If you've ever asked yourself "What was I thinking?" or wondered why you can't seem to change your behavior despite your best intentions, maybe it's time you understood your mind. When you learn how your mind works, you can identify and then change the behavior that's stopping you from reaching your goals. Called "an owner's manual for the mind," this straightforward, accessible book explains how to build a better life through understanding and directing the way your mind represents your experiences. The book is organized around the seven principle of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, a psychological model based on the way the brain codes learning and experience. Anne Linden has organized the basic tools of NLP to into a hardware store of practical techniques that are easy to grasp and use. These include: communicating precisely; reading the reactions of others; creating "blueprints" for success; tapping inner resources; recycling mistakes; replacing destructive behavior; and changing your perspective in order to see hidden choices. The power of Mindworks lies in trying-not simply reading-the exercises that demonstrate these techniques. Admittedly this takes some diligence on the part of the reader, but with so many tools to choose from you will definitely walk away with one or two that will provide startling insights into your behavior and motives.

NLP can get pretty complicated with its extensive jargon and theories. Mindworks, by keeping in mind who its audience is, presents NLP in a easy-to-follow, personal style with loads of NLP techniques one can use immediately. The organization of the material is EXCELLENT; I really wish more NLP books would follow this sort of plan. Moreover, Anne Linden deftly uses real-world examples and short stories. Really, it's the clearest, most practical explanation I've ever read.

I recommend this one with NLP Comprehensive's "NLP: The Technology of Achievement." The only thing lacking with Mindworks is an extensive set of useful, thorough exercises which the latter book does offer. Read Mindworks for the theory, and "NLP: The Technology of Achievement" to practice it.

This text explores various facets of NLP and how it can be used to change your life. The author is the director of an NLP training center in New York City, but the writing style and presentation of the material is done in an easy to understand and conversational style. The book is also packed with examples to demonstrate the concepts, which helps tremendously in understanding how they are supposed to work. At the end of each section are practical exercises that help you apply the techniques covered in that chapter.

I really liked the way that the book is laid out in short chapters that could be read in just a few minutes. It made it easy to pick it up when I had a few minutes, read a chapter, read the exercises and apply that technique. I also enjoyed the chapter about changing behavior and working with problems that you have tried unsuccessfully to rid yourself of before. Some of the first sections seemed to spend a lot of time on basic communication techniques, which is a very important part of NLP, but it seemed repetitive to the point of being almost boring. If you find the first sections fascinating then that is great, if you find them common sense and a bit more boring then hang in there as it does get better and provide a lot of useful information before the book is completed. A good book with a lot of basic useful techniques that you can apply yourself, it is a wonderful reference that should be read several times a year to remind you that there are other techniques that you may not have tried which might help you unlock the promise of who you can be.