Reading Linden's book you will be attracted by her way of “composing” the book: with her impact sentences, the metaphors at the end of chapters, her clear style to explain differences. The best chapter for me is the one that describes the differences between failure and feedback” well, not only does she describe them, she makes you deeply understand the right attitude. The Prince's wife was my favorite metaphor, you don't know it? Read the book and you will understand it, both through the metaphor itself and through Anne Linden's general message.

Mindworks works well as an introduction that is easily accessible to those who have no background or training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The author's willingness to abandon the use of highly technical descriptions, and her skill in providing concrete examples and stories in an easy-to-read script, makes this book an appealing addition to the populous literature on the subject.

Linden's personal experience as student and colleague of the original developers of NLP gives her readers some assurance of the authenticity and continuity of the material she presents. Her representation of the core principles of NLP IS not only theoretically sound but practical as when, with each chapter ending in exercises allowing the reader to have an experiential journey through the book.

Like its title, this book works well on several levels. The author has structured her material in an artful way that entices the reader into the heart of NLP. Unlike many NLP texts, which arrange the presuppositions on NLP in a separate chapter, Linden has skilfully woven her material into seven main themes, each one a core presupposition of NLP. This approach has produced a well integrated text that will make good sense to novice practitioners and students interested in finding out about NLP.

Mindworks is clearly a book that is designed to be a taster that is easy to digest, rather than a main course on the subject. Serious students may be disappointed at the lack of any research base, the omission of m-text and end-text referencing, and most noticeably, an -˜index. However, for those pursuing personal excellence or wanting to begin investigating the wonderful world of NLP, this book is definitely worth an attentive read.

Everyone has the ability, says “Mindworks: An Introduction to NLP ” The Secrets of Your Mind Revealed”. It just needs to be unlocked and brought forward to the front of one's mind. NLP focuses on the concept that the human brain is a sort of computer, and that it can be programmed how one wants it to be ” to bring the most out of one's thoughts. An intriguing and informative book from first page to last, “Mindworks: An Introduction to NLP ” The Secrets of Your Mind Revealed” is highly recommended for community library psychology collections.

This book contains some useful techniques that can be used in combination with other aspects of the human givens approach to therapy. As well as being taught by the founders of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Richard Bandler and John Grinder, the author studied with master hypnotherapist Milton Erickson, whose work had a huge influence on the development of NLP. This eloquent and accessible book explores communication skills, building resources, goal and outcome setting, turning failure into feedback, language patterns, the positive intention behind even the most destructive behaviours, and reframing and shifting perspectives.

I really enjoyed this book. It has the detailed instructions on NLP found usually only in NLP business books. It covers the basics and becomes more sophisticated in its descriptions as the book goes on. As an introduction it is excellent. This book takes you through various experiences so that by the time you have finished you have had a journey It is no simple cookbook but a travel itinerary.

Much more a brilliant, compelling storytelling book that is taking you on marvellous journey, than a dry NLP manual. This book is skilfully composed with all the NLP techniques (in the form of mini exercises at the end of each section) you'd expect at practitioner level. It exceeds many other NLP books because of its sheer focus on retelling its stories. Rather than cases, they read as gripping short examples, tying in the most familiar and powerful NLP exercises with metaphorical stories.

The book focuses its reader on how to go about building qualities from inside of you. It is explicit about that. It constantly prepares the reader by using the stories to lets you the reader know the real personal purpose for building inner qualities. Thus, the books shift from being a text, to becoming very personal.

Using an easy to read style, often conversational in places. Mind works blends a content that has a New York City Corporate feel about it, with a style you would expect from the Healing Arts being practised anywhere in the world. It's the lovely way the stories connect up the book, that makes the book very approachable, very friendly, whilst combining the most important practical NLP keys, as mini exercises at the end of each section.

It's application.
Teachers of the Arts/Healing Arts or other topics can use this book as a tool to aid guiding and growing the learners creativity. It can also be used very easily for anyone needing an easy accompaniment to taking any form of personal development.

