Think!: Before It's Too Late

by Edward de Bono

The world is full of problems and conflicts. So why can we not solve them? According to Edward de Bono, world thinking cannot solve world problems because world thinking is itself the problem . And this is getting we are so accustomed to readily available information online that we search immediately for the answers rather than thinking about them. Our minds function like trying to drive a car using only one wheel. There's nothing wrong with that one wheel - conventional thinking - but we could all get a lot further if we used all four...

De Bono examines why we think the way we do from a historical perspective and uses some of his famous thinking techniques, such as lateral thinking, combined with new ideas to show us how to change the way we think. If we strengthen our ability and raise our thinking level, other areas of our life - both personal and business success - will improve.

De Bono is the master of the original big 'concept' book and his enticement to us to use our minds as constructively as possible should appeal to a whole new generation of fans.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Philosophy, Ebooks, Personal Development, Business

272 pages, ebook

Published October 1, 2010

About the author

Edward de Bono was 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.

Reviews

[Chris Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a grudging three stars. De Bono has an irritating writing style that relies heavily on repetition to get his message across. If I had read the term "Excellent but not enough" one more time I think I would have given this 1 star. But perhaps De Bono has worked out that this is how the brain works and it takes endless repetition to get his message into our thick skulls! Much of the book reads rather like a job resume for an egotistical self promoter. At one point I thought De Bono was going to claim peace in Northern Ireland as his own doing. I don't think I would like to be at a dinner party with this man. That said, I understand his arguments (whoops! argument is "excellent but not enough"!) and see the usefulness of a department of creative thinking being actively introduced as part and parcel of an organisation's structure in order to move forward. I particularly like the idea of creative thinking in conflict resolution since the alternative - argument (especially when delivered by lawyers) - seems to get us to destinations where we didn't want to go. This book is a useful summary of all the creative thinking methods De Bono has created and there is plenty of opportunity to continue your study with references to his earlier books, web sites and organisations who offer training in his methods.

[Hayat · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 65%

Some of the promised made in the blurb:

...De Bono examines why we think the way we do from a historical perspective and uses some of his famous thinking techniques combined with new ideas to show us how to change the way we think. If we strengthen our ability and raise our thinking level, other areas of our life ? both personal and business success ? will improve.

I got this audiobook through my library overdrive because I was curious and wanted to expand my reading habits and try nonfiction. But this book bored me to tears. The author, Edward de Bono is also the narrator and he just drones on and on about how lateral thinking is not the sae as creative thinking and the importance of lateral thinking in solving real world problems and conflicts. De Bono talks about how he has successfully taught this to a variety of people from all types of professions and applied it to real world issues: e.g.

#'I suggested this many years ago for the conflict in Northern Ireland. The conflict is now over.' (but no specifics on how this was accomplished is given).

He taught lateral thinking to struggling inner city school children and they passed their exams getting 70-90% and did so unexpectedly well that the children were investigated for cheating etc... (again no details about the practical methods used).

De Bono continues to recite the various astounding successes of his lateral thinking and the many fields it was used in and how it revolutionised thinking in china, oil drilling, business conferences and disaster relief organisations etc, etc! It was all too much and came across a bit boastful and arrogant and little off-putting. The author just goes on and on about himself like an old man looking back on all his adventures and accomplishments and doing the whole thing all-over again without realising he is just repeating everything again in a slightly different scenario.

One thing this book did not have was a clear exercise or instruction in lateral thinking. There were a few mentioned techniques but they've already been covered in previous book like Six Hats, Six Value Medals, and Six Action Shoes. He even has a previously published book on Lateral Thinking.

Ironically, for a book titled Think before i's too late, there's a lot of talking and reminiscent thoughts on past glories and no new ideas or practical applications on creative thinking and problem solving skills as promised.

I was pushing myself to finish this audiobook but there was no end to the author's self aggrandisement and very little thinking exercises that get to the point. I just couldn't force myself to continue listening to a book inflated with old ideas and recycled thoughts.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hugely frustrating book. It's the first of De Bono's books I've read; I picked it up in the library, attracted by the somewhat provocative title. I have come across some of his methods and tools (Six Hats, etc) but haven't explored them in any depth.

This book is largely a summary of his main tools and processes, and a manifesto for embracing change in the way we think. So it's certainly given me some idea of the books of his I want to look at. There are some really good and valid points in this book and I can totally see how and why his methods could work.

