the Central London nlp group

Books A listing of NLP-related books, including reviews

Books for beginners	NLP "recipe books"
Practitioner training	Applications of NLP

A good source of mail-order books is The Anglo American Book Company who also have their own publishing arm: Crown House Publishing. You can also find a good stock of NLP books in London at Waterstones of Gower Street and Compendium Books of Camden. A good online resource is Amazon.

There are literally hundreds of NLP-related books so this list only represents a small number of those available. Due to time constraints some reviews have yet to be added to the list and, of course, more books will be added in due course. All book reviews are by Garry Knight unless otherwise stated. If your favourite book isn't here, e-mail us to let us know - better still, send us a review and, if possible, a scan of the cover.

Books in this section are suitable for those with little or no knowledge of NLP. They also make excellent reference books in the years to come whether you take a formal training in NLP or whether you just use NLP in your everyday life.

Introducing NLP, Joseph O'Connor & John Seymour (The Aquarian Press, 1990) ISBN 1-85538-344-6 This is one of the best introductory books around as it covers most of what you learn on Practitioner training. In fact, if you train with John Seymour Associates you learn everything in the book and more. Robert Dilts says in the Foreword, "...this book provides an up-to-date introduction and overview of NLP, incorporating the latest developments in the field as well as reviewing the most important NLP basics." In the Preface, John Grinder adds, "These two men, O'Connor and Seymour, have set out to make a coherent story out of an outrageous adventure." There are chapters on the main ideas of NLP, sensory experience and language, states of mind, systems, precision language, vague language, patterns, NLP therapy and thinking strategies. In addition, over 30 pages of resources, including NLP organisations, books and a glossary, make this one of the most well-rounded NLP introductions available.

Principles of NLP, Joseph O'Connor & Ian McDermott (Thorsons, 1996) ISBN 0-7225-3195-8 This book covers much of the same material as Introducing NLP, but doesn't go into quite as much detail. With an emphasis on the basics, including rapport, neurological levels, congruence, multiple description, the outcome frame, state change, anchoring, representational systems, and so on, and with the presuppositions of NLP running through the book like a thread, this is an excellent introduction for absolute newcomers to NLP. And Robert Dilts wrote the Foreword to this one, too.

Frogs into Princes, Richard Bandler & John Grinder (Real People Press, 1979) ISBN 1-870845-03-X Frogs is the book that gave many people their first taste of NLP. The content of the book is transcribed from a 3-day seminar led by Bandler and Grinder and so there are just three chapters in this book, but each is around 60 pages in length. They cover representational systems and accessing cues, anchoring, and reframing - the basic skills of NLP back in those pioneering days. In the Foreword to the British edition, written in 1990, Steve Andreas says, "Although over fifty-five NLP books have been published, Frogs is still one of the best sellers in the field, and remains an excellent introduction to this exciting new discipline." About a decade later NLP books number in the hundreds, but Steve's words remain true.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming vol I, Robert Dilts, John Grinder, Richard Bandler, Judith DeLozier (Meta Publications, 1980) ISBN 0-916990-07-9 Some time ago, Richard Bandler and John Grinder had a disagreement of some kind or other. One of the most unfortunate things about this is that there never was (and most likely never will be) a Neuro-Linguistic Programming vol 2. This is the book that shows us that what NLP is about, primarily, is modelling. In other words, the ability to detect the behavioural patterns a person uses as they perform a specific skill, to utilise them, to refine them, and to pass that specific skill onto others. As the authors say in the Introduction, "This book is about how to unpack and repackage behavior... into efficient and communicable sequences that will be available to every member of the species. It will provide the reader with a set of tools that will enable him or her to analyze and incorporate or modify any sequence of behavior that they may observe in another human being." And that's a promise that's held good for the two decades since the book was written. Written mostly in postgraduate level language, it's definitely one for the intelligent newcomer to NLP.

Unlimited Power, Anthony Robbins (Simon & Schuster, 1986) ISBN 0-671-69976-8 Tony Robbins has a different slant on NLP. If you've seen him in action, you'd probably use the term "high energy" to describe his workshops - he's the one who made firewalking the test of how well his seminar material had worked. And he later coined the term Neuro-Associative Conditioning to describe his particular form of resource anchoring. The cover notes for this book say that, "Unlimited Power is a revolutionary fitness book for the mind. It will show you step by step how to perform at your peak, while gaining emotional and financial freedom, attaining leadership and self-confidence, and winning the cooperation of others. It will give you the knowledge and courage to remake yourself and your world."

Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins (Simon & Schuster, 1992) ISBN 0-671-71188-1 This is the follow-up to Unlimited Power and the subtitle of this book is "How to take control of your mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny." These are the kind of no-holds-barred claims that have brought crowds flocking to his seminars. And, by all accounts, Tony delivers the goods. The book concentrates on the mastery of five areas of life: emotional mastery, physical mastery, relationship mastery, financial mastery and time mastery. And Tony promises that, "In this book you will learn a series of simple and specific strategies for addressing the cause of any challenge and changing it with the least amount of effort."

These books are eminently suitable for people undergoing training at Practitioner level and above, as they go into various areas of NLP in far more depth than those in the beginners' section.

