HONEST ABE'S
NLP BOOK REVIEWS
 

Written and Produced
by Andy Bradbury
 
(author of "Develop Your NLP Skills", "Successful Presentation Skills", etc.)


Reviews: Part 11  
 
 

All pages on this site were prepared using WinHTML


The Title
Name(s) of the Author(s)
Publisher and ISBN Number [this will be for the paperback version except where the number ends with (Hb)]

NLP in 21 Days
Alder and Heather
Piatkus  0-7499-2030-0
As a regular reader/reviewer of NLP books (and would-be NLP books) I'm beginning to spot certain warning signs that suggest that a book might not be all it seems.

The first such sign is a subtitle that makes highly ambiguous promises.  The subtitle to this book - on the front cover but not on the title page - is "A COMPLETE INTRODUCTION AND TRAINING PROGRAMME".  This is, of course, a patent example of vague language.  How can we possibly define what is a "complete introduction" to NLP - which is the implication though not the precise wording?  In Introducting NLP, the authors give what they describe as a 'Three Minute Seminar' on NLP.  That might equally qualify as a "complete introduction" to NLP, depending on your interpretation of the words "complete" and "introduction".
And does the word "complete" apply to "introduction" only, or to the rest of the subtitle?  In either case I'd seriously question its accuracy.

Secondly, I am becoming increasingly wary of comments like "this is a breakthrough book", etc.  In the case of NLP in 21 Days we are told, in the Foreward, that:

"Dr Harry Alder and Beryl Heather have synthesised the NLP practitioner information and brought a new clarity to the field. ... While Harry and Beryl are not the developers of NLP, they play a critical role in moving NLP to the next level."

More vague language - and sadly from two well-respected practitioners of NLP.  In what way have the authors "brought a new clarity to the field"?  What is "the next level", and what have the authors done to move NLP anywhere?  And is any of this supposed to apply to the book, or to Adler and Heather's training/consultancy work?  There are similar comments of a similar nature later in the Foreward, but I think you've got the point.

What the book actually amounts to is a rather verbose but almost competent introduction to the absolute basics of NLP.  It is in no way a "training programme" for exactly the same reason that no book can equal a training programme - human beings learn very little just by reading about it.  Especially in this particular field of activity.

I say "almost competent" for at least two reasons.  In the first place I personally found the writing uninspired - it conveyed nothing of the 'magic' of NLP.  Not only that, but having decided to write the whole book in E-Prime (a fad if ever there was one!) the authors seem unable to avoid the kind of sentence construction that NLP highlights as being the basis of poor communication.  For example, what does this passage mean:

"Our personal mind programmes (sic) constitute the 'map'.  They include so-called 'meta programmes' (sic), our higher-level thinking patterns such as our values, beliefs and other personality traits."

Is that supposed to mean that our "personal mind programmes" include meta programs and our "higher-level thinking patterns"; or does it mean that " 'meta programmes' (sic)" are "higher-level thinking patterns"?
Why is 'meta programs' spelt 'meta programmes'?  Are the authors not aware that the 'program' in 'meta program' is adopted from computing terminology?
We might also ask why the authors refer to them as "so-called 'meta programmes'(sic)"?  Do they mean to imply that meta programs aren't really meta programs in some sense?  (And is that why meta programs are almost totally ignored in this so-called "complete introduction"?)

My second criticism is a little more serious - namely, that the author's don't always seem to know what they are talking about.
For example, there are several references (more than the 6 referenced in the Index) to left and right brain activity, such as:

"This calls upon natural, 'right brain' intuitive skills ..."

Surely this myth of exclusivity in left and right brain activities was laid to rest years ago?  So why are the authors still propogating such misinformation?

Other examples of this trend include the grossly exaggerated claim that:

"Neuro-Linguistic Programming builds on the ideas of the anthropologist Gregory Bateson."
The notion that "Auditory Digital" is a representational system in its own right (thus VAKAdOG), and the seemingly confused section on Switching Submodalities where the authors quite rightly observe that:
"Association tends to intensify a feeling.  Conversely, recalling a traumatic experience in a dissociated way will typically cause less pain ..."

but only after suggesting that the reader switch to the associated state when recalling an unhappy memory in order to apply "the 'happiness code' to the content.  Such switching may work well under the guidance of an experienced NLPer, but I seriously doubt the wisdom of recommending this course of action to a complete beginner.

