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Paul Sloane

Goodreads Author

Born

in Johnstone, Scotland, The United Kingdom

Website

http://destination-innovation.com

Genre

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Business & Investing

Influences

Noel Chavasse

Member Since

October 2008

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Paul Sloane read Engineering at Trinity Hall Cambridge. He came top of Sales School at IBM, became MD of Ashton-Tate UK, VP International for MathSoft and CEO of Monactive. He now writes, speaks and gives workshops on lateral thinking in business, creativity, innovation and leadership. He is married and lives in Camberley in Surrey. He has three grown-up daughters. He is a keen chess and tennis player and he plays keyboards in a rock band, the Fat Cats. He has written a series of lateral thinking puzzle books, many co-authored with Des MacHale, published by Sterling Publishing. They have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into many languages. He has also written two management books, published by Kogan Page, and many articles fo ...more

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Combine Editions
Paul Sloane’s books

Average rating: 3.76 · 1,157 ratings · 139 reviews · 80 distinct works • Similar authors

	How to be a Brilliant Thinker: Exercise Your Mind and Find Creative Solutions 3.82 avg rating — 178 ratings — published 2010 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Myron Miller (Illustrator) 3.94 avg rating — 158 ratings — published 1991 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills: Unlocking the Creativity and Innovation in You and Your Team 3.79 avg rating — 104 ratings — published 2003 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Great Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Des MacHale 3.76 avg rating — 75 ratings — published 1994	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Challenging Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Des MacHale, Myron Miller (Illustrations) 3.57 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 1993	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Des MacHale, Myron Miller (Illustrator) 3.73 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 1996 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowdsourcing: Advice from Leading Experts in the Field 3.95 avg rating — 41 ratings — published 2011 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Improve Your Lateral Thinking: Puzzles To Challenge Your Mind by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Des MacHale 3.74 avg rating — 42 ratings — published 1995	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lateral Thinking for Every Day: Extraordinary Solutions to Ordinary Problems 3.71 avg rating — 41 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Outstanding Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author), Des MacHale 3.61 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Paul Sloane's Blog

The Benefits of Being Unpredictable

Unpredictability, when used deliberately rather than recklessly, is one of the most underrated sources of power in human behaviour, strategy, and creativity. The core advantage is straightforward: if others cannot reliably anticipate your next move, they cannot easily counter it. This creates space for innovation and competitive advantage. Across business, sports, art, and even geopolitics, the in

Paul is Currently Reading

Paul Sloane is currently reading

Real Tigers (Slough House, #3)

by Mick Herron

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Paul Sloane is currently reading Real Tigers (Slough House, #3) by Mick Herron	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2 hours, 34 min ago · like
Paul Sloane made a comment on The Art of Unexpected Solutions: Using Lateral Thinking to Find Breakthroughs — The Art of Unexpected Solutions by Paul Sloane How Can Lateral Thinking Create Breakthroughs in Real-World Challenges? " Lara wrote: "Which theme interests you most innovation mindset, divergent thinking, lateral thinking, business experimentation, or business transforma ...more "
May 23, 2026 01:40AM
Paul Sloane rated a book really liked it Chance: The science and secrets of luck, randomness and probability (New Scientist) by Michael Brooks	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a series of essays by experts so it is rather disjointed and at times repetitive. Some parts are easy to read and some are pretty heavy. But it does contain some fascinating insights. Worth the effort.
Apr 14, 2026 02:18PM · like · see review
Paul Sloane rated a book really liked it An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An intriguing old-fashioned whodunnit set in an isolated country hotel. Contrived and clunky at times, but enjoyable and easy to read.
Apr 05, 2026 11:46PM · like · see review
Paul Sloane rated a book it was amazing The Art of Unexpected Solutions: Using Lateral Thinking to Find Breakthroughs by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
How many times has something unexpected shaped your life? The world is unpredictable and we need to adapt to welcome the unexpected and to foster the conditions where serendipity will favour you. This book shows you how. It is packed with stories, ex ...more
Mar 20, 2026 03:46PM · 1 like · like · see review
Paul Sloane rated a book liked it The Litigators by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a solid legal drama but I found it mostly slow and dull. The initial premise is hard to believe. Not one of his best.
Mar 09, 2026 01:05AM · like · see review
Paul Sloane rated a book it was amazing The Art of Unexpected Solutions: Using Lateral Thinking to Find Breakthroughs by Paul Sloane (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
How many times has something unexpected shaped your life? The world is unpredictable and we need to adapt to welcome the unexpected and to foster the conditions where serendipity will favour you. This book shows you how. It is packed with stories, ex ...more
Mar 09, 2026 01:05AM · 1 like · like · see review
Paul Sloane rated a book really liked it The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A very clever book that starts slowly as a political discourse then transforms into a whodunnit and then has a book within a book. It mixes narrators and styles. I enjoyed it but did not find it totally convincing
Jan 15, 2026 08:43AM · 1 like · like · see review
Paul Sloane recommended The Proof of My Innocence to Mindy Gibbins-Klein The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 15, 2026 08:43AM · like
Paul Sloane rated a book really liked it The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A very clever book that starts slowly as a political discourse then transforms into a whodunnit and then has a book within a book. It mixes narrators and styles. I enjoyed it but did not find it totally convincing
Jan 15, 2026 08:41AM · 1 like · like · see review