Change: Principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution

Paul Watzlawick, John H. Weakland, Richard Fisch

Forword by Milton H Erickson

Hardback: 172 pages

5/5

NLP did not materialise out of thin air - more grown from fertile soil (by more than capable gardeners). There comes a time in many an NLP'ers journey when curiosity draws them back in time to investigate to the concepts and ideas that created the environment in which NLP developed. Such NLP'ers would do well to pay attention to the works of Watzlawick and his colleagues (including Gregory Bateson and Virginia Satir) at the Mental Research Institute at Palo Alto CA.

This book is a presentation of a model of persistence and change based upon group theory and the theory of logical types (the real 'logical levels' model). It explains with clarity and precision why sometimes our most rational solutions lead to more of the same problems, and how we can only break out of the cycle by shifting logical levels to create second-order change.

Before I read this book I used to wonder at the rationale behind the crazier interventions of Erickson and Bandler. This book laid it all out for me, transforming my approach to working both with clients and my self.

I absolutely must recommend this book as essential reading for all NLP'ers working in personal and/or organisational change - you need to know this stuff!