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So, I'm a cheap bastard. You would be too if you had an ex-wife like I did that cleaned you out, like mine did to me. So, I'm on a miserly quest to learn everything I possibly can for as cheaply as possible. So, I have a large library of excellent books. My problem is, I begin reading one, read about half of it, then start another, repeat, etc. Before you know it, I have 7,8,9 books that I've started, but haven't finished. So, you wonderful, beautiful experts, what's the best way to proceed so that I not only read this stuff, but incorporate it into my everyday communication? \

Tony (the next Uncle Milty)

Hi Tony

The books that you have started put in a neat pile, in any order, and pick the top one, and start reading it from the page you finished at, and only go on to the next book, when you have finished, each of the, already started books, (1 by 1) then you move on to one of the others, and only one at a time, this will get you back on track- something what you want to have in mind thou, is what will reading these books give you? what do you want out of them? How will you use the information you learn from them?


Jay

Hi Tony,

Here's a cheap trick.

When did you last read a book straight through ?

Happy reading

The end

MH

Jay, have I ever really, truly thanked you for keeping me on track?

Tony

Don't thank me, just pay the kindness forward, and the world will be a brighter place.

J

Jay,
As concerns your questions, what do I want to get out of the books and how will I use the information. Well, it depends on the book. I want to gather any bit of information that, when applied, will help me to accomplish the tasks I want to accomplish. For example, "Unlimited Selling Power" by Dr. Moine. I want to learn all of the concepts he reveals and apply them when I am with customers in order to make the buying experience that much easier. "Tranceformations" I want to expand my flexibility in inductions. Etc.

The Questions were not for you to reply to- just for you to keep in mind while your reading- reading with out purpose is like trying to masturbate with out using your hands.

J

Life can be so unfair.

Ok if the process suggested earlier does not work for you then try this. Because the way that we learn to read books at school, and the way that works for reading fiction is not necessarily the best way for reading non fiction books.

When we read fiction then we generally start at the beginning and read each word through to the end. The author is taking us on a journey and we take that one linear track through the story. That way we get the suspense and the thrill, we're immersed in the experience moment to moment.

When we read a non fiction book then our intention is different, typically we're looking to create a useful model or map of the subject domain that we can use to behave more effectively.

The following suggestions are based on my understanding and use of Paul Sheele's Photoreading process.

Preparation.
Take the books that you want to read, select between 5 and 10 of the ones you've started but not finished.
For each book:
Read the title, subtitle, front and back page, contents page.
Decide what is your intention is in reading each book.
Stack the books in order of priority with the most important on the top.

Go through the following process with each book. The idea is rather than read a book in one sitting that you make several passes, getting the broad strokes first and then filling in the details. You can do one book at a time or you can keep several books going at the same time, it doesn't matter. Just realise that at each stage you're getting a deeper understanding of the material and accept that because your interested in lots of things you like to have lots of things on the go.

Stage 1
Chose a book. Put aside between 30 and 45 minute when you can relax and won't be disturbed.
Get into a light trance and associate into all those times you've learnt easily and quickly. (this is an NLP forum so I'm assuming some familiarity with state control and accelerated learning states.)
State your intention for reading the book.
Keeping your breath relaxed and even and turning the pages in time with your breathing.
Look at every page in the book.
(you don't need to focus on the words. Imagine an X running from corner to corner of the double page so you see the whole page at one glance)
Distract your conscious mind by saying things like:
"I am calm and relaxed"
"I am absorbing the information in this book"
"My unconscious mind sees and remembers every page"
"I am reading this book so that I can ..."

When you reach the end of the book close your eyes and state your intention again. Imagine a rainbow connecting your right and left brain hemispheres.

Say nice things to yourself about how quickly you're learning.

Stage 2
You realise you already have a sense of what the book is about. Now we get down to refining exactly what you need to know to satisfy your intention in reading it in the first place.

Because you've already gone through this broad scanning process and your unconscious has already absorbed the material in the book you'll be able to think of questions that are relevant. What is it you need to know that will satisfy your intention?

