Customer Reviews

Using Your Brain--For a Change: Neuro-Linguistic Programming

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Starting with the deliberately ambiguous title, what you get in this book is pure Bandler. Not surprising, really, since the text is an edited version of several seminars Bandler conducted in 1982.

It seems to me that you can treat the book as an educational exercise, or as an interactive experience. Indeed, the editing is so effective that I could imagine myself strolling through town letting Bandler show me the world through his eyes, listen to it with his ears, and so on. And a mightily enjoyable experience it was.

At the surface level the book covers topics such as submodalities, learning, the "swish" pattern, etc. - keeping in mind how much of our experience is objective, and how much is subjective. Better yet, having pointed out that the majority of our experience subjective - it goes on to explain how we can radically change our lives for the better by "reprogramming" the bits we don't like.

Personally I found this to be an excellent book on the subject, with plenty of amusing and relevant cartoons by Gustav Russ Youngreen, and practical exercises and demonstrations throughout.

With regard to the difficulties mentioned by other reviewers, I would say that there are plenty of guys doing what Abby describes who wouldn't know NLP from a hole in the ground.
It is also worth pointing out that NLP is, after all, just another tool. And like any other tool, *some* people are bound to misuse it.

As for whether you can become proficient in NLP just by attending one or two trainings and reading some books, I agree - you can't.
And if you tell yourself that you don't understand, then you won't (that, too, is "reprogramming"!)

Like any other subject, you will only "learn" NLP when you "do" it. So anyone who thinks that reading this book, or any other, will make them into a master communicator overnight would probably be better off saving their money.

For readers who take the book in the spirit in which it was written, on the other hand, I'd guess you may find this a very enjoyable and beneficial addition to your bookshelf.

My title may seem a bit surprising consdering the fact that NLP is all about tapping into your subconscious mind; however, Bandler hits home (and hits a home run) in not only stating various truths about how we think on a day-to-day basis, but in also providing the technology to "train your brain" to provide the results and the life you desire.

At the time of this review, I haven't worked on the recommended practices enough to qualify them (or to qualify myself, yet, for that matter), but I can say that I am extremely optimistic!!!

I have read numerous (again: numerous) self-help books that deal primarily/only with our conscious level of thinking, and having read Bandler, I now firmly believe that most (not all - most) self-help books that address the conscious level are worth next to nothing until one has addressed their subconscious. I was told, only today - by an NLP practitioner I have been seeing - that Bandler was once quoted as saying that "the conscious mind is the office boy; the subconscious is the CEO."

Bottom line? Buy it, highlight it to the max, and keep it handy as a reference guide. Most importantly (as I plan to do) - apply the matierial within! Good luck.......

Richard Bandler, known for his development of Neuro Lingustic Programming with fellow partner John Grinder, has stepped alone to write this wonderfully self theraputic style book, from his uses and experiences in NLP and hypnosis training from master Milton Erickson. There is nothing your brain cannot accomplish, and Bandler provides the steps to take you to levels of brain development that you have not begun to think about...yet. In Using Your Barin for a Change, you are now in control of what you think, and how you think of life, concentrating all of your past miseries into one moment and then having it disappear to refocus your energy into the moment which we call the 'now'. A powerful book for anyone looking to change the way they see reality

Let's start off with the disclaimer: I am a fan of Richard Bandler and his professional work. This is not an "objective" review. I do and train others to do NLP professionally. Richard in addition to being one of the creative geniuses behind the development of the technology does what works. This book is the movement forward for Richard (in publication) that steps away from "old" NLP to "new" NLP in terms of the utilization of submodalities. This was a massive jump for Richard in terms of his thinking about and practice of NLP (IMHO). NLP was and remains organized around how people make the distinctions that create their subjective experience ... or reality as they know it to be. The first movement was the realization of the impact and power of representational systems (the five senses - visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory). The first wave of books by Richard and John (Grinder) are about how to access and utilize this information to model subjective experience and instigate change. Internal representations (V-A-K-O/G) were the critical component of "old" NLP for generating behavioral response and change. "New" NLP suggests that the critical components are the submodalities (smaller more precise elements of internal representation within the larger V-A-K-O/G distinctions). As is typical this book is in the form of edited transcripts taken from live training. The best way in is to read it as though it were occurring in real time - straight through letting it unfold and emerge for you as you go. What you'll find will be a series of descriptions and techniques for eliciting, recognizing and utilizing submodalities. In "Using Your Brain for Change" Richard says he's going to give the reader a "manual for running the brain" and in so doing offers a slew of examples of personal change work that are possible using submodalities and the techniques offered. Specifically 'visual' submodalities. In NLP terms this book could be called the "Swish Manual" - a particularly effect NLP change technique. However as with all NLP techniques this too is just a technique, not NLP. That said this is an excellent primer to doing "new" NLP and what's possible when you do. Enjoy this next step into NLP as one more on an ongoing journey ...

I had read Frogs and Princes and I hated it. I only got this book because the reviews were good and I could not get a copy of trance formations. The book does have good graphics and some good points. I though it was interesting how he teaches you to think. He does have some interesting points on looking at things from different view points: yours, old people, young people, the ceiling, one hundred years in the future (I had a girl at school that always used this one). He tells you to make your happy times bright and your sad time duller. This is not a bad strategy.
He also has some good points on motivation. What motivates you to do something? Is it the good results of success or the advantages of avoiding the problems? I rated this book six stars.

This is Richard Bandler at his best! A transcript of one of his seminar. He speaks with humour, style, and shows you how intelligent he can be in curing phobias in 3 minutes! This book is divided into chapters as Bandler explains different topics. You will see how he reframes almost every experience and situation to change people's views. How he ask questions to get information out of people quickly. Also, he can be very funny, poking fun at psychologists and explain why they do more harm than good, and why NLP is so effective. Learned lots of NLP skills which are very effective, like the Swish etc.

This is the first NLP book read when I got into the NLPtrench. Now I realise how great and magnificant this book is. This book is a pleasure just to read by itself. Although from reading it you will gain specific tools to change your percieved reality (what you feel/think/believe) by using techniques in this book! In order to really fuse with it you need to use the techniqes when you want to change something. In other words it is not something you can read once and then just forget about and espect a drastic change. You can achieve drastic change if you do the exercices once. However many thoughts and ways of acting are habits you will repeat over and over, and this book will make you be able to take control of these habitual things so that you can change them. This will give you control of your reality. If you do the simple techniqes in this book and use them as if they are the most important things you can ever practise, you will transform your way of behaving totally! I highly recommend it!

As an NLP trainer, I think I have read most of the books out there, including most of Bandler and Grinder have written. The first books are dry but informative, then come the gems like "Transformation", and "Reframing", and those are a challenge unless you already know some NLP.
This book is wonderful. It is an easy read, Bandler is spot on with his insights, and he give plenty of practical applications. I read this book many years ago and enjoyed it. I just reread it and was delighted in all the information this book packs between its cover. You will want this book on your shelf if this type of information interests you and maybe even if you don't!

I'm just scratching the surface of this NLP thing, and this book is a good intro to some of the principles and a few practical applications, written in a very informal style. I finally understand what the heck a submodality is thanks to this book!

This book is written in easy to understand terms. If you are looking for a way to change your life by getting rid of the "mental baggage" than this book is for you.