Book excerpt: The last millennium has not been a great success. We have advanced in science and technology, but not much in human behaviour. Is it possible that this has been due to poor thinking? Edward de Bono maintains that the thinking of the last millennium has been concerned with WHAT IS. This is the thinking of analysis, criticism and argument. What we have not sufficiently developed is the thinking concerned with WHAT CAN BE. This is thinking that is creative and constructive, and which seeks to solve conflicts and problems by designing a way forward. The emphasis of his proposed new thinking is on design and not judgement.