Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part1

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    alt.self-improve FAQ
        revision 1.1
         Sept 16, 1994
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DISCLAIMER
This file is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions from the 
alt.self-improve group.  This document is information collected by 
the editors for public use.  The information is not guaranteed to
be accurate and may not reflect the opinions of the editors, the
editor's employers, or associated institutions.  This document may
be freely distributed provided this disclaimer is included with
all copies.  All contributions and suggestions for improvement
are welcomed.  The current editors are:

Loren Larsen
Computer Science Department
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634
llarsen@cs.clemson.edu

and

Aaron Lewis
University of Kent
Canterbury, England
asl2@ukc.ac.uk
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This FAQ is posted on the 17th of every month.  A how-to-find-the-FAQ article
is posted on the 7th and 27th of every month.  This FAQ is also available 
via World Wide Web (Mosaic): 
http://diogenes.cs.clemson.edu/~llarsen/llarsen.html
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Changes since version 1.0
- Addition of Internet resources list (Appendix B)
- Addition of section on Marshall Sylver (Chapter 20)
- Addition of Appendix C.  This has a list of books, audiotapes, and seminars
  rated by readers.  
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.  Introduction to alt.self-improve
2.  Accelerated Learning
3.  Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.)
4.  Est
5.  Financial Improvement
6.  General Learning and Study Skills
7.  Hypnosis
8.  Landmark (The Forum)
9.  Lateral Thinking
10. Life-Long Learning Association
11. Meditation
12. Memory Systems
13. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
14. Physical Health
15. Anthony Robbins
16. Sales and Negotiation
17. Scientology/Dianetics
18. Software Packages
19. Speed Reading
20. Marshall Sylver
21. Time Management
Appendix A.  Resource List
Appendix B.  Biographies
 Richard Bandler
 Stephen Covey
 John Grinder
 Anthony Robbins
Appendix C.  Reader Ratings of Books/Audiotapes/Seminars

1. Introduction to alt.self-improve

The alt.self-improve group provides a forum for discussing strategies,
techniques, and principles for self improvement.  The table of contents gives
a good overview of the breadth of topics discussed.  This FAQ has been
created to provide a single document that contains a sort of history of what
is has been discussed in the newsgroup.  New readers may find the answers to
many of their questions already answered in this document.  We have attempted
to categorize questions by topic for easy access, but many issues don't fit
neatly into a single category.  The contents of this document are collected
by the editors from past postings in alt.self-improve, personal e-mail
correspondence, and outside sources.  All suggestions and contributions are 
welcome.  The newsgroup is not intended for commercial uses or promotion of, 
commercial products, however a section has been added to this document with 
information about contacting many of the companies whose products, seminars, 
or books are discussed in this newsgroup.  The last section provides brief 
biographical information about some of the self-improvement personalities 
frequently mentioned in this group.  

This document is still in it's infancy.  Most of the material collected so
far has been summarized based on past postings to the newsgroup.  There are
bound to be a number of errors.  The information presented so far is probably
biased toward the interests and perspectives of the editors.  Hopefully both
the errors and bias will rapidly be diminished with your feedback.  Please 
help to expand and perfect this document by contributing your knowledge.

Quoted articles are acknowledged by placing the poster's name in parentheses
(e.g. (From: llarsen@cs.clemson.edu).  Information which is not explicitly
acknowledged has been compiled by the editors from a variety of sources
including past postings, external sources, and reader responses to the 
editors.

We are considering different methods of compactly recording comments from
a wide variety of sources.  One suggestion is to create a rating system
for books, seminars, etc.  For example if you have attended a particular
speed reading course or a Tony Robbins seminar, send us your opinion by
rating it on a scale of 1-10.  The average could be used as opposed to
a huge collection of personal responses.  Any other suggestions are welcome.


2.  Accelerated Learning

 Q. What is accelerated learning?

 A. This question comes up periodically, but the editors of this FAQ
    have not succeeded in compiling a sufficient answer.  If anyone
    has additional information about this topic please post to the
    group or send us e-mail.  

3.  Stephen Covey
 
 Q. Who is Stephen Covey?
 A. Stephen Covey is the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
    People" which has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for
    the past several years.  The subtitle of 7 Habits is "Restoring
    the Character Ethic".  This sums up how Covey's work is different
    from many other approaches.  While at Harvard doing his MBA
    he researched a large portion of the self improvement literature 
    going back as far as the 18th century.  What he noticed was that
    early on the work focused on character traits and principles and
    that long term success depended upon this.  Early this century, 
    the focus shifted to what he calls the "personality ethic" which
    became the dominant theme in success literature.  In the personality
    ethic, success is viewed as a function of personality, public 
    image, attitude, skills, and techniques.  If you learned the
    right techniques and could impress the right people and you would 
    be successful.  Much of Covey's work is focused on restoring the
    character ethic as the principle focus, skills and techniques can
    only be successful in the long term if they are built upon a strong
    character ethic.

    Covey received his PhD from Brigham Young University where he spent
    many years as a professor in the School of Management.  He is also 
    the founder of the Covey Leadership Center and the nonprofit 
    Institute for Principle-Centered Leadership.  Stephen and his 
    center are widely sought by major corporations as speakers and
    consultants.  In addition to his 7 Habits he has authored, "How
    to Succeed with People", "Principle-Centered Leadership", "First
    Things First".  In addition to his business writing Covey is also
    very popular among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of 
    Latter-Day Saints for writing books dealing with religious and 
    spiritual topics.  Some of these books are, "Spiritual Roots
    of Human Relations", "The Divine Center", and "Marriage and Family
    Insights".

4.  Est
 Q. What is Est?
 A. Est (Erhard Seminars Training) was started by Werner Erhard and
    was one of the most popular and influential self-improvement
    movements of the 1970's.

 Q. Is Est still around?
 A. Est is no longer taught in its original form, but a number of 
    groups have evolved from Est and their current teachings borrow
    heavily from the original Est.  The most prominent is 
    Landmark Education which offers The Forum.

5.  Financial Improvement
 Q. What are some available resources for managing finances?
 A. The most well known source of information about personal finance
    information is probably Charles Givens (see next question).  

    Another book that is highly recommended is called _Your Money Or
     Your Life_ by Joseph Dominguez and Vicki Robin.  This book takes
    a "holistic" approach to financial success, meaning that it treats
    finances as an integral part of your entire life, not one seperable
    part that can be talked about separately.  It discusses attitudes
    toward money, spiritual feelings about money, whether how you are
    making money is consistent with your values, etc.

 Q. What do people know about Charles Givens?
 A. Charles Givens is probably the biggest name in personal finance
    these days.  He gives seminars around the country and is the
    author of the best-selling books, "Wealth Without Risk", 
    "More Wealth Without Risk", and "Financial Self-Defense".  He is
    also the founder of the "Charles J. Givens Organization" which is
    supposedly the largest organization of it's type in the world, that
    is dissiminator of personal finance information and advice.  His
    organization was recently sued (and lost) for giving misleading
    financial advice.  He has also reportedly lied about the story he
    often tells of losing his fortune 3 times and coming back as a 
    millionaire 3 times.  Many people have used his book and there is
    certainly some very good advice there.  The key is choosing what
    information will be useful for you and that which won't.  No 
    readers of this group have reported gaining great wealth from
    following his advice.

6.  General Learning and Study Skills

7.  Hypnosis
 Q. What is the relationship between hypnosis and self-improvement?
 A. Hypnosis is used by many different forms of therapy.  Self-hypnosis
    is also possible and many people report positive experiences
    with hypnosis.  This topic is not often discussed in much detail
    in alt.self-improve.  A related newsgroup is alt.hypnosis.  

    A new personality, Marshall Sylver has appeared on the self
    improvement scene recently which seems to combine work in hypnosis 
    with some of the ideas of Tony Robbins.  To date, no one has 
    reported any direct experience with his tape program.  
 
