Viking to give de Bono 'long overdue' boost

07.12.09 Benedicte Page in The Bookseller

Viking is rejacketing its Edward de Bono backlist in January to give the titles a fresh look and a series identity. De Bono, the creative thinking guru who invented the concept of lateral thinking, has published recent books with Vermilion, but Penguin’s titles—which date back to the 1970s—have almost all remained in print through the years, with some continuing to sell on in significant quantities.

Viking editorial director Joel Rickett said the "long overdue" repackage aimed at highlighting the books' mixed appeal across the self-help, education and business markets. "De Bono's books are about creative, lateral thinking in fresh, unusual ways, and about improving your productivity and effectiveness, either personally or in groups," he said.

“Six Thinking Hats is a book about how you can run meetings efficiently and is still selling 20,000 copies a year, while Lateral Thinking—which has its 40th anniversary in 2010—is particularly popular in industries like advertising.”

The new jackets all use a "keyhole" font to give the series brand identity and each has a strapline to clarify what it delivers—such as 'Run better meetings, make faster decisions' or 'Be more creative and productive'. The books also feature an endorsement from Richard Branson: 'An inspiring man with brilliant ideas. Edward de Bono never ceases to amaze with his clarity of thought'.

Viking’s January publication aims at the 'New Year, New You' promotions, and includes eight titles, all B-format paperbacks at £9.99. The full list is: Six Thinking Hats, Lateral Thinking, I am Right, You are Wrong, How to be More Interesting, Teach Your Child to Think, Simplicity and Teach Yourself How to Think.
The publisher is also reissuing Eric Berne’s classic Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships.