Recommended Reading

The self-study material is principally a workbook of exercises to achieve unconscious skill in the NLP language patterns. Each area of skill is introduced, explained and examples given. more information...

The monthly programme that develops your NLP Mastery one technique at a time. This is an ongoing, online programme that will focus you on regular additions to your knowledge and skills, plus the opportunity to share the journey with other people who are as committed as you to reaching your full potential. more information...

Joseph O’Connor and Ian McDermott
One of the popular Thorsons’ ‘Principles of…’ series this is short but thought-provoking introduction to NLP thinking. Written in a conversational style, it brings to life the fundamental concepts on NLP and skilfully introduces the NLP presuppositions as they become relevant. This is the kind of book most people would read cover-to-cover in a few sessions. It’s short, readable and informal.
 

Harry Alder & Beryl Heather
If you like to do more than simply read about a subject and prefer to have suggested activities to apply what you have read, then you will probably enjoy this book. It just about covers everything you might cover in a 21-day Practitioner training, but you can’t ask it questions and it doesn’t give you any feedback! The activities are comprehensive and varied - I particularly like the ‘NLP presupposition of the day’ feature. I suspect this might be best used as a companion to participation in a Practitioner training, but will certainly open up new possibilities for anyone looking for a NLP introductory text.
 

Romilla Ready & Kate Burton
What I really appreciate in this book is the chunking and layout. It has strong visual appeal and is easy to dip in and out of. It combines simple explanations of key concepts with fun activities and examples. As with most other NLP books, it covers a lot of information and would be a useful reference for practitioner training and beyond. 

Joseph O’Connor
I recommend this as a good third or fourth book on NLP. I wouldn’t suggest it as a starting place, simply because it contains so much and some of the activities are quite complex. It is well structured and chunked into manageable pieces. It is comprehensive and thought provoking. The activities encourage the reader to explore the workings of their own mind and to challenge their own assumptions.
 

Sue Knight
If you are particularly interested in applying NLP in the business environment, then you will probably enjoy this book. It includes lots of anecdotes and examples of everyday business occurrences that will help you relate the subject to your own working life.    

Alfred Korzybski
This is where the phrase ‘the map is not the territory’ originates. This is a big heavy book (in all senses) but worth at least dipping into. Currently out of print but you might be lucky and get one second-hand.
 

George A.Miller, Eugene Galanter and Karl H. Pribram
This book was published in 1960 and is the first description of strategies and the TOTE model. Currently out of print, but often available second-hand. Well worth reading if you are interested in strategies, also because it was written by three of the finest minds of their time.
 

Michael D. McMaster
This is a thoroughly practical guide to applying NLP in a management context. It addresses the all-important issues of communication related to managing people, including planning, coaching and evaluation.
 

Joseph O’Connor and Ian McDermott
Systems thinking is about seeing beyond logic and simple patterns of cause effect. It’s about seeing deeper patterns and connections in events and experiences of our daily lives. This book is very readable introduction to a fascinating subject that complements NLP.    

Richard Bandler and John Grinder
Not exactly a light read, but if you want to read it from the masters, this is a must. Some of this material has now been eclipsed by what came later and Grinder himself has been known to say that some of it was unnecessary and ‘over the top’, however, it remains a fascinating guide to Bandler and Grinder’s original work on language.
 

Carmen Bostic St Clair and John Grinder
Published by J&C Enterprises 2001
ISBN 0 9717223 0 7 In this book, Grinder revisits NLP and looks at the structure of reality with the benefit of 30 years of experience and a critical mind. This is a rich, thought-provoking book with plenty to stimulate an enquiring mind.
 

Shelle Rose Charvet
A classic for anyone who wants to master the art of adapting their communication style to suit the processing style of others. This book is a companion to the LAB profile and a good guide to the whole idea of metaprogrammes and how to use them. It is written in an informal and accessible style and does not presuppose any knowledge of NLP.
 

L. Michael Hall
In this book Micheal Hall revisits the Meta Model and shows how it can be updated in the light of more recent research. He also shows how to apply and use the Meta Model in everyday conversations. The style is quite formal and technical in places. It’s a book that requires full attention but delivers corresponding value!
 

Steven Pinker
Not strictly to do with NLP and language, but an interesting look at how and why human beings developed and use language.
 

Paul Watzlawick
This book is focused on the therapeutic use of language to create and support positive change. If you are interested in language as a coach or therapist then you will probably find this to be of value, even though it is not specifically about NLP.    

 Judith Delozier & John Grinder  

 Gregory Bateson  

 Paul Watzlawick  

 Robert Dilts, Judith Delozier & Todd Epstein  

Robert Dilts
This is a great book if you want to know more about the NLP modelling process and its applications. It defines the key communication and relational skills employed by effective leaders to achieve practical results in their working reality, in order to "create a world to which people want to belong".  

 Robert Dilts  

 Sue Knight  

 Edited by Charlotte Bretto Milliner et al (1991)  

 James Lawley & Penny Tompkins  

Dilts, R. , Halbomm, T. and Smith S.

Joseph O’Connor and John Seymour This book was one of the first NLP books written in the UK. It is a comprehensive look at the important concepts in NLP and in my opinion is much more than an introduction. It’s written in a fairly formal style with good explanations of technical terms and an NLP glossary at the back. Perhaps not the most accessible cover-to-cover read, but a good reference text used by a lot of trainers and experienced practitioners.

Angus McLeod
This book pulls together lots of aspects of NLP into a comprehensive guide to becoming an effective leader and coach.  It’s relevant to anyone who works with a team and can be applied whether or not you are the team leader.
 

Richard Bandler and John La Valle
This has to be the best book about NLP for salespeople! I remember that when I first read this I just couldn’t put it down.  It’s a wonderful exploration of communication, conversational elicitation of values and beliefs, sales techniques and so on as well as being an entertaining history of some of Bandler’s own experiences.
 

Lynne Cooper
It has all the features that make the ‘for dummies’ books popular – clear chunking, examples, exercises and high visual appeal – and it’s an intelligent  guide to using NLP in business.