Famous for coining the term "lateral thinking," this Maltese-born doctor and author published dozens of popular books on the topics of logic and mental processing, including Six Thinking Hats (1985); The Mechanism of the Mind (1969); and New Thinking for the New Millennium (1999).

Before Fame

During his early adulthood years, he graduated from the University of Malta and went on to study physiology and psychology at Oxford University and medicine at Cambridge University. He earned additional advanced degrees from the University of Dundee and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Trivia

By 2015, his popular books had been translated into close to forty languages.

Family Life

He was born and raised in Malta, and he later taught in England, the United States, and Ireland.

Associated With

De Bono's theories and publications have been harshly criticized by the prominent psychologist Robert Sternberg.