And why does the discussion of The Convincer Strategy (day 17) cover convincer modes but not convincer channels?

Having said all that, its only fair to mention that there are several passages in the text which must stand out as worthwhile in anybody's book (!).  I'm particularly thinking of the section entitled Soft Front Ends, which gives some very useful advice on how to ask meta model questions with sensitivity; of the exercises at the end of the chapter on metaphors; and of ALIGNMENT, a section which demonstrates how to apply the idea of neurological levels to real life situations.

Unfortunately, for the reasons stated above I really wouldn't be happy about recommending this book to a complete novice.  And unless you are a complete novice I can't see any reason to read something this basic.  Especially when you consider that O'Connor and Seymour's Introducing NLP is more accurate, more complete, and cheaper!
In short, definitely 'Not Recommended'.

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Communication Excellence
Ian R. McLaren
Crown House  1-899836-39-X
According to the author, this book is aimed at managers, including those who may have no prior knowledge of NLP.  I think he's mistaken, seriously mistaken.  But I'm not prepared to write the book off on that score.

The author, we're told (both on the back cover and in the Introduction) has been an investment manager, an investment controller and planner, a finance director and a consultant.  I'm surprised, then, that he seriously imagines that the average manager is going to have the time or the patience to work his or her way through this gently rambling text.  In my experience, both as a manager and, more importantly, through talking to numerous managers, they want concise, brief, readily accessible instructional material.  And except in a few isolated patches this book fits none of those criteria.

Communication Excellence, subtitled "Using NLP To Supercharge Your Business Skills", is structured in the form of ten one day courses delivered to a group of senior executives of the hypothetical Whizzitts Ltd.  (The company makes, surprise, surprise, 'whizzitts' - though we never discover what whizzetts are (high speed widgets, perhaps?)).  This is an interesting idea and well executed, and realistic enough to have been the transcript of a real course (though the author tells me it's entirely fictional).

Leaving aside the 'illustrations' - a collection of mediocre cartoons that range from the redundant to the outright grotesque - the author has what I would describe as a delightfully English eccentric style.  Unfortunately, whilst it is highly readable, it is not well-suited to clear explanation.  A two page handout on John McWhirter's Basic Fractal Language Model is 'explained' in less than one full page of text.  The description of 'anchoring', on the other hand, goes on for several pages yet never explains exactly how to set an anchor; indeed, it doesn't even mention that the trigger for an anchor should initially be set before the experience to be anchored reaches its peak, and released as the experience reaches its peak.

Even more importantly, both John McWhirter's Foreword and the author's Introduction seem to be saying that this is a good do-it-yourself book.  What they don't tell you is that most of the exercises assume that the 'trainee' will have at least one, maybe two and occasionally even three assistants on hand.  These exercises make up a sizeable partof the text, but unless the reader has at least one collaborator to assist in carrying out the exercises, they might just as well be blank spaces.

No, I can see how readers wanting to run basic NLP courses might find this book to be full of interesting material.  But a beginners' or managerial guide?  I find that very, very hard to imagine.
Qualified recommendation to would-be trainers with a reasonable amount of prior knowledge * * *

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Making the Message Clear
James Eicher
Grinder, DeLozier & Associates  1-55552-048-0
This is a short book, just 123 pages, including the References section, yet it outshines many of its larger competitors in that the author sets himself a sensible, well-defined goal - and achieves it

From the Foreword, by John Grinder, we learn that James Eicher was one of Bandler and Grinder's "whiz kids" (Grinder's expression and spelling) at the time when NLP was still in its initial phase of development.  Not surprisingly, then, the section entitled About The Author notes that "Many of the tools presented in Making The Message Clear are based on the exciting and innovative field of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)."
Indeed, in his Preface Eicher goes one step further, asserting that "The model presented in Making The Message Clear is an enhancement over the original NLP theory and provides a complete, practical model of communication and change.

In practical terms this means that Eicher has written a book which focuses entirely on the subject of effective communication in the workplace.  In doing so he refines a couple of important NLP techniques so as to turn them from the equivalent of a carpenter's saw into a surgeon's scalpel.

