Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic Programming Paperback – January 1, 1979

Frogs into Princes (1979) is the first-ever comprehensive book on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). It's a seminar transcript [or "trance"-script, to be punny (since its co-founder Richard Bandler is also a hypnotist)] that was edited and published by John Stevens [a.k.a. Steve Andreas, who studied under Abe Maslow (hierarchy-of-needs) and Fritz Perls (founder of gestalt therapy)].It's so well organized and presented, together with a detailed introduction, that you feel like you're a part of the live-audience. This leads to the paradoxical problem of reading the book too casually, similarly to passively watching a performance, as opposed to treating it as the actual manual of techniques and profound concepts that it really is (which are based on extensive research that began in 1973). The paradox is that that's exactly how the authors (Bandler and John Grinder) want you to read it - because you learn more, as they tell you, subconsciously - without attempting to consciously analyze or memorize the (otherwise overwhelming) new terminology and ideas. Ideally, you should re-read the whole book immediately after you're done with your initial reading, so you could finally completely understand the proper attitude and approach that the authors are trying to instill within you (yes, you must read it twice).NLP is not a household name as such - whereas, its most famous teacher, for example, is: Tony Robbins, who was trained by co-founder Grinder [pronounced as in "grin", not "grind"]; it also is the scientific foundation of popular TV shows like "Lie to Me", which exemplify how to read subtle "eye accessing-cues" (and other body-language) found throughout Frogs Into Princes. As they write (on page 47): "Eye movements and body movements will give you information about process. The proper domain, in our opinion, of professional communicators is process. If you indulge in content, you are going to unavoidably impose part of your belief and value system on the people you communicate with. The kinds of problems that people have, usually have nothing to do with content; they have to do with structure, the form of how they organize their experience."Bandler and Grinder say (on page 9): "Our job is to figure out what it is that effective therapists do intuitively or unconsciously, and to make up some rules that can be taught to someone else." They have done a phenomenal job of that over the years. In addition to educating you, they will also humor you - as in the following interspersed witticisms:(page 9): "[Academics] are not interested in the real world, and having lived in it I can sometimes understand why."(page 32): "You can't even spell 'phonetics' phonetically!"(page 114): "...remembering to breathe; oxygen is essential for this whole process."(page 166): "It's important for some people to have the illusion that their conscious mind controls their behavior. It's a particularly virulent form of insanity among college professors, psychiatrists, and lawyers."Towards the end (page 190) of this pioneering 194-page book, they ask rhetorically "How can I make things really groovy?" - which is the above title of my review [that you've probably noticed at the subconscious level, right?] - after which they proceed to briefly discuss the limitless potential within NLP for "generative" change.For those of you who might only want the latest, condensed, quick-and-easy, "self-help" version of NLP, I highly recommend Bandler's "Get the Life You Want" (2008). That one, you don't have to go over twice - and you could use it as a "pocket-guide", too. Frogs Into Princes - and especially, The Structure of Magic (vol. 1: 1975 & vol. 2: 1976) - is intended more for researchers or serious students of NLP.Great books!

For what it is this book is a 10, and it's a hoot to read as well! Even though it's now over 20 years old this is the first (and best-IMHO) book introducing the still cutting edge technology of human communication and cognition - Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP ). As far fetched a claim as it may seem, this is surely a seminal book in the field of human communication, linguistics, perception, cognition and psychology. The impact of NLP is present in all of these fields, often with more than a little kicking and yelling. After reading the book you're sure to understand why - Bandler and Grinder hold very little about traditional approaches and academic thinking as sacred. Although it's actually about a shift in the paradigm of how change can and does occur, it sometimes reads more like an exploration into the world of Svengali like magic and illusion. The material is presented in the form of a transcript of a live training superbly edited by Steve Andreas. The book is an example of 'doing' NLP as opposed to 'describing' it. It puts you in the training as Richard and John present it. As the editor of the book states in the forward, keep your mind open as you read because the authors are more often then not doing what they're describing. You'll want to read it with your eyes open - sometimes more easily said then done, since what the authors are doing is often presented in hypnotically engaging language. I've talked to more than one person who kept finding themselves waking up a few hours after having read through a few pages in this book. It is best to read this book as you would a novel, continuing through to the end, rather than trying to figure out or understand an individual section before moving on. The material is written is such a way as to resolve itself as you read. This is an example of "nested loops" a teaching technique Bandler and Grinder use extensively. However you get through it, in the end you'll find your thinking about thinking changed, and the journey as well worthwhile as the destination. As they say themselves, this book has nothing to do with theory or even the truth about things - instead it's "all about what works." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

I read this the first time in the late 70's. It was difficult reading then. It is difficult reading now. This is because it is a transcript of a week-end long seminar by Bandler and Grinder. BUT! IT IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT! You will come out of it smarter, wiser, and maybe in awe of what is going on in you and around you every day. This book was the first in "Neurolinguistics," which the psychological establishment called a "pseudoscience" (and probably because the establishment was revealed for what is was then; they had to attack it. But the reviewers did make some good points about the apparent absence of documented authenticity, and name dropping....but in its infancy, many areas lack the documented authenticity and name dropping is actually just referring to someone or something else...you can judge for yourself). Although you and I may never be psychotherapists, or psychologists, this book will open your eyes to words and what they have done to use, what they are doing to us. Bandler and Grinder show us the magician's tricks of word stuff, These guys are slick, and by wading through this book, you will become aware of what slick is and does. Where Vance Packard's "The Hidden Persuaders" revealed what marketers were doing to us through cunning and sexually loaded visual advertising, "Frogs Into Princes" reveals the linguistic tricks some speakers use, how our minds work, and some ways we can heal our minds. Subsequent authors have used the content of "Frogs Into Princes" to advance the field of neurolinguistics, and build their own careers, or enhance them. If you don't mind working some in reading, then I heartily recommend this book.