8.  Landmark (The Forum)

9.  Lateral Thinking

 Q. What is lateral thinking?
 A. The term lateral thinking was coined by Edward deBono in his books
    "Lateral Thinking" and "The Use of Lateral Thinking".  The basic
    idea of lateral thinking is that instead of moving directly and
    automatically from a goal to a solution, the mind searches in
    many different directions to find a solution.  It involves avoiding
    solving problems in the most familiar or obvious way.  His books 
    are quite readable and enjoyable.
   
10. Life-Long Learning Association

 Q. What is Life-Long Learning Association
 A. The LLL association is a source of self improvement products.
    The assoc. sends you the product of the month ( usually a 6 audio 
    or video seminar) or you can choose an alternate selection if the 
    program doesn't suit your interests. You also get a subscription 
    to the world premiere audio magazine "Inside Edge" which covers 
    current trends in development, etc. and a subscription to "The 
    Destiny Report" newsletter. The above is sent to you monthly for 
    $50 US.  The assoc. was set up to make LLL affordable on the 
    monthly basis which it is required for results. The retail of what 
    you get is close to $100.  A good portion of the product comes 
    from Nightingale-Conant, a company LLL recently merged with.  See 
    Appendix A for contact information about the Life-Long Learning 
    Association if you are interested.

11.  Meditation
 Q. What experiences do people have with meditation and what results
    have they experienced? 
 A. Many people in the group have some experience with meditation.
    Some report very good results, others have had less dramatic 
    experiences.  This topic is not often discussed in detail in
    alt.self-improve although it does seem relevant.  A related
    newsgroup is alt.meditation

12.  Memory Systems

 Q. What's the deal with all these memory systems?
 A. Quite often the question comes up regarding memory systems.  One
        has either read a book, or has seen an infomercial concerning
    it.  Do they work and are they worth the money?
 
     A quick bit of history.  Recorded history concerning memory 
     systems is documented to about 500bc.  There are indications that 
     these were in existence as early as 1500bc, but only fragments 
     exist supporting this claim.  The ancient orators used these 
     systems to help deliver their famous speeches.
 
     In modern times we have books, audio cassettes, and video
      recordings all teaching memory systems.  One cannot really
      compare one system to another.  All have some good features to
      them.  All are taught by people who have been in the business or
      have studied it.  Most of the systems utilize a principle called
      mnemonics.  Simply stated, this means assisting the human memory
      by artificially  adding mental pictures or images attached to the
      item to be retained in our mind.
 
     These systems DO work, but you have to put in some time and
      effort to learn the basics.  Once you do this, you will find the
      systems learned will be invaluable to you for the rest of your
     life.
 
     Virtually anything you wish to remember can be memorized by
      utilizing these systems.  They are not a waste of your time.
 
     Often the question of cost is raised.  The books cost a few
      dollars while the book, audio/video combinations are much more
      expensive.  Usually this is in the area today of $200 - $300 or
      more. Obviously the utilization of the audio/video is more
      effective due to the learning principles involved.  Our retention
      is greater and our learning time is shortened.  Books, on the
      other hand, are less expensive, but take a bit longer to learn
      from.  An on-site seminar is the best possible way to learn these
      systems.
 
     Books on the retail market by Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan are
      among the best available, although others are published that are
      equally effective.
 
     One of the best background texts I have ever run across is by
      Kenneth L Higbee of Brigham Young Univ.  He is the only one that
      has done the homework in this business although others are now
      coming on line with more current study findings.  His book is
      titled "Your Memory - How it Works and How to Improve it".
 
     (Contributed by: r.follmer@genie.geis.com)
 
 ---------------

 Here is a brief overview of some of the basic ideas common to most of
 the available memory systems. (Contributed by Aaron Lewis):

 MEMORY

 Throughout history there have been cases of people whose memories
 where astounding....people who never forgot a face in their whole
 lives, people who could memorize books, musical scores, packs of
 cards, numbers and formulae; all apparently effortlessly. Is it
 possible for anyone to have a memory like this?

 You bet!

 Let's start by finding out how good your memory is now...I'm going to 
 ask you to memorize a shopping list of ten items, in order. You have
 three minutes. Start now!

 1 a newspaper
 2 a bottle of wine
 3 some cheese
 4 a hairbrush
 5 a loaf of bread
 6 some toothpaste
 7 some tennis balls
 8 a book
 9 some shoe polish
 10 a bunch of bananas


 OK, time up, let's see how many you can recall! You have two minutes.
 If you can't remember them in order, just try and recall as many 
 objects as you can...

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5 
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10

 Now, probably you didn't get them all right. In fact, if you got half 
 or more then you have good reason to congratulate yourself! Faced with
 situations like this in everyday life, people forget regularly. Then 
 they decide that they have a faulty memory, and start to forget even 
 more.  For some people this becomes a vicious circle, the. The more 
 they forget, the worse they think their memory is, and they forget 
 even more. 

 Well, the reason you forgot is that your mind never really  received 
 the information properly. In other words, it is not that your brain 
 can't remember the list, it is that you never really gave it a 
 fighting chance. The brain likes to be used in the way it was 
 designed too.  During the course of this article, I hope to show you 
 just how to do that.

 THE PERFECT MEMORY
 Have you ever heard someone descibred as having a `photographic'
 memory? Perhaps you know someone personally who claims to have one.
 Perhaps you even have a photographic memory yourself!

 Let me start by shattering this illusion.....as far as we know,
 photographic memories don't exist. Period. No-one has the ability
 to take a `mental photograph' of anything, and to recall that
 information, perfectly and without distortion, for the rest of 
 their lives. The brain simply doesn't work like that.

 There are, however, two types of memory that can appear to be
 `photographic' under most circumstances...

 (1) Eidetic memory

 The ability to capture pictures and to recall them in great detail.
 Seven in every ten children below the age of 10 have this ability.
 Asked to study a colourful photograph for several minutes,
 they could later recall small details in their mind's eye. In one
 study, a child was able to remember the wording on a shop sign, a 
 small part of a larger picture, even though it was in a language the 
 child did not understand!

 This ability seems to fade rapidly with time. Precious few adults could
 do what has been described above. Why? Probably because of a school
 system that teaches its students to fail rather than to succeed - 
 but that's for another time.


 (2) Synaesthetic memory

 The word `synaesthesia' roughly means `the blending of the senses'.
 In the brain of a person who is synaesthetic, a reaction in one of
 the body's senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) sets off 
 ASSOCIATED reactions in the other senses, The person will see the
 colour red, but will also be able to smell it, to taste is, to touch
 it and to recall previous occasions when they have seen it.

 Now, we are all synaesthetic to some extent. Have you ever smelled
 something that reminded you of an event in your childhood?
 Perhaps you buy a hot-dog, and you suddenly find yourself 
 thinking of that fair you visited when you were six years old,
 and the smell that was wafting from that hot dog stand. You might 
 also think of the rides, the bright lights, the sounds of people
 chattering and the feel of the nice, warm hot-dog in your hand.

 That word `associated' is very important. The brain uses
 association to remember everything. That's how it's built.
 Countless millions of brain cells are each connected to hundreds,
 perhaps thousands of other individual brain cells. So it is not
 surprising, therefore, that it works best when it can associate
 things. I wonder how many times you have thought of one thing,
 and it has reminded you of something else? Several times today
 already, probably!

 What are your most vivid memories of childhood? The ordinary,
 dull, routine things, or the outstanding events? How much of
 last week can you recall? I'll bet the things that spring to mind
 easiest were the ones that were the most outstanding, the most
 unusual. Your Aunty Doris unexpectedly arrives with an ENORMOUS
 birthday parcel, wrapped up in shiny red paper. You were walking
 down the High Street, when suddenly two men dressed as clowns
 run out of the nearby bank, clutching large sacks of stuffed full
 of money! You would probably remember that for some time to come!

