Simplicity is Edward de Bono's latest attempt to give the world a whole new way of thinking. Like his now well known 'lateral thinking', the concept is verging on the obvious and was simply waiting for de Bono to give it a catchy branding. Unlike lateral thinking, however, it has actually been in practice for some years in the form of business re-engineering - by definition a quest for simplification.

Despite the innate attraction of simplicity, de Bono's offering is in many ways naive. He chooses to ignore the complexity of human nature and in doing so misses out on its inherent beauty. Humanity is, and always will be, remarkably complex. Stringent 'simplification' by de Bono's 'National Simplicity Campaign' could be worrying if taken too far.

Simplicity is, through its use of illustrative examples and its easily digestible format, an enjoyable read that offers itself up for both approval and criticism. It is a valuable contribution to the arena of public thought, however one can't help but come away a little disappointed by the lack of a truly inspiring final outcome.

James Fergusson is a consultant at the Renaissance Strategy Group