Lateral Thinking for Every Day

71

Summary and conclusions

We have reviewed a battery of lateral thinking principles, examples, stories, methods and puzzles. Here is a brief summary of some of the key points that the book is designed to express.

1. Lateral thinking is an approach to problem solving which is open to everyone and in all fields.

2. For most challenges there is an opportunity to find a new and different solution. We should explore a legion of possibilities rather than accepting the first idea or the conventional approach.

3. We all make assumptions every day and in every situation, but these assumptions can seriously limit our ability to conceive new possibilities.

4. The best way to challenge assumptions is by asking fundamental, even childlike questions such as ‘Why are ...