 To summarise, the associations that are best remembered are the most
 unusual, unexpected, colourful, positive ones. You would not
 remember an ordinary person in a grey suit walking out of the 
 bank....but you would certainly remember two clowns hotly pursued 
 by policemen!

 You can use this fact to memorize anything you like. From a shopping
 list, to several inter-shuffled packs of cards, the names and faces
 of 100 people you've never met before, or even whole telephone 
 directories if you've got time on your hands!!

 All you need to do is to associate the new material to something you
 already know, making the associations full of colour, sounds,
 smells, and unusual (imaginative, unlikely, humorous) events.

 And that, in a nutshell, is the secret of a perfect memory!!!

 Enough theory. Let's put it into practice. We are going to have 
 another go at memorizing that shopping list. Here it is again!

 1 a newspaper
 2 a bottle of wine
 3 some cheese
 4 a hairbrush
 5 a loaf of bread
 6 some toothpaste
 7 some tennis balls
 8 a book
 9 some shoe polish
 10 a bunch of bananas

 We are going to learn the list, in order, by associating or 
 `linking' the newspaper to the number 1, the bottle of wine to
 the number 2, and so on.

 However, numbers are fairly abstract, so we're going to replace
 each number by an object which rhymes with it. These objects 
 are called `hooks' - because you can hang anything you need to
 remember on them, and they'll still be hanging there when you
 next look....

 1 bun  - newspaper
 2 shoe  - bottle of wine
 3 tree   - cheese
 4 door   - hairbrush 
 5 hive  - loaf of bread
 ( a bee hive)
 6 sticks - toothpaste
 7 heaven - some tennis balls
 8 eight  - book
 9 mine  - shoe polish
 (a gold mine perhaps?)
 10 den           - bananas
 ( a lion's den)

 So, we can now create memorable associations between (1) bun and
 newspaper, (2) shoe and wine, (3) tree and cheese. Here are some
 examples to start you off!

 (1) Newspaper
 Hook word is `bun'

 Imagine an enormous, man-like bun in your living room, sprawled
 out across YOUR favourite armchair (the cheek!), whilst reading
 a heavy broadsheet NEWSPAPER!
 Remember, don't just see the image in your mind's eye, but listen
 to the pages being turned, taste the bun, notice the crumbs all
 over the chair and the floor. In short, make the image as 
 imaginative as possible, involve all your senses!

 (2) Bottle of wine
 Hook word is `shoe'

 Imagine a party with all your closest friends and family invited.
 You are opening a vintage bottle of wine to celebrate. However,
 none of the guests are using wine glasses - they are all drinking
 from their shoes! Imagine tasting the wine, which has a distinct 
 leathery, sweaty taste to it (yuck!!!) Imagine making a toast with
 the shoes!

 (3) Cheese
 Hook word is `tree'

 The apple tree in your garden is not producing apples this year....
 but large, tasty-looking lumps of cheese! See all the different
 varieties hanging from the branches....cheddar, Red Leicester,
 Camonber....taste them all. The combined smell is almost 
 overpowering!


 Ok....you finish off the rest.

 (4) hairbrush (hook words are... door
 (5) loaf of bread   hive
 (6) toothpaste    sticks
 (7) tennis balls   heaven
 (8) book    gate
 (9) shoe polish    mine
 (10) bananas    den )



 Now find yourself a blank piece of paper, and see if you can write down
 the whole list from memory. No peeking now! Start with the first 
 image....now what was that man-sized bun doing?

 How did you get on? With a bit of luck, you rememberd most of 
 the list! Don't worry if you didn't get 10 out of 10. Like
 everything in life, this needs practice. Go back over the items
 you got wrong. Try to make the images stronger. The more imaginative
 your images are, the longer you will remember them!

 Some people find that, however hard they try, they just can't
 conjure up pictures in their mind's eye. If this includes you,
 then don't worry! Everyone's ability to `visualize' improves
 with practice. Try making sketches of the images on paper. They
 don't have to be works of art, 30-second doodles will do. After
 a while, you will find that pictures start to form in your mind.
 As I said, it's all a matter of practice!


 This method of hooks, where each hook rhymes with it's number, is 
 an example of a memory `system'. There are countless different 
 memory systems, and more are being thought up all the while.

 For example, instead of using hooks that sound like numbers,
 how about some hooks which LOOK like numbers?

 1 paint brush
 2 swan
 3 heart
 4 yacht
 5 hook
 6 elephant's trunk
 7 cliff
 8 snowman
 9 balloon on a stick
 10 bat and ball

 The systems so far are OK for lists of ten items....but how about 
 longer lists? This is where the number-letter system comes in.

 THE NUMBER-LETTER SYSTEM

 This system was devised as far back as the seventeenth century,
 by Stanislaus Mink von Wennsshein. Every number is allocated a 
 consonant.....

 0  z  5  l
 1  t  6  j
 2  n  7  k
 3  m   8  f
 4  r  9  b

 The reason for each hook is not as obvious this time.

 `z' (0) is the first letter of the word `zero'
 `t' (1) has one downstroke.
 `d' (2) has two downstrokes.
 `m' (3) has three downstrokes.
 `r' (4) is the last letter of the word `four'.
 `l' (5) is the shape made by the five fingers and thumb of your hand.
 `j' (6) is the mirror image of `6'
 `k' (7) is made up of three sevens (when capitalized)
 `f' (8) when handwritten, has two loops, as does the number eight.
 `b' (9) is the mirror image of `9'

 Now the beauty of this system is that numbers can be translated into
 words. Take the number 41 for example. The hooks are `r' and `t'. 
 Filling in with vowels, we get the word `rat'. Is item 41 on your 
 shopping list `magazine'? Then simply associate `rat' and `magazine'
 together! (I imagine a female rat, covered in make-up and wearing 
 very little clothing, posing on the front cover of a magazine!)

 Let me give you another example of how it can be used. My friend 
 Adrian is an amateur conductor. His phone number is 227 123456.
 This is how I would memorize it...

 NO.  HOOK
 22   `n' `n'     NUN
 71   `k' `d'     KID
 23   `n' `m'     NAME
 45   `r' `l'     RAIL

 So, I imagine Adrian conducting an orchestra consisting entirely of
 NUNS. The front row of seats are full of KIDS, listening intently...
 this is a children's concert! Each child has a colourful badge on 
 which their NAME is written in big, friendly letters. One of the 
 younger children at the back, a bit too young to be interested, is
 playing with his train set...RAIL.

 For brevity, that was just an outline, but I would also imagine the
 sound of the orchestra, feel the vibrations of the tubas and trumpets,
 imagine myself travelling round on the toy train, smell and taste the
 chocolate bar one of the kids is munching on, and so on.

 You can use this system for making any number easy to remember. It's
 probably a good idea to think a word for each number from 00 to 99,
 learn them (the best way is through practice of the system) and use 
 the same words all the time. These are the words I use.....

 00 zoo    01 die    02 noah   03 ma     04 ra
 10 dice   11 dad    12 dane   13 dam 14 dare
 20 nasa   21 net    22 nun    23 name   24 nero
 30 mess   31 mat    32 man    33 ma'am  34 mare
 40 race   41 rat    42 rune   43 ream   44 roar
 50 lice   51 lord   52 lane   53 lamb   54 lair
 60 chase  52 chat   62 chain  63 chime  64 chair
 70 kiss   71 cat    72 can    73 comb   74 car
 80 face   81 fat    82 thin   83 foam   84 fair
 90 bus    91 bat    92 bun    93 bum    94 bar

 05 law    06 jaw    07 key    08 foe    09 bay
 15 dale   16 dash   17 deck   18 daffy  19 dab
 25 nail   26 nash   27 nag    28 navy   29 knob
 35 mail   36 mash   37 mac    38 mafia  39 map
 45 rail   46 rash   46 rack   48 rave   49 rap
 55 lily   56 leash  57 lake   58 laugh  59 lab
 65 chill  66 chacha 67 cheque 68 chaff  69 chip
 75 kill   76 cash   77 cake   78 cafe   79 cab
 85 fall   86 fish   87 fork   88 fife   89 fab
 95 ball   96 bash   97 bake   98 beef   99 baby

 SOME DEFINITIONS.....