The Structure of Magic, vol I, Richard Bandler & John Grinder (Science & Behavior Books, 1975) ISBN 08314-0044-7
The Structure of Magic, vol II, John Grinder & Richard Bandler (Science & Behavior Books, 1976) ISBN 08314-0049-8
Reframing, Richard Bandler & John Grinder (Real People Press, 1982) ISBN 0-911226-25-7
Trance-formations, John Grinder & Richard Bandler (Real People Press, 1981) ISBN 0-911226-23-0
Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H Erickson, MD, vol I, Richard Bandler & John Grinder (Meta Publications, 1975) ISBN 0-916990-01-X
Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H Erickson, MD, vol II, John Grinder, Judith DeLozier, Richard Bandler (Meta Publications, 1977)
An Insider's Guide to Submodalities, Richard Bandler & Will McDonald (Meta Publications, 1988) ISBN 0-916990-22-2
Maps, Models and the Structure of Reality, Kim Kostere & Linda Malatesta (Metamorphous Press, 1990) ISBN 1-55552-007-3
Magic of NLP Demystified, Byron Lewis and Frank Pucelik (Metamorphous Press, 1990) ISBN 1-55552-017-0
Basic Techniques Book I, Clifford Wright (Metamorphous Press, 1989) ISBN 1-55552-005-7
Basic Techniques Book II, Linnaea Marvell-Mell (Metamorphous Press, 1989) ISBN 1-55552-016-2
The Magic of Rapport, Jerry Richardson (Meta Publications, 1987) ISBN 0-916990-20-6
Fine Tune Your Brain, Genie Z Laborde (Syntony Publishing, 1988) ISBN 0-933347-20-0
The Art of the Possible, Dawna Markova (Conari Press, 1991) ISBN 0-943233-12-7
Time Lining, Bob Bodenhammer & L Michael Hall (AA Books, 1997) ISBN 1-89983-612-8
Beliefs: Pathways to Health and Well-being, Robert Dilts, Tim Hallbom, Suzi Smith (Metamorphous Press, 1990) ISBN 1-55552-029-4
Be the Person You Want to Be, John J Emerick, Jr (Prima Publishing, 1997) ISBN 0-7615-0806-6
Words that Change Minds, Shelle Rose Charvet (Kendall/Hunt Publishing) ISBN 0-7872-0803-5
Turtles All the Way Down, Judith DeLozier & John Grinder (Grinder & Associates, 1987) ISBN 1-55552-022-7
The Spirit of NLP, L Michael Hall (AA Books, 1996) ISBN 1-89983-604-7
Thinking about Thinking with NLP, Joseph Yeager (Meta Publications, 1985) ISBN 0-916990-16-8
Time for a Change, Richard Bandler (Meta Publications, 1993) ISBN 0-916990-28-1
Persuasion Engineering, Richard Bandler & John LaValle (Meta Publications, 1996) ISBN 0-916990-36-

NLP is great for discovering the patterns of behaviour used by successful people. Books in this section contain recipes for success in all areas of life. Whether it's public speaking, phobias, grief, trauma or motivation you need to deal with, there's bound to be something for you here.

Heart of the Mind, Connirae & Steve Andreas (Real People Press, 1989) ISBN 0-911226-31-1
Change Your Mind and Keep the Change, Steve & Connirae Andreas (Real People Press, 1987) ISBN 0-911226-29-X
Core Transformation, Connirae & Tamara Andreas (Real People Press, 1994) ISBN 0-911226-32-X
Get the Results You Want, Kim Kostere & Linda Malatesta (Metamorphous Press, 1989) ISBN 1-55552-015-4
Know How, Leslie Cameron-Bandler, David Gordon, Michael LeBeau (Real People Press, 1985) ISBN 0-932573-00-2
Solutions, Leslie Cameron-Bandler (Real People Press, 1985) ISBN 0-932573-01-0
The Secret of Creating Your Future, Tad James (Advanced Neuro-Dynamics, 1989) ISBN 0-9623272-0-4

There are very few areas of human interest where NLP isn't making a contribution. From education through business to therapy, these books show you how NLP is "making the difference that makes the difference."

NLP and Health, Ian McDermott & Joseph O'Connor (Thorsons, 1996) ISBN 0-7225-3288-1
Leaves Before the Wind, Charlotte Bretto et al. Grinder, (DeLozier & Associates, 1991) ISBN 0-929514-02-5
Lazy Learning, Diana Beaver (Element Books, 1994) ISBN 1-85230-503-7
The Challenge of Excellence, Scout Lee & Jan Summers (Metamorphous Press, 1990) ISBN 1-55552-004-9
Unlimited Selling Power, Donald Moine & Kenneth Lloyd (Prentice-Hall, 1990) ISBN 0-13-689126-8
Selling with NLP, Kerry Johnson (Nightingale-Conant, 1993) ISBN 1-85788-047-1
The Professional ACT, Mary Stark (Metamorphous Press, 1992) ISBN 1-55552-033-2
Mega Teaching and Learning, van Nagel, Reese, Reese & Siudzinski (Metamorphous Press), 1985 ISBN 1-55552-018-9
Not Pulling Strings, Joseph O'Connor (Lambent Books, 1987) ISBN 0-9512155-0-7
Training with NLP, Joseph O'Connor & John Seymour (Thorsons, 1994) ISBN 0-7225-2853-1
Changing with Families, Richard Bandler, John Grinder, Virginia Satir (Science & Behavior Books, 1976) ISBN 8314-0051-X