This book is an edited transcript of Richard Bandler and John Grinder's early NLP workshops. It's therefore a bit hard to read, although it contains some very powerful information about how language works.

Bandler and Grinder studied the language patterns used by some of the most effective therapists at that time. They paid attention to the structure -- rather than content -- of these therapists' communication and created a questioning model that leads to some magical results in transformational interventions.

The book works from the premise that a client's entire world view is reflected in the structure they use when describing their problems. Using what they call the Meta Model, deletions, generalizations, and distortions can be effectively challenged. As a result, positive change is often achieved in a quick and elegant way.

This book has helped me improving my communication tremendously and has become one of the key building blocks of my understanding of NLP. It has made me aware that the structure people use in their dialog is a great window to their inner world. I recommend this book not only to anybody studying NLP, but anybody who wants to become a more effective communicator.

I was able to attend a corporate conference in which Bandler and his partner Grinder demonstrated various techniques spelled out in this book. Had I not had that experience, I probably would not have taken the time to read this book. It was very technical. In my opinion it is not really a 'self help' book. If you are interested in hypnosis and how it works, it is a great book to read. If you are helping others and want to learn some anchoring techniques you will find it useful. Other than that, I would not recommend it.