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Lateral Thinking for Every Day
book

Lateral Thinking for Every Day

by Paul Sloane
January 2023
Intermediate to advanced
248 pages
3h 45m
English
Kogan Page
Content preview from Lateral Thinking for Every Day

15

When something unexpected happens, get curious

We often treat an unexpected or surprising happening as an irritation or distraction. It delays us from getting on with the job, so we quickly work around it. But sometimes it pays to step back and ponder the meaning of what serendipity has just handed us. Consider these unexpected occurrences.

  1. In New York in 1908 a tea merchant sent customers samples of tea leaves in small silken sachets for them to try. Customers were supposed to empty out the contents but instead some put the whole silk bag into the teapot and then added hot water.

  2. In 1928 a Scottish bacteriologist returned from his vacation to find that one of his Petri dishes had a strange mould growing in it.

  3. In the early 1940s a Swiss ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781398607958