The first such technique is most commonly referred to as Rep(resentational) Systems or Primary Thinking Styles.  Eicher presents a strong case for chunking the topic down into three distinct areas:

  • PSM (Preferred Sensory Modality) - that is the preferred sensory channel(s) for taking in and processing information - Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic
  • PTS (Preferred Thinking Style) - this now becomes the way we organise our thinking - either serially or in parallel
  • PME (Preferred Modes of Expression) - which covers the whole range of verbal and non-verbal elements of communication, including the PSM we use to express our thoughts to other people.

The second obvious development Eicher offers is the division of the topic usually referred to simply as reframing into reframing and relabelling.
The distinction, according to Eicher, is that relabelling is "an after-the-fact tool for change" (that is, it is mainly applied to events which have already happened, or which have at least already been decided upon), whereas reframing is a technique for "figuring out a better way to achieve your goals" (that is, it is best applied to future actions and events).

In order to demonstrate his "new paradigm" (a very popular expression in the early '90s, when this book was published) Eicher covers a variety of business situations such as appraisals, negotiations and motivation.

Personally I found the book to be well-written, an enjoyable read and a genuinely knowledgeable and useful commentary on the use of NLP in the work place.  I can see how it might be particularly useful to new managers, and those about to enter a managerial position.
Warmly recommended  * * * * *

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Hypnosis: A Comprehensive Guide
Tad James with Lorraine Flores & Jack Schrober
Crown House  1-899836-45-4 (Hb)
"A Comprehensive Guide" to hypnosis?  In just 231 pages (including the Index)?  That sounds like a pretty fantastic claim, yet I'm inclined to let it ride.  After all, the Bibliography alone is 18 pages long, and if that isn't comprehensive I don't know what is!

On a more serious note, I want to say that this is the sort of book that makes a reviewer's job worth doing.  It is a gem.  Well-written, well-paced and packed with information.
Since it isn't clear exactly what part any of the three authors played in preparing this book, I shall only refer to Tad James (he of Time-Line fame) and I trust the other two authors will accept this as including whatever plaudits are rightfully theirs.

One of the most notable features of this book is that Tad James has chosen to 'compare and contrast' the work of three quite different practitioners.

The first of these is, inevitably, Milton Erickson, whose style is usually characterised as Permissive and Indirect ("As you feel what it's like to sit in that chair you may notice ...").  So indirect, in fact, that clients often didn't know they were being hypnotised at all till the session was over.
Early chapters cover the 'Milton Model' (artfully vague language), Ericksonian Methods, Ericksonian Inductions, Ericksonian Interventions, creating and using Metaphors, and so on.

We then move on to the work of George Estabrooks, a university professor who taught a traditional Authoritarian, Direct style of hypnosis ("Your eyelids are feeling heavy ... you want to sleep ...").  It is to Tad's credit that he draws out useful techniques and ideas from Estabrooks' approach, showing how they can be beneficially combined with Ericksonian elements for those clients where a purely Ericksonian style might not be appropriate.

The third practitioner we are introduced to is Dave Elman, whose work is characterised by its flexibility.  That is to say, Elman combines both Authoritarian and Permissive approaches, both Direct and Indirect styles of induction, depending on the needs of each individual client.

(Incidentally, how many readers, I wonder, will have realised - before studying the chart on page 152 - that NLP interventions are typically Authoritarian and Indirect, rather than Permissive and Indirect?)

In addition to the basic text there are script examples, exercises and a wealth of valuable tips.
Indeed, the only duff note in the whole book is Chapter 12 - The Pendulum and Other Ideomotor Signals.  I personally found the early part of this chapter to be obtuse, bordering on the totally imponderable.  The Pendulum Chart on page 108 makes no sense at all - unless you believe that a pendulum can swing in one direction and stay there - whilst the illustration that follows is completely contrary to the accompanying text.

My only other reservation is the price.  At £20 this is by no means a cheap book, and I look forward to seeing a paperback edition in the not too distant future.
In the meantime, even allowing for its (very minor) shortcomings, I reckon this is a book that everyone with an interest in hypnosis will want to own.  Indeed, if I had to choose between this book and the excellent Training Trances (which I also hold in the highest regard - see the appropriate review) I'm afraid Overdurf and Silverthorn would be the runners up.
Strongly recommended * * * * * * *

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The Power of Metaphor
Michael Berman and David Brown
Crown House  1-899836-43-8
My response to this book can be summed up in just one 'word':

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Seriously, though, this book is without doubt, in my opinion, a complete waste of paper.

