Labs

Edward de Bono is one of the foremost experts in the field of lateral thinking and has written numerous books on the subject. Serious Creativity is a self-paced course presented by de Bono on how to "think out of the box" and thereby generate alternative ideas. This doesn't come naturally and can only be perfected by learning specific techniques

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of lateral thinking.

The course is divided into nine modules, with intriguing titles such as Alternatives, Focus, Challenge and Harvesting. The modules are narrated by de Bono, they are easy to listen to, have relevant graphics and last about 45 minutes each. Each module includes various exercises as well as a series of questions to test your comprehension.

However, the courseware is only part of the Serious Creativity software. Also in the package is a utility, IdeaPro, that you can use as part of the course and can be put into service afterwards as you start to use the techniques of lateral thinking in everyday situations.

At £69, Serious Creativity is good value for professional users but a bit pricy for home users, especially since the licence allows only one person to use it. This is a shame since creative thinking is a technique that can be applied to many areas of life, not just in business