$24.95
ISBN: 1899836705

"Nick Owen's new book is the very reality of learning." 
Jim Wingate

Education list

The Magic of Metaphor presents a collection of stories designed to engage, inspire and transform the listener and the reader. Some of the stories motivate, some are spiritual, and some provide strategies for excellence. All promote positive feelings, encouraging confidence, direction and vision.

The stories contained in The Magic of Metaphor focus on values, responsibility, and leadership in all its forms. Specially selected to promote change in people’s ideas, attitudes, beliefs, visions and behaviours they act as reframes, challenging and disturbing our existing frames of reference, recharting our accustomed maps of the world, and shifting us away from our limited thinking towards new learning and discovery through the use of effective metaphor.

Containing sixteen suggestions (or tips) for effective story telling, advice on organisation, style and story telling skills, and a selection of stories that can be adapted and developed, The Magic of Metaphor is an inspirational sourcebook for counsellors, health workers, psychologists, professional speakers, managers, leaders and NLP practitioners, as well as for teachers, trainers, therapists. Providing tools that assist people in making beneficial changes in their lives, the stories contained in this book will bring pleasure and power to all those that listen to or read them.

Nick Owen has worked in the fields of training, development and communication for many years, although in the past he has been an actor, theatre director, journalist, writer and teacher. He is a Certificated NLP Trainer and Master Practitioner, and a partner at CMT, a London-based communications development consultancy. His clients range from major financial service organisations to engineering businesses, information technology consultants, sales teams, health workers and educators.

"The Magic of Metaphor is one of the most richly rewarding books I have read in a very long time … every page you turn brings a new revelation, a new insight, a new understanding, in a simple and beautiful way. Images come tumbling out, and with them truths about ourselves: who we are, what we are, and most importantly, how the tools we need for life are to be found within each and every one of us."  Better Business

Good things: clear introduction; useful information about how to use stories in training; leaving the reader/student to decide on the stories meanings; division of stories into six loose sections (influenced by Nick's NLP background): Pacing and Leading, Transition, Value Added, