 de Bono invented the now commonly used term 'lateral thinking; and , for many thousands, indeed millions, of people worldwide, his name has since become a symbol of creativity and new thinking. He has written numerous books, which have been translated into 34 languages, and his advice is sought by Nobel laureates and world leaders alike. [Sources: Lateral Thinking (1967, ed. 2014) and Parallel Thinking (1994, ed. 2016)]

RATING

5 out of 5 (for both books)

REVIEW

My first encounter with de Bono's works was during an episode of the Kwik Brain Podcast that I listened to once.  Jim Kwik, the host of the podcast show, introduced a quirky yet amazing decision making method that I became interested in: the Six Hats Method.  Later on, I found out that de Bono actually had books to explain not only the said method, but also about whole systems of thinking that I unconsciously was already doing before.

Lateral Thinking and Parallel Thinking were two books that I actually didn't plan to buy before.  I was only looking for new books to read at a local bookstore when I saw de Bono's books pop out of the shelves.  I simply wanted to know what these books are about because of their interesting synopses.  It turns out that I would actually enjoy these two books.

The first book I read was Lateral Thinking.  I didn't know why, but I chose to read this first without any hesitation, but turned out to be beneficial for me because it would help me read Parallel Thinking later on.  Lateral Thinking brilliantly focuses on founding a new system of thought as a result of the failures of well-established systems of thought that showed up already.  de Bono successfully hooked my attention in exposing the flaws of the philosophies that the "golden trio" - Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle - once advocated for.  Whereas it had been once effective, de Bono provides strong arguments against its continued use.

Logical thinking, also referred to in the book as vertical thinking, is the system of thought that most of us have experienced using.  We often resorted to this way of thinking whenever we have to solve problems or come up with new ideas.  However, de Bono iterates that this way of thinking is the obstacle that hinders these.  He acknowledges that while vertical thinking can be useful to make sense of problems or ideas, it cannot guarantee anyone to solve problems more efficiently.

    "There is no harm in rationalizing a vertical-thinking path to the solution after it has been reached by lateral thinking.  The danger lies in assuming that because such a path can be constructed in retrospect, all problems can be solved as easily with vertical thinking as they might be with lateral thinking."

Having completed the first book I read, it becomes easier to understand how the concept behind the book (and idea of) Parallel Thinking plays out.  It also hinges on the fact that logical thinking can hinder our problem-solving processes as long as we only depend on it.  However, it emphasizes its focus more on the Socratic method rather than logical thinking itself.  Having read Plato before, I understood how Socrates used his method to establish "absolute truths", especially about the ethics of Western societies we came to know about.

As effective as the Socratic method was, they were never suited to deal with change.  de Bono notes that the Socratic method was designed during a time when Western philosophy (referring mostly to Greek philosophy) was dominated with philosophies that were, in nature, relativistic; as a result, essential truths about worldly matters were thought by many Greek philosophers to be subjective.  As Socrates, followed by Plato and Aristotle later on, formed his dialectic method, he wanted to go against the trends of his time and establish "absolute truths" about the world, thus challenging the relativistic views of philosophy during his time.  However, in today's world the nature of this method has brought about a rigidity of thought that can hinder many to solve different problems.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the concepts I learned from de Bono is the use of chance in thought.  I don't give a lot of attention to chance events as being significant before, but with the help of the book it helped me realize that even chance can significantly affect how problems are solved and ideas come into play.  

If you're looking to read the two books I suggest you start first with Lateral Thinking before proceeding with Parallel Thinking.  The former will help you gain a solid foundation that can easily hook you up to the latter, for the two thought systems are interconnected in so many ways.  They both target the weaknesses of logical thinking and its related methods while laying down closely similar solutions to address the flaws of logical thinking.  Overall, I can say that these 2 books are significantly great reads that anyone looking to breaking the limiting beliefs imposed by Western thinking.