It has a popularist feel about it, that makes a lot of the hype around 'THE SECRET' make sense of for a lot of people. I could imagine, someone like Jordan reading it and enjoying it! Yes, it has a sense of everyday familiarity about it. All radiating from the eye-catching headlines, which interlink the chapters. You can feel a sense of change just by reading the headlines! Familiar with NLP or not, you will feel like an NLP insider and enjoy being fully acquainted with its powerful secrets.

My only drawback is that because the front page is not as compelling at the content. Some people who really enjoy storytelling as a way into personal development may miss out on its treasure.

Highly recommended for book list.  

Often, when I try to explain the intricacies of NLP to others who are not psychologically-inclined, I get one of two responses. One response is the "eyes glazing over" expression of the person who finds my explanation far too complicated. The other response is the enthusiasm of a novice who sees in NLP a path toward personal growth. Both people need an easy-to-understand approach to NLP that shows them how to use NLP for superb communication, accessing resourceful states, getting results, turning failure into feedback, and having more choice and flexibility in everyday situations. Mindworks by Anne Linden (with Kathrin Perutz) is the answer.

Mindworks is an "owner's manual for the mind" that allows readers to "make maximum use of the strengths and resources you already have." The book is divided into seven sections, each presenting a basic NLP presupposition:


Â' -Â' Ã‚' The meaning of your communication is the response you get. This section covers how to create quality communication in interpersonal relationships: rapport, observation skills, calibration, representational systems and how they are expressed (verbally and non-verbally), uptime and downtime, sameness and differences, and pacing and leading.

- You have all the resources you need. This section tells readers how to access their resources and develop their strengths and talents. The NLP tools are submodalities, anchoring, future conditioning, and body language.

- Success is the ability to achieve intended results. Here, the book delves into goal-setting, values, outcomes, motivation, ecological considerations, and strategies.

- You can turn failure into feedback. This section is a philosophical guide to understanding how to reframe failure"to discover the learnings, the see the new opportunities presented by failure, and to recognize that good that exists, alongside, or in spite of, the bad.

- The map is not the territory. In this exploration of language patterns, Linden teaches the Meta Model"a method of questioning that facilitates specificity and understanding of meaning.

- There is a positive intention behind every behavior. At this point, the text addresses our unconscious behaviors and how to manage them with an understanding of "parts", positive intentions, and reframing.

- There are always more choices. Flexibility is the topic. Linden presents tools for change: perceptual shifts and pattern interrupts.

The Authors

Anne Linden directs the New York Training Institute for NLP and is one of the most highly-respected trainers in NLP. Mindworks is an updated version of her well-received, Mindworks: Unlock the Promise Within (Andrews McMeel, 1997). She has also written The Enneagram and NLP (Metamorphous Press, 1994). I had the delight to interview her in 2004 for Anchor Point magazine and it is a distinct pleasure to review this book. Kathrin Perutz has written both fiction and non-fiction for many years and has published several books and reviews.

Conclusion

Mindworks makes NLP palatable for the non-practitioner---someone who simply wants to know how to use NLP in daily life. Linden weaves the instruction into an upbeat, conversational delivery, with sample dialog, examples, and metaphors. Mindworks is a first-rate beginner's guide to NLP.

I welcome this re-issue of Anne Linden's Mindworks which is written as an enthusiastic, conversational and personal guide to experiencing NLP and discovering more about yourself.

She utilises both her actor's and teacher's skills in offering the reader many rich choices of practical exercises, suggestions, questions, stories, metaphors and even scripted scenarios to bring NLP vividly to life.

Its a well-contructed and interesting introduction to NLP and, importantly too, there is an emphasis on exploring and learning NLP in a framework of personal integrity and wisdom. The writer's thirty years of experience with NLP certainly shines through with an undiminished sincerity, creativity and passion.

A great book for people, new to NLP, who are curious about NLP as a pathway to self-development and who enjoy colourful and lively real-life examples of how it works - and who also like to be warmly encouraged to try it out for themselves!

This is a beautiful book. Not only is it full of delightful insights. It is written in the most elegant absorbing way. Only someone who has mastered a topic can write with such fluency and style. Anne Linden is undoubtedly one such master. Mindworks is a delight to read if only for the absorbing style with which it is written. For me this is what NLP Is all about .. being an example of excellence and this book is most certainly that.