Handbook for the Positive Revolution

by Edward de Bono

Book Overview

Progress, maintains Edward de Bono--whether on a personal or global scale--depends on thinking and behavior that are positive and constructive. The world today is undergoing dramatic, often violent... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670830127
• ISBN13: 9780670830121
• Release Date: July 1992
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 175 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A deceptively simple collection of positive life strategies

With a clear simple title and a bright yellow cover, "Handbook for the Positive Revolution" is packed with practical, constructive and enlightening ideas to help change your world and the world of those around you. Dr. de Bono distinguishes between two types of revolution, the negative revolutions of the past and the positive revolution, which some people might feel has continued to develop since this book was published in 1991. De Bono suggests that those who wish to create a more positive future could do well to turn away from traditional "I am right - you are wrong" thinking. In negative revolutions of the past (e.g. the Marxist fight against capitalism) there is an enemy to be hated, this hatred giving cohesion and energy to the revolutionaries. With a positive revolution however, there is construction instead of attack, design instead of criticism, change through awareness instead of change through violence. A flexible sense of humour is proposed instead of an inflexible ideology! Five basic principles are outlined: effectiveness, constructive, respect, self-improvement, contribution. The proposed positive revolution is certainly not a passive one. Self-improvement suggestions include learning new skills (anything from learning a new language to starting up a new business) and becoming better at anything you are doing. The section on respect draws on the Chinese wisdom of Confucius, who claimed that if everyone behaved properly towards other people, civilization would work. Although some of the slogans and symbols towards the end are a bit gimmicky for my taste, I continue to dip into this deceptively simple book for positive inspiration, many years after I bought it.

Direct, practical steps to a positive future for the world

Edward de Bono describes a model for people to work with individually and together to build a better future. It is simple and practical rather than descriptive and preachy. Buy this book if you haven't yet given up hope