Desperate and Appauling

Lateral Thinking for Every Day

We discuss Paul's new book, Lateral Thinking for Every Day.  Together with a lateral thinking puzzle and some humour and examples.

Recommended Reading for Lateral Listeners

Paul and Des select and discuss their favourite fiction and non-fiction books.  The choices range from John Buchan's 39 Steps to Tim Harford's Messy. Have you read these books and do you agree with the selections?  There are also a couple of lateral puzzles to chew over.
          
 
 

Six Great Lateral Thinkers

Paul reveals his selection of the greatest lateral thinkers in history. Some of the choices surprise Des.  All the stories are taken from the book, Think Like an Innovator, published by Pearson.  Also the solution to the previous puzzle and a new lateral thinking puzzle.  

Coincidences

We discuss the strange world of coincidences ranging from births and deaths to dreams and meetings.  Is it just chance or are there mysterious forces at work?  We give the answers to the puzzles in the last episode and we set a lovely new puzzle - If I have a bee in my hand, what do I have in my eye?

Language and Words of Irish Origin

We examine some words of Irish origin in the English language including trousers, tory, kibosh and craic. Taken from 1234 Wacky, Witty and Wonderful Words. Also two puzzles. What is the only English word ending in MT? What word has six letters but if you take away one letter you are left with twelve?

1001 Silly Questions, Boris Johnson Jokes and More Puzzles

Des introduces three recent books. 1001 Silly Questions features funny, provocative or silly questions.  The Official Boris Johnson Joke Book is hot off the press.  Number and Letter Puzzles includes many puzzles of the 26 L of the EA type.  There is a solution to the vanishing town puzzle. And a new puzzle; what is 59 B on an R?

How to be a Brilliant Thinker

We discuss Paul's books, How to be a Brilliant Thinker, Think Like an Innovator and The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills.  There are also solutions to previous puzzles, a joke and a new puzzle about a vanishing town.

Kick Yourself Puzzles

Des and Paul share some super riddles from the book, Kick Yourself Puzzles, published by Sterling Publishing.
A riddle for listeners:
Moses was the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter,
He was also the daughter of the Pharaoh’s son.
How can this be?
Answer in the next podcast.

Wonderful Words and a Lateral Thinking Puzzle

 
Paul and Des discuss some wonderful words ranging from banshee to crepuscular.  They tell a couple of jokes and Des poses a new lateral thinking puzzle for Paul to chew over. Puzzle for listeners, find an anagram for THE CLASSROOM.

World's Best Word Puzzles

Des and Paul chat about unusual words, palindromes, anagrams, jokes and much more.  It features items from their book, World's Best Word Puzzles, which is a delight for word lovers everywhere.  The book has some 320 quiz questions and word puzzles.
Puzzle for listeners. Which word starts with seven consonants and ends with nine?
Answer in next podcast.