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Rating: 
Summary: Simply the best
Review: Until this book came out I'd have recommended anyone interested in hypnosis/hypnotherapy to start with 'Training Trances' by Overdurf and Silverthorn.
But not any more. Whilst I still rate 'Training Trances' very highly, I'd say this book is significantly better. Firstly because 'Hypnosis' manages to cover so much material in a relatively small space - yet without seeming to miss anything of importance. Secondly, because it teaches by demonstrating three different approaches rather than just the one. When I started out working with hypnosis it was very much in the Estabrooks "You are going to sleep ... you are going into a deep sleep" style.
Since discovering the Ericksonian style, some ten years ago, I've found the experience is much more 'harmonious' (for want of a better word) both for myself and for my clients. I believe I am also more effective before.
What this book did *for me* was both extend my knowledge and help me to understand why I personally prefer working in the Ericksonian style. Having said that, the book has also given me a better appreciation of the benefits of other styles of hypnosis. So, whilst I thought I detected a slight, but undeniable bias towards the Ericksonian approach, I believe that the book is sufficiently even-handed to be of interest and value to readers coming from almost *any* other form of hypnotherapy.
Rating:
Summary: A Tour de Force
Review: A "TOUR DE FORCE" by Tad James. Few manuals on any subject can have been so lucidly written. Clear, concise, relevant and to the point. I would recommend this book to any student of hypnotherapy. Even more experienced hypnotherapists will learn something new and exciting from this book. A must for any hypnotherapist's bookshelf.
Rating: 
Summary: General Information - Little Depth
Review: The reviews I had read led me to expect great things. Perhaps that is why I was so disappointed. This book is "comprehensive" only in the sense that it briefly mentions many aspects of hypnosis and hypnotherapy. With regard to these mentions, however, I found it to be quite superficial. With only 176 pages prior to the Appendix, not much depth should be expected on any particular topic. I found the sections on Erickson to be a good introduction to his work. There are only 9 printed pages devoted to Estabrooks, so you won't find much here. I also found the sections on Elman to be a gook introduction to him. It may inspire someone to further research on these people and their contributions. Unfortunately, I did not find much that I could use in the way of practical application. There is some of that in the book, however I think it would be most useful to someone who is completely new to the subject of hypnosis. I was a bit bothered by the repetative commercials for Time Line Therapy. I was even more troubled by New Age religion being passed off as therapy. As a hypnotherapist, I think it is important to respect each individual's beliefs and to not impose a particular spiritual belief system onto a client. The chapter on Ericksonian Interventions has little to do with Erickson (who put faith in an individual's life experiences), and a lot to do with New Age beliefs. "Unconscious Mind" is always capitalized as if referring to deity. It is asked to make contact with "Higher Self" to get answers, and then to go ahead and "heal" the client. This was not Milton's way. I would summarize this book as an introduction to hypnosis and a few New Age concepts. OK if that is all you want. [I apologize for the anonymity. I have seen the attacks on reviewers who did not praise a work, and would rather avoid them.]
Rating:
Summary: General Information - Little Depth
Review: This is a fairly good representation of some modern techniques of hypnotherapy, many taken from NLP. It is certainly and by no means a "comprehensive guide" however. It is actually quite a short book. I have identified several factual errors in the book, mainly in the second chapter, the historical section. There are many questionable claims in this part of the book, they are not supported by a single historical reference or quotation. There are also straightforward errors in the account of linguistic terminology contained later in the book. Nevertheless, it is an interesting read and probably worth buying. It is not a great book on the subject, nor is it anywhere near being a comprehensive one. Don.
Rating: 
Summary: Reasonable Modern Book, but contains errors.
Review: This is a fairly good representation of some modern techniques of hypnotherapy, many taken from NLP. It is certainly and by no means a "comprehensive guide" however. It is actually quite a short book. I have identified several factual errors in the book, mainly in the second chapter, the historical section. There are many questionable claims in this part of the book, they are not supported by a single historical reference or quotation. There are also straightforward errors in the account of linguistic terminology contained later in the book. Nevertheless, it is an interesting read and probably worth buying. It is not a great book on the subject, nor is it anywhere near being a comprehensive one. Don.
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