For example if I was reading "trance-formations" and my intention was to learn to be a better hypnotist then I might ask:
What's a good structure for a hypnotic induction?
How do I tailor my induction for an individual client?
What are the signs of trance?
What's new in this book and what do I know already?
What can I use from this today?


Stage 3
Going through the questioning process of stage 2 begins to create the mental map you need to guide you in your exploration of the book and connects you with your motivation for reading it in the first place.

The next stage is to take the book and relax into a good learning state. (feel good first always applies)
Then scan through the book with your middle finger down the center of each page, taking in whole sentences and paragraphs and allowing yourself to hover over anything that catches your attention or feels relevant.

You're still not "reading" the book, you're glancing at it, using your visual sense to build a picture of it and get the words in your head.

When you get to the end refer back to your list of questions. Sleep on it. Do you know the answers yet? What is it that you don't know that you don't know?

Stage 4
If you could be bothered and it still feels like you have stuff to learn then read the book cover to cover. You'll find that lots of it is already familiar and you'll skim read whole sections. That's ok. Dive into the bits that take your fancy.


Hope that helps

Robin

You're supposed to use your hands?

Robin,
Thank you very much. I will definitley try that and I am optimistic it will work.

Tony, here's a tiny tip to apply to the excellent advice you've received: DO it in preference to TRYing to do it, and your optimism will more likely be rewarded. Happy learning!

touche

Hi Tony,
i was interested in your thread as I regularly read 5,6,7 books at once. I don't think I could finish 1 book from start to finish as it would be too linear for me. I take the info in better when i'm more at the centre of a web. I have some books I started a year or so ago but have investigated the ideas from other sources. All part of the adventure.
Could you reframe your "problem" of not finishing a book in to a skill of knowing the exact point when the book is no longer useful to you at that point? I think perhaps if you continue with a book that you are finishing for the sake of it, there's a chance you won't remember much of it anyway.

Just a little thought.
Judy

I dunno... seems to me there's no way to know there's nothing of use in the other half of the book unless you read it. What if we decided to be incredibly curious as to what we're missing?

My problem is less of not finishing the book and more of I feel that I'm not learning enough/fast enough/thoroughly enough/etc. There are self-taught NLPers who are very, very good. I want to be one of them. At least, I want to have a profound knowledge and internalize the techniques so that I can utilize them all day every day.

There may be self taught NLPers that you have met that are very good and I suggest for anyone to be so they having a first hand experience of what it is they are trying to learn, or as you say internalise. However this is not the normal way NLP with precision and quality intervention is assimmilated. Typically there is learning in the presence of someone who is a recognised trainer of NLP that has the training and experience so that there is someone who is keeping you on track rather than you waste time maybe veering off with interpretations of NLP as the methodology that it is not. Gosh there is enough of that out there already!

Earlier on in this thread you said you were pretty much cleaned out of cash and you were going to learn on the cheap. My suggestion is then cut down on the number of books and concentrate on learning one with precision and practice one thing at a time until competent. That could be a specific pattern you learn to recognise when tracking verbal and non-verbal communication without having to think about and then move onto practicing another. In most of the Bandler & Grinder Books there are exercises to begin with and there are also exercises in the book Bandler and Will MacDonald co-authored called 'An Insider's Guide to Submodalities'.

It takes time and if you are tenacious and disciplined you will rapidly accrue skills other's will be impressed by rather than the skills remaining in the several books piled up by your dunny. Forget thinking that you will master NLP by reading a number of books at the same time some of which require clarity in the finer distinctions first.

There is also setting yourself up to be maximise the learning you take from the reading and doing the exercises and that is an attitude of mind set up by being sure what it is you want. That's a whole another discussion done well, not from a book!

Cheers
Des

"However this is not the normal way NLP with precision and quality intervention is assimmilated. Typically there is learning in the presence of someone who is a recognised trainer of NLP that has the training and experience so that there is someone who is keeping you on track rather than you waste time maybe veering off with interpretations of NLP as the methodology that it is not."

I am in the process of making plans to attend a live training in the very near future.

Thank you so much for you advice. I will indeed follow it.

My pleasure and I hope the NLP training is a good one for you.

Cheers
Des Barry