 04 ra   the raft used by Thor Heyerdahl to prove that pre-historic
    man could have travelled the oceans
 15 dale   a valley
 18 daffy  Daffy Duck!
 19 dab    a marine flat-fish
 20 nasa   the American space agency
 24 nero   Emperor Nero....fiddling as Rome burns?
 66 chacha the Latin American dance
 68 chaff  a bundle of corn
 89 fife   the high-pitched flute used in military music

 It is your associations that matter, not mine. 

 You will notice that in some of the words letters have been changed....
 `d' is sometimes replaced by `t'. `j' is sometimes replaced by `sh'.
 People often use consonants that sound like the hooks, as well as the
 hooks themselves, for any given number....

 0  z  also s
 1  d  also t
 2  n  
 3  m
 4  r
 5  l
 6  j  also sh, ch
 7  k  also c, ck, qu
 8  f  also th
 9  b  also p 

 This allows for a greater choice between hook words...instead of `dip'
 for 19, how about `tub' or `tab'? Instead of `chat' for 52, why not
 `shed'?

 On the other hand, if you want to stick to the basic list of ten hook 
 letters when you're choosing your words, go ahead.


 It goes yet further! You should be able to find words for 100-999 
 as well. Tony Buzan in his excellent books on memory has expanded
 the system from 0-100, through 0-10,000 and even up to 0-100,000!!
 An entire mental filing cabinet instantly constructed using just
 10 basic letter hooks!

 The only limits to the system are the limits of your inventiveness,
 which is by definition unlimited. In the rest of the article, I
 will be talking about some more specialised memory system. Many of them
 are based on the number-letter system, but all use association and 
 imagination in exactly the same way as we have already been using them.


 GEOGRAPHY

 Did you know that, statistically, the number of people who can
 recall the capital of EVERY country of the world is about one in
 a million? (At least it was before the memory systems began to
 become popular!)

 With a memory as fabulous as yours is, joining this elite club
 should prove no problem. All you need to do is:

 (1) Find yourself a list of the world's capital cities.
 (2) Use association to link each country to it's capital. 
 Here are some examples....

 COUNTRY  CAPITAL
 -------         -------
 EstTONIA TALLINN
 Imagine a tiny David, throwing STONES (Estonia) IN the mouth of
 a very TALL (Tallinn) Goliath!

 LATVIA  RIGA
 Imagine one of those toffee-nosed people of the arts world (a
 LOVEY) (Latvia) trying to take a rehearsal for a ballet on the
 deck of an oil-RIG (Riga). The floor is slippery, what with all
 that oil on it, and the dancers keep slipping over!

 Of course, once you've done that, there is nothing to stop you 
 learning the population, land area, imports and exports, major 
 rivers, prime ministers/presidents of all these countries too!!

 HISTORY 

 Ever wanted to learn the terms of office of all the Presidents
 of the United States? The reigns of all the monarchs of England?
 The years of major historical events? No problem, just use association
 to link them all together!

 CARDS

 The current world record for memorizing a pack of cards if 56 seconds.
 My personal best is a poor in comparison six minutes, but I'm still
 practising!

 You can give each card a hook word, just like any number, by using the 
 letter-number system. Here is a list of suggested hooks....

  HEARTS  DIAMONDS SPADES  CLUBS
 Ace hat  date  sit  cat
 2 hen  dane  sion  can
 3 ham  dam  sum  cam
 4 hoar   dare  sore  car
 5 hill  dale  sale  kill
 6 hash  dash  sash  cash
 7 hack  deck  sack  cake
 8 hive  daffy  sive  cafe
 9 hub  dab  sap  cab
 10 haze  daze  size  case
 Jack headed  dotted  seated  cadet
 Queen heathen  deaden  satan  cotton
 King heart  diamond  spade  club

 Each hook word is formed by taking the first letter of the suit (h for
 hearts, d for diamonds....), a consonant for the numerical value of 
 the card, and by filling in with vowels to make the word.

 Note that the Jack and the Queen become the numbers 11 and 12
 respectively, and the hook words for the King of each suit are the
 suits themselves.

 You may find that linking 52 objects together in one continuous 
 sequence to be a bit dull. There is a more structured way of doing
 it, however....

 THE ROMAN ROOM SYSTEM

 Named after the Romans, who were masters of the art of memory. 
 Politicians would often be judged on their ability to put long
 speeches into their heads, and deliver them without refering to
 notes. 

 The idea is to link things we want to remember with a journey.
 Use any journey you like....the walk to work, a tour of your
 house, a stroll around a tourist town. Each journey has a number
 of `stops'. At each stop we make an association. For example, if
 we were memorizing a pack of cards, we would have 52 stops on the
 journey. The first card would be associated at the first stop,
 the second card associated at the second stop, and so on.
 Here is an example...a walk around my house, starting in my bedroom.


 First card : 3 of hearts. (hook word: ham)
 Stop on the journey : my bedroom.

 I imagine waking up one morning, to find a huge slice of ham in place
 of the sheets on my bed. I imagine the feel of the ham across my body.
 Feeling somewhat hungry, I take a bite. Yum!

 Second card : 5 of spades (hook word : sale)
 Stop on the journey : the hall outside the bedroom.

 I get up to find that someone has stripped my bedroom of all my clothes
 and is holding a `second-hand sale' in the hall! There are strangers
 wandering around handling my clothes, trying them for size, walking
 out of the door with them!  My face goes a deep shade of angry red!

 Third card : King of hearts (hook word : heart)

 I go into the bathroom for a nice, warm bath, only to find a huge,
 man sized, blood red, beating heart in the bathtub!

 (And so on....)

 When you want to recall the cards, walk through the journey in your
 mind, going past each stop, and looking at which hook object has 
 been put there.

 Want to instantly be able to tell which was the 32nd card memorized?
 Or the 15th? Then organize the route carefully...perhaps every 10th
 stop can be some stairs of some description. The 5th, 15th, 25th stops
 could all be roads, or trees, or signs. Then, to find stop number 32, 
 count through to stop 30 (the 3rd set of stairs!) then count on to
 more stops to get to 32.

 CHESS

 You should have no problem working out a system for remembering chess.
 Every square on the board can be given a grid reference, which can be 
 translated into a hook word....

 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |81|82|83|84|85|86|87|88|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |71|72|73|74|75|76|77|78|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |61|62|63|64|65|66|67|68|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |51|52|53|54|55|56|57|58|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |41|42|43|44|45|46|47|48|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |31|32|33|34|35|36|37|38|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
 |11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|
 +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

 LANGUAGES

 Now that you have a perfect memory, learning languages will become
 much quicker. Just link the foreign word to its English translation.
 Here are some examples from the French language....

 ENGLISH WORD FRENCH WORD PRONOUNCED
 horse  cheval  (sher-val)

 Imagine a big, muscular horse, wearing sweaty working clothe s,
 digging the ground with a SHOVEL.

 dog   chien  (shee-an)

 Imagine a well-groomed dog with SHINEy hair.

 English is unusual in the Indo-European family of languages, in that
 its nouns (words that are objects) are all given genders, even though
 the object may be genderless or even inanimate., 

 So, in French, the words for father and brother are `male', the word
 for horse is `male' (even if you are talking about a female horse)
 and the word for `ceiling' is also male. We can easily use association
 to remember which word belongs to which gender, by linking the word
 to a male or female symbol.....

 WORD GENDER IN FRENCH
 horse male - `le cheval'

 Imagine a boxer (a male symbol) riding into the ring on horseback.

 cow female - `la vache'

 Imagine a young girl (a female symbol) milking a cow.

