Customer Reviews

The Sourcebook of Magic

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This is not a book for beginners in NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) in spite of the two excellent introductory chapters. You need to have at least worked through "The User's Manual for the Brain" or the NLP Practitioner's Level to fully appreciate its value. 77 central NLP patterns have been collected here and grouped under different categories. Each pattern is prefaced with a clear and incisive explanation of the concept. Often you get illuminating gems. For example, a brief note on #38 The Submodality Overlapping Pattern, saying that "...The Judeo-Christian scriptures provide a great example of this." helps one to perceive such NLP patterns in daily life, literature and movies. The patterns are not mere technqiues for change. They are part of the texture and colours of life. Mastering them enriches the art of living. The book does give a fairly comprehensive and up-to-date coverage. 51 meta-programs (from Hall's Figuring Out People) are summarised here. You also get a more developed understanding of the Meta-model presented with Hall's mastery of linguistics (Cf. Hall's The Secret of Magic). Chapter 12 on "Figuring Out What Magic To Do At What Times" is a key question that all NLP practitioners want to ask. Ch. 13 gives brief clues on using NLP in business, education, therapy, sports, health relationships, etc. What will fascinate people is to note that the whole book was written in E-Prime, i.e., without the verb "to be"! Read Appendix C: There "Is" No "Is". Since NLP deals with mental "maps" rather than the "territory", identity or reality, such language creates more options and possibilities. (However, for those interested in fundamental issues in epistemology, it might be worthwhile to explore Bernard Lonergan's monumental "Insight" or Philip McShane's "A History of Tongue".) All NLP practitioners can benefit from such a handy and informative reference, at such a reasonable price. [Please note that the book was first published in 1999, reprinted in 2000. It has 312 pp. Quite a few books in the Amazon catalogue contain inaccuracies with regard to publication dates and number of pages.]

This book and Vol 2 are perfect for anyone that uses NLP or NS, does therapy or coaching/mentoring. As previously commented, you would understand it more if you have either read User's Manual for the Brain (Bob G. Bodenhamer and L. Michael Hall) or attended an NLP course.
There is so much more than you would expect, including information on Meta-Programs, just about every NLP pattern and then some. I use it as a reference and reminder for coaching. And then for self - who can't read about being gloriously fallible or maybe go over the Forgiveness Pattern?
On second thoughts, this book would also be useful in business - what a concept!

I'm an NLP Master Pract. and I work as Human Resources Consultant. THE SOURCEBOOK OF MAGIC is a comprehensive manual with a very useful approach and a very clear style. A solid background contribute to the success of this book, the only limit, I think, is that the authors swift a glance at the techniques, without a deep approach. A manual good for NLP pract. and master pract.; other people should begin reading "The Structure of Magic" by Bandler/Grinder. I will read other books by L.Michael Hall, I liked his ideas about Semantic, Cognitive Theories (Korzibsky), etc...

If you want to change experiences and ideas about NLP and Human Growth you could write me at albirub@virgilio.it

If I took the dictionary and put the words in a slightly different order and changed the definitions a little bit (used different words but with synonymous meaning), and then I expected to take credit for my "original work," people would think I was both a nut and a sham.

I, for one, am tired of the parade of NLP books that simply regurgitate techniques that can be found elsewhere--hopefully in books authored by the creators of said techniques.

Do we really need yet another NLP book that teaches, second hand, what the rest of them do? How many authors quoting material from authors quoting material from authors (and hardly ever giving proper credit in the proper place) do we have to endure?

I hope everyone involved in creating these techniques are getting royalties from this book. Probably not.

My advice, go buy the "original" books by Bandler, Grindler, Dilts, and the Andreases. It may cost you more, but you will be getting it from the horse's mouth, not from some parrot.

an excellent continuation from the original "structure I & II". if you have a clear understanding of the meta-model, this will serve as an solid reference (and refresher) of the model, and associated patterns.

if you need a more detailed explaination of the meta-model (as it exists today), get LMH's equally brilliant "secrets of magic".

I find myself returning to this book over the years as a great resource tool for strategies. Basically it's an encyclopedic list of "how to" from everything from allergy cures to self integration.

If you're into NLP, this is a solid part of your library.