But. It's repetitive. Was this book designed to be dipped into rather than read straight? I can't think why so many anecdotes and examples had to be repeated. It wasn't effective in making the points. And oh my, it's self-aggrandising. I know that if you're writing a manifesto for the wider use of your tools/theories, you need to point to their successes, but come ON. This book contains literally pages of lists of people who've said nice things about him and awards he's won. He actually seems to say - unless I'm guilty of an uncharitable reading, and I don't think I am - that for 2,400 years, human thought did not advance, until De Bono came along to bring us enlightenment. Dude, really, that's something you should let other people say. To say it about yourself comes across as hubris.

So in summary, I'm interested in some of the ideas, I'll look into them, but if his other books are as self-congratulatory and repetitive as this one, I'll prepare myself for a lot of skipping.

[Mender · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my freaking god. If you pick this up, do not get it as an audiobook, because you will be unable to skip. Does this guy even have an editor? If he does, did that person somehow fail to realize the utter humiliation this book is?

Seriously, cut out the entire first cd (there are five cds and I didn't make it past 3).

It is nothing but the author sitting out on his front lawn having a wank in public.

There is nothing in it that offers any tips on thinking, or any content actually. It is De Bono masturbating contragulatorily to himself on his past 'successes' and how he's the only person to do any thinking for 2400 years. How do I remember this number? Because he repeated it at least a dozen times. Fuck me. This book is SO MUCH FUCKING REPETITION.

And you know what he's repeating? How people used his work. (What work? I've never heard of you, you pretentious asshole. Introduce the concept and then wank off about how the King of Samoa heard your system and thought about using it (and didn't actually use it)).

If you want to find out any of his ideas, skip this book and try something earlier where I can only assume he actually had ideas.

[Zaki Imtiaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thinking has improved!

Presiding a city chapter of a youth NGO working in Pakistan to inspire positive change in the society, this book has taught me tools to resolve conflicts in an effective and formal manner using six hats, to facilitate decisions using CORT and PMI tools and most importantly has enabled me to realize that idea creativity can be formalized through a process, and it is not always God gifted.

I appreciate that the author has appreciated Quran and Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon on him), the last prophet of Islam, as the greatest religious book and leader, respectively, who has taught to their followers about thinking.

[Abanoub Waheed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good enough 😒

[Abdurrahman AlQahtani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good ideas throughout the book, but my feeling is that it's a bunch of blog posts collected in the same field - the importance of thinking. What killed me as well, is the repetion of some of the facts and arguments. I guess De Bono's other books are better than this one!

[Robert Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's an idea - old people should get together with young people so that they can both learn from one another. This should be in the form of a legally binding contract - like an apprenticeship of life (rather than work).

There are benefits for both parties - the young would get the benefit of the wisdom of someone who is familiar with a route through life and has a good idea of the lay of the land, and the old would benefit from the vigour and energy of new ideas and technologically different approaches to old scenarios.

There should be no compulsion for either party to follow up on any advice or knowledge imparted, but there should be an ongoing respect for the other person's point of view - indeed, this should be the core of the relationship.

One person that I feel would really benefit from such an arrangement is Edward de Bono.

This book sees him looking back over his life and reviewing the ideas that he has had, the people to whom he has spoken and the ways in which he has changed thinking for the better. I might be wrong, but there's a palpable sense of sadness and frustration underlying these words. Here is a man who seems to feel that he hasn't been listened to as much as he should have been.

In my opinion - he needs a re-boot. He needs to do a Tom Jones (Reload) or a Carlos Santana (Supernatural) and get himself together with a whole bunch of energetic, strong-minded and even opinionated young people and he needs to use his ears as much as, if not more than his mouth.

Let's face it - this book is just a reiteration of the ideas from his earlier books. What he needs is a jump-start from younger minds. Maybe a link-up with Ricky Gervais, or someone of his ilk would be just the tonic he needs to re-ignite his fading star.

As I read this, I realise that I myself am approaching my time for a fresh impetus. I mean - just look at the examples I give: Tom and Carlos revitalised their careers in 1999 - that's a whole millennium ago. Similarly, how long ago did Ricky burst on the scene with The Office, and how many generations ago was that in terms of new, thrusting newcomers to the comedy scene?

The point though still remains - I might still regard Monty Python as being cutting edge comedy, but at least I'm aware of that. On the other hand, Edward de Bono still doesn't seem to have caught on.

But hey - maybe he's reading this right now in the middle of an 'A' Level Philosophy class at a college near you, as he eyes up that mouthy but brilliant maverick student with a bouncing line in rhetoric.

I expect good things of you Eddie - go to it!