In the first place it is quite clear that the authors have no idea as to the intended purpose of the book - or too many.  The comments in the Introduction seem to indicate that the basic format for each of the 17 chapters is a mixture of stories and "guided visualisations", yet few chapters actually follow this format:

  • Chapter 1 has an added section - about a a page and a half - entitled Activities for Trainers
  • In Chapter 2 this becomes a mere twelve lines of Notes for Teachers
  • Chapters 3, 4, 11, 15 and 16 follow the basic format
  • Chapter 5 features two poems and two guided visualisations, but no story
  • Chapters 6, 8, 9, 12 and 14 use the basic format, but with an added section Exercises for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
  • In Chapter 10 we get nothing but two short poems and a visualisation, but in Chapter 13 the authors get totally carried away and treat us to three stories, four guided visualisations and two fair-sized poems
  • Chapter 14 features 6½ pages on ancient stone monuments (including the Exercises for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) plus a story about the origin of the Rollright Stones.
  • And finally, Chapter 17 consists of nothing but a truly abyssmal New Age parable called "God's Story".

The guided visualisations are apparently an homogenised version of the 'shamanic journey' - for the benefit of those clients who might find shamanisn "off-putting" (p.11).  But don't expect to learn how to create a rich variety of such visualisations since, as the authors explain on page 16: "This book intentionally sticks to basically the same format for each journey ... you may prefer to include more variety.  There are plenty of alternative models to choose from and these can be found in the books listed in the bibliography."
An interesting, but pretty unhelpful attitude, you might think, in a book that has as its subtitle "Story telling and guided journeys for Teachers, Trainers & Therapists.

Having now read the book this attitude no longer surprises me, since, when it comes right down to it, the authors really don't convince me that they know much about anything.
Given that the authors are described as "a teacher trainer, a writer and a Core Shamanic Counsellor" (Berman) and "Principal of the International Language Academy Bournemouth for ten years [with] a wide experience of teaching English as a foreign language" (Brown), we can only wonder how they jointly and/or individually managed to come up with 'howlers' such as:

  • "Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) has made us aware of the main Learning Styles - visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory."  And you thought they were representational systems, didn't you!
  • "Reformulation, a technique taken from NLP..." - but not NLP as we know it!
  • "It is true, although (sic), that the Druids did use Stonehenge occasionally as a temple..." and, as the first sentence of a paragraph: "A number of sources cite the devil, nonetheless (sic), as a possible architect of Stonehenge."
    Is this really what our language schools are teaching as good English grammar?
  • "When words and music are closely associated, both are lodged in the right hemisphere of the brain - where metaphors are understood and emotions realised." (p. 12)
    Sorry guys, this is absolute rubbish!
    First, one of the basic reasons why Accelerated Learning works is because "when words and music are closely associated [synchronised]" this promotes symmetrical whole brain activity (see the tomograph brain scans in Accelerated Learning by Colin Rose, p.107).
    Second, the emotions are a function of the brain stem, not of the neocortex, where intellectual activities (e.g. "understanding") occur.  Effective learning involves all three parts of the brain - brain stem, hypothalamus and neocortex - not just the left or right side of the neocortex.

But perhaps the biggest let down is the promise, on page 19, of an "appendix on how to formulate your own scripts" which "will prove to be useful for you in your own field of work and/or for your own personal development."  What we actually get is a 3½ page cursory introduction to artfully vague language, including this quite amazing assertion:

"By violating selectional restriction, you oblige the listener to find some way of making sense out of what you say.  If you say 'The moonbeams shower down on you, connecting you with all that is' the listener is likely to make sense out of the statement by equating the 'moonbeams' with his own personal power.  This is not a conscious process but an automatic way of understanding what is said."

So it actually means: "My personal power showers down on me [from some external source?], connecting me with all that is"?  Well, I suppose someone might think that, always assuming that they had the faintest idea what was meant by "violating selectional restriction" (no other explanation is offered).  Personally I made sense of the whole thing by simply assuming that the writer was talking through his hat.  'Nuff said.
Definitely not recommended.

If you feel inclined to spend £12.99 on a ragbag collection of mediocre stories and poems then this is the book for you.  Otherwise I suggest that you'd be far better off with Tales for Trainers by Margaret Parkin (also included in these reviews). Recommendation: Leave this book on the shelf.

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Andy Bradbury can be contacted at: bradburyac@mistral.co.uk