 In fact, most grammar problems can be dealt with by using association.
 Memorizing the plurals of words, the form of nouns in different cases,
 verb endings and so on should be much easier. It will take a few 
 seconds to recall the associations and the grammar they represent at 
 first, but you'll quickly be speaking the language quickly.

 For those of you seriously interested in learning a language this way,
 then I can recommend the LINKWORD books created by Dr. Mike Gruneberg.
 They teach a vocabulary of several hundred words, giving associations
 for all of them, plus a fair bit of grammar. As far as I know there
 aren't any other language courses which use an association method.
 (Anyone know differently?)

 SUMMARY

 And that is as much as I can teach you. You now have the knowledge
 to create all manner of memory systems for any purpose. The current
 World Memory Champion, Dominic O'Brien, regularly creates new systems.
 `There's room for a lot of creativity there,' he says.

 Above all, these things need PRACTICE. Getting good at the systems
 is easy, but getting REALLY good at them, so you can apply them 
 instantly and almost without thinking, is much harder, but ultimately 
 rewarding.

 Good luck!


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 09-17-94                         Msg # 27434  
  To: ALL                              Conf: (2120) news.answers
From: alt.self-improve FAQ Coo         Stat: Public
Subj: alt.self-improve FAQ (Par        Read: No
------------------------------------------------------------------------
@FROM   :llarsen@cs.clemson.edu                                       
@SUBJECT:alt.self-improve FAQ (Part 2 of 2)                           
@PACKOUT:09-17-94                                                     
Message-ID: <alt.self-improve-2-779814613@cs.clemson.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve,alt.answers,news.answers
Organization: Clemson University

Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part2

       -------------------------------------------
    alt.self-improve FAQ
    revision 1.1 (PART 2)
        Sept 16, 1994
      -------------------------------------------


13.  Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
 Q. What is NLP?
 A. The following answer was contributed by (stever@mit.edu):

 This is a merging of several sci.psychology messages defining NLP.
 Please feel free to ask questions, etc.

 If you would like a list of NLP resources (books, training centers),
 I have one of those, too...

 Enjoy,

 - Stever

 --------------------

 NLP was developed in the mid-70s by John Grinder, a Professor at UC
 Santa Cruz and Richard Bandler, a graduate student.

 Neuro-linguistic Programming, as most people use the term, is a set
 of models of how communication impacts and is impacted by subjective
 experience.  It's more a collection of tools than any overarching
 theory.  NLP is heavily pragmatic: if a tool works, it's included in
 the model, even if there's no theory to back it up.  None of the
 current NLP developers have done research to "prove" their models
 correct.  The party line is "pretend it works, try it, and notice the
 results you get.  If you don't get the result you want, try something
 else."

 Much of early NLP was based on the work of Virginia Satir, a family
 therapist; Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy; Gregory Bateson,
 anthropologist; and Milton Erickson, hypnotist.  It was Erickson's
 work that formed the foundation for a lot of NLP, thus the tight
 connection with hypnosis.  Bandler and Grinder's book "Patterns of
 the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, Volume I" is one of
 the best books I've ever read on how language influences mental
 states. 

 NLP consists of a number of models, and then techniques based on
 those models.  The major models usually associated with NLP are:

 (a) Sensory acuity and physiology:  thinking is tied closely to
 physiology.  People's thought processes change their physiological
 state.  Sufficiently sensitive sensory acuity will help a
 communicator fine-tune their communication to a person in ways over
 and above mere linguistics. 

 (b) The "meta-model."  A set of linguistic challenges for uncovering
 the "deep structure" underneath someone's "surface structure"
 sentences.  [Sorry for the transformational grammar lingo.]  

 (c) Representational systems.  These actually appeared in Erickson's
 work and the work of others, though Bandler and Grinder took them
 much further.  Different people seem to represent knowledge in
 different sensory modalities.  Their language reveals their
 representation.  Often, communication difficulties are little more
 than two people speaking in incompatible representation systems.

 For example, the "same" sentence might be expressed differently by
 different people:
         Auditory:       "I really hear what you're saying."
         Visual:         "I see what you mean."
         Kinesthetic:    "I've got a handle on that."

 (d) The "Milton-model."  This is a set of linguistic patterns Milton
 Erickson used to induce trance and other states in people.  It is the
 inverse of the meta-model; it teaches you how to be artfully vague,
 which is what you use to do therapeutic hypnosis with someone.

 (e) Eye accessing cues.  When people access different
 representational systems, their eyes move in certain ways.  Lots of
 research has been done on accessing cues.  Most of it has "proven"
 they don't exist.  My thesis was on accessing cues and concluded the
 same thing.  My real conclusion was that a person is too complex a
 black box to test this effectively.  Also, eyes move in ways that are
 NOT related to information accessing.  While I can visually tell the
 difference between an "accessing cue" and a non-accessing movement, I
 can't quantify the difference enough to base research on it.  

 (f) Submodalities.  The STRUCTURE of internal representations
 determines your response to the content.  For example, picture
 someone you really like.  Make the colors more intense, as if you
 were turning up the color knob on a TV.  Now turn the color down,
 until it's black and white.  For most people, high color intensifies
 the feeling, and B&W neutralizes it.  The degree of color, part of
 the STRUCTURE of the representation, affects the intensity of your
 feelings about the content.

 (g) Metaprograms.  These are aspects about how people process
 information and make decisions.  For example, some people
 are motivated TOWARDS GOALS, while others are motivated AWAY FROM
 non-goals.  TOWARDS or AWAY-FROM tells how they respond to their
 world; which one a person prefers in a given context will
 dramatically change how they behave.

 --------------------------------

 NLP has several techniques for diagnosing and intervening in certain
 situations.  They have a phobia cure, a way to de-traumatize past
 traumas, ways to identify and integrate conflicting belief systems
 that keep you from doing things you want, etc.

 I first read about NLP in 1978, and though it sounded great, but
 couldn't possibly work.  The founders made lots of claims about
 one-session cures, which seemed implausible.  [Fourteen years later, I
 still think they overexaggerate at times, but I *have* seen two or
 three session results that rival traditional therapists' results
 over months.]

 In 1984 I took an introductory workshop and discovered, much to my
 surprise, that it worked well.  After messing someone up to the point
 where he almost needed hospitalization, I decided to be trained in it
 fully, so as not to repeat the mistake.

 I find it works scarily well.  So well that even someone with poor
 training in it can do a lot of damage.  There was no quality control
 in the field, and a lot of people go around teaching NLP who know
 very little about it.  Performing NLP techniques is a skill.
 Probably only one in ten NLP Practitioners are in the top 10% of NLP
 skill level, and maybe even fewer than that(*).

 ONE WAY an NLP therapist might approach a client session is by
 understanding the cognitive structure of how a client creates a
 problem.  They then help figure out the cognitive structure of an
 area of life where the client deals satisfactorily.  Then they would
 teach the client to use the good strategy in the problem situation.

 For example: a friend of mine was obsessed with her ex-boyfriend.
 She was in such fear of him that she would fly into hysterics at the
 thought of him.  Cognitively, she made a big, bright movie of him
 physically harassing her, with a soundtrack of him whining and
 lecturing her.  The soundtrack seemed to come from around her left
 ear, and was in the boyfriend's voice.

 She had another ex-boyfriend who she was fine about.  Cognitively,
 his picture was small, framed, and in the distance.  The soundtrack
 was her voice talking about how nice he had been, and how the
 relationship was firmly in the past.

 The work I did with her involved representing the problem boyfriend
 with a small, framed picture.  We removed the soundtrack of his
 voice, and added her narration, instead.  The result: she stopped
 obsessing about her ex, and went on with her life, able to deal with
 him.

 Some people have run into NLP trained people who annoyingly mimic
 body posture to distraction, in an attempt to gain "rapport."  They
 were poorly trained.  Go out in public; watch couples; watch good
 friends.  They walk in synchronization.  They move in
 synchronization.  They NATURALLY mirror each other movements.  NLP
 just noticed this, and says "if you don't have rapport, here's one
 thing to pay attention to."