[Esraa Muhamed]

There's a language problem with our understanding of the word " creativity". as we understand it ,if you create something that wasn't there before , then you are creative. but this may not necessarily be a good thing. you may have just created a mess.
this leads to the notion that creativity is just being different for the sake of being different which is what far too many creative people believe.
if doors are normally rectangular and you suggest a triangular door , that isn't creative unless you can show value for the new shape.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

" You can analyse the past but you have to design the future ".
Edward de Bono

I love to begin with something from the book, to show ppl what they r missing.

It enlighten my mind.

after reading it and changing my concepts, my soul i suppose from inside to outside, so i can say it does change my life.

[Karim Metwally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't continue it, I reach half of the book and then it was enough, the book could be much much smaller, it's more advertising to his other books and advertising himself.

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's inspiring if this is your first de Bono book. Otherwise it is more of the same: updating your thinking software, critical thinking is excellent but not good enough. It gives a good perspective on how the current ways of thinking came to be and why they are not sufficient.

[Tom Ashton · Rating 2 out of 5]

One big brag about the guy's work. Rife with name dropping and cheap marketing ploys. Raised one interesting technique called "The 6 Hats" which I might look into further.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think! argues that most people confuse information and criticism with real thinking. De Bono makes the case for deliberate creativity, stronger perception, and practical tools like lateral thinking and the Six Thinking Hats to generate better ideas, solve conflict, and design the future instead of merely judging the past. Sharp, useful, and still highly relevant.

[أحمد صيدم · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book, Think Before It’s Too Late, Edward De Bono criticizes our complacency about the quality of our human thinking. He does affirm that the currently used thinking methods are good, but not enough. Throughout the book’s chapters, De Bono provides examples of the new way of thinking he suggests, which he calls “lateral thinking”. Among the several thinking methods he created, Six Hats method is seen as one of the most famous and effective of all. De Bono introduces the Six Hats as a practical alternative for argument. Instead of wasting time and effort in arguing about something mainly to prove one’s rightness, he offers the the Six Hats as an exploratory method for peoples’ different ways of thinking or perspectives.

Another important aspect De Bono criticizes is the futility of the worldwide education systems. He claims, and I think he is completely right, that education is all about knowledge and information. While no one can diminish the importance of information as it aids human thinking; however, the education process should not focus only on collecting information. The main purpose of education should focus on improving human thinking and helping him acquire skills. Universities, for example, should pool their efforts to help students acquire invaluable skills like; information literacy, thinking skills, people skills and professional skills.

The book is good in general but it is conservative in revealing its secrets. It is clear that De Bono has got some really original thoughts, but he is reluctant to share them in details in one book. He talks about his new thinking methods but he does not tell us how to use them. Any way, I recommend reading the book.

[Luana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did not finish this book. I got about halfway through the first chapter (on audiobook) before I had to give up.

Why, you ask, did I not get even to the second chapter? Was it the ridiculously pessimistic blanket statements about how we, the whole of society, have neglected "creativity" for the last century or two? Was it the unsubstantiated claims about how thinking (yes, thinking itself) is apparently on the decline? Could it have been the audiobook narrator who keeps smacking his lips together very loudly at the beginning of each paragraph?

I tried to get through at least the first chapter, I really did. I sat through de Bono's smug anecdotes about how people listened to just half an hour of his award-winning lateral thinking strategies, and then went on to greatness (there was a Nobel Prize somewhere in there). I sat through his later explanation that these anecdotes were, in fact, crucial to understanding his point and were therefore not a form of bragging (why not both?). I wanted desperately to get to the point, even just *a* point of some kind, that wasn't just another repetition of de Bono's vague concerns that we no think good. But I've determined that ultimately it's less important for me to finish this book than it is for me to be happy for the remainder of the day. Back to the library with you, little book.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came away with about three good ideas from this really quick and repetitive read: that there are tools to teach and foster creativity, (and not just artistic creativity, but also idea creativity), argument and logic are not the best methods for coming up with ideas and implementing thinking frameworks (DeBono's 6 Thinking Hats) is another, and perhaps more effective method of generating ideas and possibilities, and that we can improve what we perceive by directing our perceptions rather than being pulled by them. The ideas and the information in this book are worth 5 stars but the writing is closer to 2. While DeBono justifies his boasting about his theories, experience and techniques so that the reader knows that he and his ideas are credible, and indeed they are, it does get a little tiresome at times. The concepts however make this a really useful book for both the professional and personal life.

