By Lynn Timpany

A couple of weeks ago a friend was over visiting. This friend had been notoriously disinterested in NLP in the past, despite being surrounded by many practitioners. John Emerick's book 'Be The Person You Want To Be' was lying on the table, newly arrived and waiting to be read. My friend picked up the book, and we didn't hear a squeak out of him for over an hour! I realised that this book must be different!

'Be The Person You Want To Be' is written in a totally different style from most other NLP books. The information that actually helps people change their lives has arrived in an accessible, easy-to-read form. The points are logically sequenced. There are plenty of realistic practical examples that make understanding how to use the knowledge easy. Gladly, the information is not based on seminar transcripts, and Emerick does an excellent job of speaking directly to the reader.

As a therapist in private practice and NLP Trainer, I am constantly scanning for books that are really safe and suitable for absolute beginners to NLP. Such reader-friendly books are scarce as hens' teeth and desperately needed. Even before I began reading 'Be The Person You Want To Be', my friend had already proved to me that it is such a book.

John Emerick has presented good information in an unmistakably ethical way. There is a focus on communication skills and win-win solutions. The book gently encourages the use of NLP skills with a high level of integrity. Basic material is extended upon in ways that make this book particularly useful for a wide range of people. Mainstream professional and business people as well as those interested firstly in personal growth will enjoy this book, and find it useful.

'Be The Person You Want To Be' begins by asking readers to think about how close they are to being the person they want to be. This of course leads readers to consider what exactly they do want to be like, in an indirect and practical way. This section of the book also answers the 'Why?' and shows readers the kind of things that they may be interested in learning. In the early parts of the book the mind-sets of effectiveness, and the structure of learning and unlearning, are presented in a down to earth fashion. Skills for understanding others and for being understood are described with lots of examples for easy reading. The presuppositions in the writing encourage the reader to foster a non-manipulative ethical approach to using the skills taught.

John Emerick is a certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and a management professional who has been applying NLP principles to business and personal development for many years. His original interpretations and extensions of NLP material are especially visible in the two chapters titled 'Handling Difficult Situations' and 'Defending Yourself'. Skills are presented for giving bad news gracefully, graceful disagreement and defending against abusive use of presuppositions. Really useful information presented in a practical, almost jargon-free, way. I was especially interested in Emerick's description of how to handle the habitual verbal abuser.

'Be The Person You Want To Be' is a must-have for those in the field of NLP who seek resources to assist them in spreading this life-changing information to the wider community. This is an excellent book for recommending to newcomers to the field- it certainly got my friend interested quickly! I also recommend the book to anyone wishing to develop his/her own personal skills and achieve more success in any area of life.

The back cover of Be The Person You Want To Be reads: 'Dreams Don't Just Happen- You Create Them!' For a great many persons, I believe this book will be a part of the process of creating them. It's a very important book.

[A promotional page for Emerick's book, with a link to order it over the web, can be viewed at http://www.primapublishing.com/life/76150806.html]

Lynn Timpany is a Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, who has been active in the field for seven years. She devotes her time to both training duties and to her successful private practice. She actively trains both independently and through Transformations International Consulting and Training Ltd. of Christchurch, New Zealand. She welcomes your comments at-

e-mail: lynn.timpany@xtra.co.nz
phone: 3 3898952 New Zealand