 A common question is "Does knowing what's being done make it less
 effective?"  I've found that knowing what someone is doing lets me
 barricade against certain things, but there are definite cases where
 knowledge is not sufficient to keep it from working.  I was once in a
 group dynamics experiment where an outsider watched our group and
 pointed out to us how we kept getting stuck, because of certain
 behavioral loops we were in.  EVEN WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, we were
 unable to break the loops without incredible effort.  And then our
 efforts to break the loops fell into the same loops.  Certain aspects
 of NLP are like this: if someone is matching your representational
 systems and doing it well, even if you know they're doing it, they'll
 still communicate better to you, as long as they're not incongruent
 about it.

 Alas, there are few good NLP books out there.  In part, that's
 because NLP is about communication on all levels, and is much easier
 to demonstrate than to write about.  In part, that's because the
 people who have done the most creation of the models are out there
 creating new models and pushing the technology further.  Writing
 books isn't high on their list of priorities.  If you'd like to read
 about NLP, I recommend:
         Using Your Brain--for a CHANGE, by Richard Bandler
         Frogs into Princes, by Richard Bandler and John Grinder
         Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson,
                 Vol I, by Bandler and Grinder
  TRANCE-formations, by Grinder and Bandler
  An Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming, 
   by Joseph O'Connor

 I hope this was useful.  It was written off-the-cuff after a day in
 the sun :-)  Please feel free to send followup questions.

 - Stever


 Footnote:
 
 (*) This is humor.  \By definition/, only 1 in 10 are in the top 10%.

 Q. Where can I get more information on NLP?
 A. There are a number of ways to learn about NLP.  There are many 
    books written about NLP.  Here is a short list of some of the 
    best known books:

  Heart of the Mind - Connirae and Steve Andreas
  Frogs into Princes
  Trance-formations
  Use Your Brain for a Change - Richard Bandler
  Neurolinguistic Programming vol. 1 - Dilts
  Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson - Grinder and Bandler
  Structure of Magic vol.1 - Grinder and Bandler
  Structure of Magic vol.2 - Grinder, Bandler, DeLozier
  Turtles All the Way Down - John Grinder
  ....any many many more....

    Appendix A has a number of phone numbers you can call for more
    information.  The major provider of NLP seminars and books in
    the U.S. seems to be NLP Comprehensive run by Steve and Connirae
    Andreas who are leading figures in the NLP community.

14.  Physical Health
 Q. What are some ways to increase my physical health and energy?

 A. Many approaches to increasing physical health are available.  One 
    perspective on this subject that is popular in alt.self-improve is 
    a philosophy called Natural Hygiene.  The most well-known book on 
    this topic is by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond called "Fit For Life".
    This approach to health advocates a vegetarian diet, very few
    dairy products, an emphasis on natural, unrefined, uncooked foods.
    Another source of information on this approach is through Tony
    Robbins' Living Health seminar.  This is available on cassette
    and is usually presented live as part of his Unlimited Power 
    Weekend seminar.

    A number of newsgroups have discussions on this topic, such as:
    sci.med, sci.med.nutrition, misc.fitness, rec.fitness, 
    alt.health.ayurveda, misc.health.alternative, misc.health.diabetes,
    rec.food.veg, rec.food.veg.cooking.

 Q. What are some methods for naturally improving eyesight?
 A. There is a book written by Aldous Huxley called "The Art of Seeing".
    This book describes the Bates Method for improving your eyesight.
    Huxley wrote the book because it helped him to dramatically 
    increase his eyesight naturally.  It is based around specific 
    exercises that can be performed to return the eye to what is
    called "state of dynamic relaxation".  The the eye returns to this
    state it returns it's natural and perfect shape allowing perfect
    vision to return.

15.  Anthony Robbins
(Editor's Note: The following comments on Tony Robbins are based on personal
 recollections of past discussion in the group and personal experiences, 
 additional contributions are as always more than welcome).
 Q. Who is Anthony Robbins?
 A. Anthony Robbins is one of the most prolific self-improvement 
    personalities currently around.  He is probably best known for
    his infomercials pitching his 24 cassette self improvement program
    called "Personal Power" (see the next question).  He is the
    author of two bestselling books, "Unlimited Power" and "Awaken
    the Giant Within".  He started his public speaking career giving 
    seminars with Harvey and Marilyn Diamond (see the section on
    Physical Health).  Soon they parted company and Tony began 
    offering seminars on a fairly new subject called Neuro-linguistic
    Programming.  After a very short training, he began to aggressively
    promote himself at the "foremost NLP practitioner in the world".
    For a short time he was a business partner with John Grinder who
    helped invent NLP.  He began going on television shows like Sally
    Jesse Raphael and cure people of serious phobias right there on 
    the spot.  Soon he was asked to write a book and put together a
    series of tapes based on the live seminars he was giving all around
    the United States.  His infomercial soon followed which made him
    very famous.  Tony is now involved in running at least 8 companies
    from financial planning to a Fijiian resort to his self improvement
    seminar company.  In recent years his schedule has reduced the 
    number of live seminars he does around the country, but he still
    does an average of 5-6 seminars a month (see later question).

 Q. What exactly does one learn from a Tony Robbins program?
 A. Tony's programs vary tremendously and have a large scope.  Tony's
    material varies from changing your values and beliefs to managing
    your emotional states.  One simple technique he teaches is called
    "Morning/Eveing Questions".  The idea is that when you wake up in
    the morning, you ask yourself questions that will put you into
    a peak state and focus you on the positive, exciting, truly
    motivating aspects of your life.  For example you might ask,
    "What am I really excited about in my life?" or "What am I really
    grateful for in my life?" or "What could I accomplish today that
           would really make life better for myself and those around me?"
    Tony's philosophies focus on contribution and creating value
    for others as an integral part of creating success for yourself.  
    If you create more value for those around you than anyone else and 
    do it with a sense of fun and enjoyment, how can you fail to be 
    happy and successful?  
 
 Q. Does the Personal Power tape program (as seen on TV) really work?
 A. As anyone who reads alt.self-improve for very long, you will
    find that there are many many Tony Robbins enthusiasts in the
    group.  This question is one of the most frequently asked.  In
    general when this question is raised, a wide variety of answers
    are naturally given ranging from "Personal Power totally turned my 
    life around" to "It's a good program and I got a lot out of it."
    to "it didn't help me very much."  I've heard very few really 
    negative responses.  In future versions of this FAQ, we will be
    include specific comments from people.  The program is fairly 
    costly ~$179.  Success in this like anything depends very much
    on one's commitment to follow through and apply what you learn.

 Q. Is attending a live seminar worth the money?
 A. Attending one of Tony Robbins live seminars, as almost any who
    has been will tell you, is a fairly amazing experience.  Tony is a 
    vibrant, energetic, and very entertaining speaker.  His shortest 
    seminar lasts on the order of 10-12 hours (Strategic Influence, 
    cost ~$179) to the 9-Day Mastery Program (cost, ~$5000).  His 
    seminars are very high energy and there can have anywhere from 
    250 - 3000 people attending a single seminar.  In spite of the 
    large attendance Tony seems to make the seminars very personal and 
    interactive.  Not everyone who goes feel that it changes their life
    or that it is an amazing experience (especially those who shell out
           $5000).  General comments are usually very very positive and I 
    seriously doubt that Tony has lectured to any non-capacity crowds 
    in the past few years.  I have heard several people say that the 
    Mastery program was not worth $5000.  Most people seem to feel that
    seminars such as "Unlimited Power Weekend" and "Strategic 
    Influence" are fun experiences if not wonderful investments.
    For information on how to contact Tony Robbins' company see 
    Appendix A.

16.  Sales and Negotiation
 Q.  I wonder which of you know anything about using NLP and 
     learning negotiation skills, or just plain negotiation?

