Edward de Bono, M.D., M.A., D.Phil., Ph.D., D.Des Author, Innovator and Designer of Thinking tools Edward de Bono is regarded as the world’s leading international authority on both creative thinking and the direct teaching of thinking. Edward de Bono is the orginator of the concept of lateral thinking, which is attributed to him in the Oxford English Dictionary. He is also the inventor of the new word po, which signals provocations. Born in Malta, Edward de Bono was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford and has held faculty appointments at Oxford, Cambridge, London and Harvard. He is an M.D. with a Ph.D. in psychology and physiology. His medical background in biological information systems inspired him and enabled him not only to teach thinking but also to design thinking methods. Although Edward de Bono’s methods are based on a fundamental understanding of how the brain handles information, the methods are designed to be very simple and practical. "powerful simplicity" is the key characteristic of de Bono methods. He has written over 78 books, and his work has been translated into over 40 languages. He has made two television series that have been shown around the world. Edward de Bono was recently honoured by the European Association for Creativity and Innovation. A star (planet) was named after him. The name was issued by the Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. In 2002 Edward de Bono was honoured by the Melbourne Royal Institute of Design and by the University of Pretoria. Edward de Bono’s client list includes the top five corporations in the world and such well-known names as Citicorp, Prudential, Motorola, Federal Express, DuPont, Procter & Gamble, Kodak, Siemens, NTT (Japan), Ericsson (Sweden), Ciba-Geigy (Switzerland), BHP (Australia), Total (France), Heineken (Netherlands), Montedison (Italy), and Kuwait Oil Company (Kuwait). Edward de Bono has been credited with producing thinking techniques that are simple, practical, usable, and powerful. Author, Innovator and Designer of Thinking tools This best-selling author who has done work in 45 countries is referred to as a creative genius. His techniques can change an entire company culture by teaching employees to think in a new manner, which creates behavioural changes. His lectures have tantalized and intrigued audiences worldwide. His sense of humour not only entertains but makes his points memorable. Edward de Bono has been the keynote speaker at many corporate meetings and retreats. Several corporations that have invited him to speak have also invited their suppliers and vendors to attend so that they all would be on the same level. He has given many keynote presentations at conferences, conventions, and annual association meetings.