Computer Programming

I have not completely read this book yet (it is a painful experience so I have to do it in small chunks) so I will update this review in the future.

Firstly, the title would be more accurate if it were “A Big LIST of NLP Techniques”, though, in fact, it is a BIG BOOK. The most useful part of the book is the Table of Contents. After that, it is a crap shoot.

Mr. Vaknin is obviously not a native speaker of English and that might not be a problem were this an audio book. But since it is written, the glaring problems with usage are troubling. Consider that this is a book primarily about LANGUAGE and so it is crucial that the LANGUAGE be precise. It is anything but. One can often find a dozen or more usage problems on a single page. From simple things such as “worst” when “worse” was intended to entire sections that read like word salad.

The worsT example I have come across could not have been worsE if Mr. Vaknin had tried to parody Erickson’s “word salad”. It comes in the chapter titled “Erickson’s 55 Hypnotic Phrases”. I have seen videos of Erickson and heard tapes of him working. The man spoke English … I am sure of it. But what is presented, between quotation marks, is anything but English so I have to doubt that Erickson actually said them. And, since is no reference given to the work of Erickson in which these may be found, how can I check? (In fact, I have seen almost no references so far … only a general bibliography.) Examples: “… it might be a way that meets your needs, when …” or “How much curious could you be if you’d know that …”. And I really don’t consider: “With your permission…” to be a hypnotic pattern, any more than “good morning” would be. And this illustrates another problem … puffing. The book is entitled “The Big Book …” and touts “200+ Patterns”. I suspect that after I have read the entire book I will find that many of these “patterns” are superfluous or redundant and largely serve only to make the book seem to be an encyclopedia.

As for simple readability and useful content, I am finding many problems. In the section on “Well Defined Outcomes” we can read this:

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What is the difference between a goal and an outcome?

Goals can go a long way in helping you achieve excellence. Your goal may be to have a great time at a party, or become a billionaire within three years. There are many different kinds of goals.

Put your mind into that outcome as if you have achieved it, and open your thinking to means of improving that outcome. The time to rework your outcomes comes before you start investing a lot of resources. The way to align with your highest goals is to stay flexible about your outcome; to rework the outcome as needed; to shape the outcome into something even better. Now you are developing one of the hallmarks of NLP: ecology; where all parts of you agree with the outcome; where your desires, your values and your needs are all aligned into one powerful direction.

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Now, after having read that, go back to the question it was to answer: “What is the difference between a goal and an outcome?” Nowhere in that pile of words is that question even addressed! He says that goals go a long way to help you achieve excellence. He says that there are different kinds of goals. [Then does not list or describe them, though I expected some analysis after that tease.] Then he stops in mid stride and talks about “outcomes” … with nothing connecting that term to “goals”. Nowhere does he say anything like: “Goals are X, but Outcomes are Y.” He does not define either goals or outcomes … let alone distinguish between them… which is what he said he was going to do. So far most of what I have read of this book is like this.

As I said, I have not read the whole book yet and I will update this later when I have. For the moment I want to alert people that they might be wasting their money if what they expect is anything more than a list of NLP patterns mixed in with other things little of which seems to be comprehensible. It would not be as bad as it is if he at least provided references. Then if you read something that sounded as though it might be useful if you could only understand it, you could look it up at the source.
Rating: 1 / 5

This is an excellent book for anybody who wants to know about hypnosis. You should get it.
Rating: 5 / 5

As an active NLP (and related) practitioner I find always new things to learn. Although course are practical, you never get 200 patterns (procedures) with this systematic approach. Of course this is not “the NLP compendium” but this the closest you can get now.
Rating: 5 / 5