Think!: Before It's Too Late

Edward de Bono presents a urgent manifesto on the profound limitations of humanity's dominant thinking systems. He argues that our global crises—from political conflicts to environmental collapse—are not merely failures of will or morality, but failures of thought itself. The book traces the historical roots of our "argument culture" to the Greek tradition of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, a system brilliant for analysis and criticism but fundamentally barren when it comes to design, creation, and proactive problem-solving. This adversarial model, now amplified by legal and political institutions, traps us in a cycle of proving points rather than building solutions.

De Bono meticulously dismantles the notion that argument is the pinnacle of intelligence, proposing instead that it is merely one tool—and an inadequate one for the novel challenges of the modern world. He introduces the core concept of "operacy": the skill of effective action, which requires moving beyond knowing to doing, and beyond criticism to construction. The book serves as a gateway to his broader canon of thinking techniques, notably Lateral Thinking, which provides deliberate methods for escaping perceptual prisons and generating alternative ideas. He contrasts the passive, reactive nature of judgment with the active, generative process of design thinking.

The final sections outline a pragmatic program for cognitive change, advocating for the formal teaching of thinking as a skill in education and the establishment of dedicated creative departments within organizations. De Bono envisions a shift from a culture obsessed with "being right" to one committed to "getting it right," where the focus is on designing forward rather than arguing about the past. The book is aimed at leaders, educators, and any individual who senses that our collective thinking is failing to meet the complexity of our times, offering not just critique but a concrete methodology for building a more generative and effective intelligence.

Readers acknowledge the book's vital core premise—that our thinking systems are fundamentally flawed—but are sharply divided on its execution. Many find it a repetitive and self-promotional summary of de Bono's earlier work, criticizing an irritatingly circular writing style and a tone that borders on egotistical. Yet, even frustrated reviewers concede the undeniable utility of his frameworks, particularly the application of creative thinking to conflict resolution and organizational structure, which compels them to recommend it despite its stylistic flaws.