 A.  You have touched on a subject that is very important to me. 
     Negotiation and NLP are, IMHO, so closely linked that they almost 
     become one subject. The "ethical outcomes" and "win-win" 
     approaches that both require naturally complement each other. I 
     have done much training in negotiation, but am self trained in 
     NLP techniques, concentrating more on the results I can achieve, 
     than the technical reasons as to how it works.
 
     The best, most effective,  negotiation techniques are those 
     explained in Getting to Yes by Fry and Ury, and the follow on 
     books from the same authors, who work with the Harvard Negotiation
     project. Simple guidelines, no "aren't I smart" techniques, and 
     an easy set of principles to remember. Because they are based on 
     relationships and long term outcomes, using NLP to build rapport 
     can only aid the process.
     (From: imarks@cix.compulink.co.uk ("Ivor Marks"))

17.  Scientology/Dianetics
 Q. What is the Church of Scientology (Dianetics)?

   A. The Church of Scientology (originally called Dianetics) was founded 
    by L. Ron Hubbard.  The probable goal of someone in CoS is to 
    become a "clear".  A "clear" is someone who is free of all 
    "engrams".  An engram is a trace left by a traumatic experience 
    that limits your happiness.  The major book on CoS is called 
    "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard.  For more information about 
    Dianetics and CoS, a separate newsgroup exists called, 
    alt.religion.scientology.  It should also be mentioned as a word
    of caution that many consider Scientology to be a cult and that
    a number of ex-members report the Church using intimidation and 
    control tactics while they were members and after they left the
    Church.  

    There is a Scientology Orientation Seminar which you can sign up
    for at your local Church of Scientology (cost $15.00).
    You can also call 1-800-334-LIFE for more information.

18. Software Packages
 Q. What are some software programs that aid in self improvement?

 A. One of the best selling software packages of all time was Mind 
    Prober, by Human Edge Software.  I was quite surprised not to see 
    it mentioned in your list of self-improvement aids.  Human Edge 
    is now out of business, but there are a few amazing software 
    packages currently out there that cover each of the areas you 
    have mentioned: learning and intelligence, motivation, and sales 
    and negotiation.

    The best of these are grounded heavily in strongly validated 
    research in social and behavioral science.  I know that Neuralytic 
    Systems of Redwood City has put out a brain-builder called IQ 
    smarts that assesses one's strengths in areas of Analytical
    (Abstract/Symbolic), Creative (Lateral/Associative), and
    Practical (Problem Solving/Memory) Intelligence.  It then selects
    a series of exercises that bring stronger areas to bear on weaker
    ones.

    I believe that Human Edge had also put out products called 
    Negotiation Advisor, Sales Advisor, and Motivation Advisor.  
    Whoever bought them out may still own the rights to these 
    packages.  Those products generate a frightfully accurate 
    assessment of the personalities of both indivduals involved in 
    a negotiation and generate a report with incredibly specific 
    strategies for dealing with the other person.  

        I have all of these on my shelves.  Being interactive and adaptive,
    I have found software to be much more effective than broad global
    strategies.  Software can provide very individualized solutions 
    that a book or a set of tapes can not.

       (From: roberts108@aol.com (RobertS108))

19.  Speed Reading
 Q. How does speed reading work?
    
 A. Most speed reading courses focus on a number of similar principles.
      One major impediment to speed reading is subvocalizing (saying
    words to yourself while reading).  The motion of the eye is another
    key factor.  Instead of reading just one word at a time, you are
    taught to pick up phrases, sentences, lines, or groups of lines in
    a single glance (depending on the method being taught).  In order
    to increase comprehension, some methods try to make the user more
    active in the reading process by having the user take notes in a
    specific way, ask questions before and after reading, etc.

    sakamaki@flex.com writes:

    Just a couple tips that I learned from the Evelyn Wood Course:

    * To increase comprehension and retention, you need to read faster, 
      not slower.  
    
    * Speed forces you to concentrate intently, thereby increasing 
      understanding.

    * Need to practice reading and "seeing" bigger chunks (maybe 1 1/2 
      in diameter) at each eye-stop.

    * Reading word-for-word is too slowm *and* this decreases 
        comprehension, at least for me.

    * Need to decrease the amount of eye-stops per page.

 Q. Is speed reading really effective?
    
        A. The success of speed reading varies from individual to individual
    and is likely dependent on commitment and practice.  The average 
    reader reads about 350 words/minute.  After speed reading training 
    speeds of 500-2000 words/minute are not unlikely.  It is difficult 
    to measure exactly how this effects comprehension.  I am not 
    currently aware of scientific studies which show the effectiveness 
    of speed reading programs.

 Q. What is Photo-Reading?

 A. I took it here in California. I was very disappointed and got a 
    refund on the class fee.

    Most of the class time was spent on standard speed reading 
    techniques, such as preview, skimming, review (they use other terms
    to describe it).  The 'Photo' part is, as best I could tell, more a
    gimmick than a real technique. After doing the 'Photo' process you 
    still have to go back and apply standard reading and/or speed 
    reading techniques to 'activate' the information. Without the 
    'activation' step they assert that your 'subconscious' knows the 
    information but you don't have conscious access to it.

   The brochure I have from them says "...mentally photograph the 
   printed page at rates exceeding a page per minute..." but the class
   teaches, in effect, that's an undeveloped photograph and if you want
   to know what was in the picture you have to go back and use other 
   techniques -- skimming if you want a general idea of the material, 
   and maybe old-fashioned reading and study if you want detailed 
   understanding. Our instructor wasn't able to demonstrate anything 
   better than this.

   In discussing my refund with Peter Bissonette, president of Learning
   Strategies Inc. which developed Photo Reading, he admitted to me 
   that's about how it is -- but he still asserted that on the whole
   it's a more effective reading method than anything else out there. 
   Maybe so, but the spread between promise versus delivery was too 
   great for me.

   It DOES teach some useful (standard) speed reading/learning 
   techniques. But if you really want to read 12,000 WPM, then 
   question them very carefully on just what they mean by that
   claim versus what you're expecting.
   (From: fluke@netcom.com (Fred Fluke))

 Q. Where can I learn more about speed reading?

 A. The most famous speed reading method is called 'Evelyn Wood's
    Reading Dynamics'.  You can learn this method through a number
    mediums including seminars, books, cassette tapes, or computer
    software.  The number to call for more information is 
    1-800-447-READ.  A book is also available called "The Evelyn Wood 
    7 Day Reading & Learning Program" , ISBN 0380 715775, $4.99.
    A computer software program is also available called "The 
    Evelyn Wood Dynamic Reader" from Timeworks.  See Appendix A for
    details.

    Another program is called 'Speed Learning' from Learn Inc.  They
    claim their program goes beyond ordinary speed reading.

20. Marshall Sylver
 Q. What is the general opinion of Marshall Sylver's Program "Power,
    Passion, Profit"?
 A. Nearly all the comments recently have been quite negative about this
    program, but the number of people who have actually listened and
    those that have only seen the infomercial is hard to determine.
    Here are some assorted comments from people who HAVE listened to
    the tapes:

    Joe Slattery <pp000586@interramp.com> writes:
    ...
    His tapes sound like you're listening to "Eight hours of cliches 
    on how to get off your butt."  
    His examples reduce his discussion to incorporate the rare ten 
    year old who wants Passion, Profit and Power.

    His section on "Passion", although he says his comments apply to 
    all relationships, really apply 75-80% to troubled love lives.

    If you've listened to Tony Robbins as much as I have, you can't 
    help but notice the virtual quotes.  (Like "the quality of your 
    life is the quality of your communication", even though that isn't 
    TR's quote either.)

