Frogs into Princes: Introduction to Neurolinguistic Programming [Paperback]

Written back in 1979 when the co-founders of NLP were still talking to each other, this is essentially a transcript of a seminar on sensory acuity, anchoring and reframing - a format that some people don't like, though I find it very readable and compelling. Some of the techniques that are presented may now have been superseded by more elegant ones, but the attitude of NLP comes through loud and clear. I can't think of a better introduction to NLP.

The main strength of this book for me was that it validated the other information that I had gained from other books about NLP. On its own, and as a first book about the subject, I would not recommend it. What it does do however, is to make the reader aware of the power of NLP, and the fact that it is used widely by therapists and others in this field. For me, it made me think "wow, so maybe this (NLP) is the 'big deal' that people are claiming" If you are looking for a first book on the subject, read 'NLP, the new technology of achievement' by Steve Andreas and Charles Faulkner.

For what it is this book is a 10, and it's a hoot to read as well! Even though it's now over 20 years old this is the first (and best-IMHO) book introducing the still cutting edge technology of human communication and cognition - Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP™). As far fetched a claim as it may seem, this is surely a seminal book in the field of human communication, linguistics, perception, cognition and psychology. The impact of NLP™ is present in all of these fields, often with more than a little kicking and yelling. After reading the book you're sure to understand why - Bandler and Grinder hold very little about traditional approaches and academic thinking as sacred. Although it's actually about a shift in the paradigm of how change can and does occur, it sometimes reads more like an exploration into the world of Svengali like magic and illusion. The material is presented in the form of a transcript of a live training superbly edited by Steve Andreas. The book is an example of 'doing' NLP™ as opposed to 'describing' it. It puts you in the training as Richard and John present it. As the editor of the book states in the forward, keep your mind open as you read because the authors are more often then not doing what they're describing. You'll want to read it with your eyes open - sometimes more easily said then done, since what the authors are doing is often presented in hypnotically engaging language. I've talked to more than one person who kept finding themselves waking up a few hours after having read through a few pages in this book. It is best to read this book as you would a novel, continuing through to the end, rather than trying to figure out or understand an individual section before moving on. The material is written is such a way as to resolve itself as you read. This is an example of "nested loops" a teaching technique Bandler and Grinder use extensively. However you get through it, in the end you'll find your thinking about thinking changed, and the journey as well worthwhile as the destination. As they say themselves, this book has nothing to do with theory or even the truth about things - instead it's "all about what works."