Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono Summary
Overview of Six Thinking Hats
Revolutionize your thinking with "Six Thinking Hats" - the method that transformed decision-making worldwide. Richard Branson swears by de Bono's colored hat system that untangles mental chaos. What if switching metaphorical hats could solve your most complex problems in minutes?
Similar books to Six Thinking Hats
Feel the book through the author's voice
Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights
Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning
Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way
Key takeaways
Thinking in Color: The Revolutionary Six Hats Method
Imagine walking into a meeting where arguments fly, emotions run high, and progress stalls. Now picture that same meeting transformed - participants seamlessly exploring facts, expressing feelings, evaluating risks, finding benefits, generating creative solutions, and organizing the process without conflict. This transformation isn't fantasy but reality through Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats method. This approach has cut meeting times by 75% at IBM and helped solve a $100,000-per-day oil rig problem in just twelve minutes. From corporations like Microsoft to preschool classrooms, this method represents the first fundamental change to human thinking in over 2,300 years, challenging the argumentative Western thinking tradition established by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Our brains struggle when trying to be creative, analytical, factual, and emotional simultaneously. Research shows that attempting to juggle multiple thinking modes can reduce our effectiveness in each by up to 40%. The Western thinking tradition focuses primarily on argument, critique, and "what is" rather than "what could be." While this tradition has served scientific advancement and logical reasoning well, it neglects the constructive, creative aspects of thinking that design ways forward. Many cultures, particularly in Asia, find argument aggressive and non-constructive, which explains their ready adoption of parallel thinking through the Six Hats method. Instead of four people arguing about which side of a house represents the "correct" view, parallel thinking has them all walk together to each side, examining the same perspective simultaneously.
The Foundation: White and Red Hats
Critical Assessment: The Black Hat
Constructive Optimism: The Yellow Hat
Creative Possibilities: The Green Hat
Process Management: The Blue Hat
Implementing Six Thinking Hats in Your Life
Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to Six Thinking Hats Summary in 9 Minutes
Break down key ideas from Six Thinking Hats into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.
Flash Card Mode - Top 10 Insights from Six Thinking Hats in a Nutshell
Distill Six Thinking Hats into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.
Fun Mode - Six Thinking Hats Lessons Told Through 22-Min Stories
Experience Six Thinking Hats through vivid storytelling that turns Pixar’s innovation lessons into moments you’ll remember and apply.
Personalize Mode - Read or listen to Six Thinking Hats Summary in 0 Minutes
Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Get the Six Thinking Hats summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.