    What I did like - he dares to discuss the possibility that being a 
    nice guy is part of life long success in all areas of life.
    ...

    ajop@aol.com (Ajop) writes:
    ...
    Yes there are some universal truths that Mr. Sylver covers that 
    others do.  Why? because they are true and need to be said. Heck a 
    lot of Tony's book is based on Bandler and Grinder which is based 
    on erickson.  Take all the good things of the world and time 
    transform it into an understandable straight to the point program 
    that gets to the subconscious of peoples minds and creates the 
    change people want , and you have Passion, Profit & Power.
    ...

21. Time Management
 Q. What are some good books on time management?

 A. One book that has been highly recommended by a number of readers
    is "Time Power" by Charles Hobbs.  The books helps you explore
    your belief systems and work towards achieving "congruence" so
    that your fundamental beliefs, goals, and actions are as free
    from conflict or contradiction as possible.
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Some other suggestions are:

    "How to Get Control of your Time and Your Life" by Alan Lakein
    "Getting Organized" by Stephanie Winston
    "Overcoming Procrastination" by Albert Ellis
    "Executive Time Management" by H. Reynolds and Mary Trammel
    "The Organized Executive" by Stephanie Winston

    Although some of these cater to business folks if you grasp the 
    principle ideas then you should be able to apply them to any 
    situation.

    Alan Lakein's six simple but powerful ideas are helpful:
  1. List goals
  2. Make a Daily To-Do list
  3. Start with the A priorities, not the C's
  4. Ask yourself "What is the Best use of my time right now?"
  5. Handle each piece of paper only once.
  6. Do it now!!!!!!!!!!!

    You really don't need anything else except your own motivation.
    Happy Reading!
    (From: hughes@atlanta.emna.slb.com (Jeff Hughes))

Appendix A.  Resource List
(The following are phone number posted in request to various questions.
 The accuracy of this information has not been verified.  If you have
 corrections or updates please advise one of the editors.)

 Church of Scientology   1-800-334-LIFE
 Est (new organization)   415-882-6300 (San Francisco)
      408-522-9600 (Sacramento)
 Guthy-Renker    1-800-274-4910
 Landmark Education   (415) 882-6300
      (916) 648-1060
 Life Long Learning Association  519-725-2152
 NLP Books Etc.    1-800-783-1184 (Colorado)
 NLP Comprehensive:   1-800-233-1657
 NLP Meta Publications    (415) 626-1333 (Voice)
            (415) 664-8044 (FAX)
 New Jersey NLP Inst.     (201) 736-2836, 
      (201) 770-1084
 New York Training Inst. for NLP: (212) 473-2852
 New York Milton H. Erickson Soc. (212) 628-0287 (Info)
      (212) 505-6141 (Mailing list)
 Robbins Research International:  1-800-445-8183

 Timeworks           708-558-1300
      1-800-323-7744 (order)
 Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics:   1-800-447-READ (Voice)
      (312) 939-1680 (FAX)

        Internet resources
 ------------------
 HabitSmart (info on addictive behavior):
    http://www.cts.com:80/~habtsmt/
 Big Dreams (hypertext personal/business success newsletter):
    http://www.wimsey.com/~duncans/
 SuccessQuest (Magazine for Entrepreneurs):
  Free copies of this on-line magazine may be requested
  by sending email to MAALLEN@DELPHI.COM
 
Appendix B.  Brief Biographies
(If anyone would like to submit biographical information about personalities
 in the self improvement community please do and help us expand this section,
 please limit submissions to 400-500 words if possible).

 Richard Bandler - Richard, along with John Grinder, is one of the 
   co-founders of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).    He is 
   considered by many to be an incredible genius in spite of his 
   personal problems.  At one time he was addicted to cocaine and was 
   arrested for murdering a dominatrix and was later acquitted.  He is 
   currently performing advanced NLP trainings.
   
 Dr. Stephen Covey - See separate section on Stephen Covey

 John Grinder - John, along with Richard Bandler is one of the
   co-founders of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).  John brought
   the expertise in linguistics to the partnership.  John was
   an expert in Transformational Grammar which created the basis
   for their first book (Structure of Magic vol. 1).  

 Anthony Robbins - See separate section on Anthony Robbins.
 
 Jim Rohn (bio. to come) -

Appendix C. Reader Votes (Books, Audiotapes, and Seminars)

The question frequently comes up about "What do people think of product X?"
This appendix will try to create a fast way of viewing the general opinion.
Obviously no product can be summarized with a single number and hopefully this
won't discourage questions and discussion, just provide a more concise way of
capturing the general view.  You can vote for a book, audiotape, seminar that
you have experience with by sending me a list with your vote.  The easiest way
is to just cut out the list below and put your vote out to the side.  If you
are posting a book review, including a rating on a scale of 1-10 and I'll add
it to this list automatically.  So far, this list just includes things I have
read or that I could think of right off the top of my head.  I'll keep adding
to the list based on your feedback (all votes so far are mine - so much for
anonymity).

Books            Avg./Voters
-----            -----------
As a Man Thinketh (Allen)       9.5/1
Three Magic Words (Anderson)       4.0/1
Frogs into Princes (Bandler, Grinder)     
Structure of Magic (vol. 1) (Bandler, Grinder)     8.5/1
Structure of Magic (vol. 2) (Bandler, Grinder)
Use Your Brain For a Change (Bandler, Grinder)     9.0/1
Procrastination (Burka, Yuen)       5.0/1
Make The Most of Your Mind (Buzan)      7.0/1
Speed Reading (Buzan)        7.5/1
Use Both Sides of Your Brain (Buzan)      6.5/1
Use Your Perfect Memory (Buzan)       7.0/1
Creating Affluence (Chopra)       9.5/1
Perfect Health (Chopra)        6.0/1
Quantum Healing (Chopra)       8.0/1
Richest Man in Babylon (Clason)       9.0/1
First Things First (Covey,Merill, Merill)     9.9/1
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey)     9.5/1
Principle Centered Leadership (Covey)      7.5/1
I Am Right You are Wrong (de Bono)      7.5/1
Lateral Thinking (deBono)       7.5/1
Use of Lateral Thinking (deBono)      7.0/1
Fit for Life (Diamond, Diamond)       8.5/1
Fit for Life II: Living Health (Diamond, Diamond)    8.5/1
Gifts From Eykis (Dyer)     
No More Holiday Blues (Dyer)
Pulling Your Own Strings (Dyer)
Real Magic (Dyer)
Sky's The Limit (Dyer)
Your Erroneous Zones (Dyer)       7.0/1
You'll See It When You Believe It (Dyer)
Overcoming Procrastination (Ellis)
The Evelyn Wood 7 Day Speed Reading and Learning Program (Frank)
Man's Search For Meaning (Frankl)      9.3/1
Financial Self Defense (Givens)
Super Self: Doubling Your Personal Effectivenss (Givens)
Wealth Without Risk (Givens)       7.0/1
Think and Grow Rich (N. Hill)       8.0/1
Time Power (Hobbs)       
Dianetics (Hubbard)        5.0/1
Breakthrough Rapid Reading (Kump)
How to Take Control of Your Time and Your Life (Lakein)       
Thinking Better (Lewis, Greene)      
Always at Ease (McCullough)       2.0/1
Time Management for Unmanageable People (McGee-Cooper,Trammel)
Executive Time Management (Reynolds, Trammel)
Awaken the Giant Within (A. Robbins)      9.0/1
Giant Steps (A. Robbins)      
Unlimited Power (A. Robbins)       9.5/1
Accelerating (R. Sterling)  
Getting Organized (Winston)


Audio Tape Programs
------------------
Succeeding Through Inner Strength (N. Branden)  
Personal Power (A. Robbins)       9.5/1
PowerTalk (A. Robbins)        10.0/1
Unlimited Power (A. Robbins)       9.0/1
Power, Passion, Profit (Sylver)
Mega-memory (Trudeau)

Seminars
--------
Photoreading
Mastery (A. Robbins)
Date With Destiny (A. Robbins)
Strategic Influence (A. Robbins)      9.5/1
Unlimited Power Weekend (A. Robbins)      10.0/1

