NLP books for every level, from introductions to academic linguistics textbooks
Practical NLP 2: Language – How to use presuppositions, chunking, the Meta Model and the Milton Model in practice by Andy Smith
Yes, I’m recommending my own book – because it’s designed to be an introduction to NLP language patterns, that goes into more depth and gives more examples than you’d get in a ‘generalist’ NLP introduction. Plus it gets lots of 5-star reviews that prove that it’s helping people, like this one from John Quattrochi on Amazon.com:
“I’ve been studying NLP books for decades. It’s always been a struggle to interpret the simple meaning of these key concepts. It seems like many authors have difficulty presenting the work and make little effort to un-intellectualize it all… not Andy, grab this book if you want him to demystify it all for you.”
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The Structure of Magic Volume 1 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder
This early NLP book is a must-read if you’re interested in in-depth study of the Meta Model. It’s written mainly for therapists, but the patterns apply equally for business use.
Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder are for the most obsessive NLP language geeks only, I would say – it’s quite academic and densely written.
Wordweaving: The Science of Suggestion – A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Hypnotic Language by Trevor Silvester
This is a much more accessible guide to Ericksonian patterns for hypnotherapists. It shows you how to build indirect hypnotic suggestions, gradually adding in Milton Model patterns, trance phenomena, and even ‘logical levels’ one step at a time. Silvester is a very experienced hypnotherapist and trainer, and has a rare gift for making this area accessible and easily understood.
Words That Change Minds: The 14 Patterns for Mastering the Language of Influence by Shelle Rose Charvet
A very readable and even entertaining guide to using language that will appeal to (or repel, if that’s what you want to do) people with specific metaprogram profiles.
This is useful for recruitment, influencing, sales, and communication in general. Highly recommended!
The User’s Guide To Sleight Of Mouth by Doug O’Brien
Practical NLP Podcast friend of the show Doug O’Brien guides you through the ‘sleight of mouth’ persuasion patterns originally modelled by Robert Dilts. A readable and accessible guide (also recommended but a bit longer – Dilts’ original Sleight of Mouth: The Magic of Conversational Belief Change book).
Persuasion Skills Black Book: Practical NLP Language Patterns for Getting The Response You Want by Rintu Basu
A manual on using hypnotic language patterns to influence people. While it’s clearly laid out, it’s also cleverly written using the same language patterns that you’re learning as you read it (see also Persuasion Skills Black Book of Job Hunting Techniques: Using NLP and Hypnotic Language Patterns to Get the Job You Deserve)
Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
Not an NLP book at all, but a clear examination of metaphors and how the human mind processes them (see also their magisterial work on metaphors in philosophy, Philosophy In The Flesh: The Embodied Mind And Its Challenge To Western Thought)
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