Edward de Bono, renowned psychologist and author known for 'lateral thinking' techniques, passes away aged 88

Noted psychologist, academician and writer Edward de Bono, who is popularly known as the "Father of Lateral Thinking", passed away yesterday. A note on his website read: It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Dr Edward de Bono, 88, the originator of the term Lateral Thinking has passed away peacefully.""Edward de Bono lived an extraordinary life, inspiring, encouraging and enabling us to be better and more creative thinkers. He wrote in his book The Mechanism of Mind: 'A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.' May the memory of Edward live on and inspire many future generations," the note further read.His funeral will be held in his home country of Malta and a memorial at a later date in the UK.Born on 19 May, 1933 in Saint Julian's Bay, Malta, De Bono finished his medical school in Malta and went to Christ Church, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar where he gained his MA degrees in psychology and physiology and a DPhil in medicine. He also had a PhD degree from Trinity College, Cambridge along with a bunch of other honorary degrees from several prestigious institutions across the globe. He also held faculty appointments at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard universities and was a professor at the universities of Malta, Pretoria, Central England and Dublin.The Planet DE73 was named Edebono in his honour. He was also conferred with Malta’s National Order of Merit in 1995.De Bono has more than 85 books to his credit that were translated into around 46 languages across the globe. Some of his major works include The Mechanism of Mind (1969), Six Thinking Hats (1985), How to Have A Beautiful Mind (2004) and Think! Before It’s Too Late (2009).De Bono coined the term "Lateral Thinking" and devised techniques for changing perceptions and generating ideas. The "Six Thinking Hats" — another method developed by de Bono helps individuals and groups to be more receptive to new ideas and look at them more constructively — using the lens of creativity and inclusivity. De Bono's methods and thinking tools have been used by leading corporations (Motorola, IBM and Boeing among some of them), governments, leaders, sportsmen and even school children.​