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call #: 153.4 DE BONO E

Adam: 4 stars


I came away with about three good ideas from this really quick and repetitive read: that there are tools to teach and foster creativity, (and not just artistic creativity, but also idea creativity), argument and logic are not usually the best methods for generating ideas and possibilities and implementing thinking frameworks (DeBono's 6 Thinking Hats) is another more effective method, and that we can improve what we perceive by directing our perceptions rather than being pulled by them. The ideas and the information in this book are worth 5 stars but the writing is closer to 2. While DeBono justifies his boasting about his theories, experience and techniques so that the reader knows that he and his ideas are credible, and indeed they are, it does get a little tiresome at times. The concepts however make this a really useful book for both the professional and personal life.

[Adina David · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the premise of the book is interesting and I like the passion Edward de Bono has for thinking, this book was extremely frustrating to read.

The way he is always saying "my thinking", "my methods" makes me want to punch something. I understand that he needs to prove that the methods work, but he is far too full of himself.

For example: "I suggested this many years ago for the conflict in Northern Ireland. The conflict is now over."

Or: "Today the Chinese government is doing pilot projects with my school work in five provinces. If they like the results, it may be put into millions of schools."

*eye roll*

Also, I hate it when authors are self-promoting in the extreme. I think every chapter has at least three other references to other books he had written. Ok, we get it, you wrote 80 books.

All in all, the book has many valid points, but they are overshadowed by de Bono's giant ego.

[Kirsty Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was frustrating. There are absolute great ideas in it which have changed the way I think and helped me to be more creative. But then there is what other reviewers have mentioned; repetitiveness and an attitude that suggest the entire world's problems would be fixed if everyone just listened to de Bono. At one point he genuinely tries to imply his ideas are the reason behind the conflict ending in Northern Ireland. I would recommend reading this if you are really wanting to improve your creative thinking skills as there are some gems in there, but overall the execution and attitude ruined some great content.

[Sanath Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just liked it... His thoughts are matching with my favorite author, thinker - Jiddu Krishnamurti. Some of the interesting questions which enables us to think are "Why do we think the way we do? How can we change our thinking habits to address global issues? What will happen if we aren't willing to change? is creativity a talent or a skill? If it is a skill how to acquire it? what shall we be creative about? Where do we want new ideas? why do we think differently when we provoked by someone? How do you make a practical choice?

[Hussam · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The computer takes 40 hours to go through all the ways (this was tested some years ago; today's computers will be faster but the concept is the same). With 11 items of clothing, there are 39,916,800 ways of getting dressed."
As soon as I read this I felt like chucking the book across the room as De Bono is describing a simple factorial. My misgivings about the book were confirmed that it is nothing more than an advertisement for the "De Bono system of thinking". Highly disappointed. Don't bother to read.

[Syed Hussain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives away some useful tricks on how to think creatively (not in artistic sense), rightly points out how we should focus more on Thinking and enhance our thinking skills as it has been neglected as a subject for ages now... but overall a disappointing read, as the writer is more interested in advertising his other books more than focusing on the book at hand, most of the places he's just giving teasers to other books he has written...which doesn't really leave a good impression.

[Sherry]

A little full of himself but a very passionate call to all to think more laterally, creatively and proactively. Good review of his techniques like the six thinking hats and for me, a great complimentary additional tool is appreciative inquiry. To actively promoting and engaging in this ability and right to think for all of us in our world today--and tomorrow!

[Abdulsalam Alali · Rating 2 out of 5]

بشكل عام الكتاب جيد وفيه عدة افكار ممتازة
.. مالم يعجبني ف الكتاب عموما هو كثرة تقسيماته بحيث أن الكاتب لم بتعمق في كل قسم -فقط اعطى معلومات سطحية وختم!!- .. أيضا يوجد تكرار كثير وتسويق لمنتجات الكاتب الأخرى وانجازاته بشكل مزعج!!

[Catherine Oughtibridge]

De Bono's ideas sometimes make me think, but I find his writing frustrating, repetitive, and irritating. Maybe I lack patience. I tend to believe that if the idea is good enough, it doesn't need such a publicity campaign.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insupportable auteur. L'impression de lire un bouquin de promotion autour de quelques idées qui pourraient se résumer en trois pages en tout.

Ecoeurement.

[Soha Nagy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a complete waste of time, a person who is bragging about his life and courses he delivered. But across the book i had no meaningful ideas or anything.

[Bharath Reddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not read this!

[Alfred Lotho · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sections were not very organized and it seems like they were just blog posts/daily journals that were put together.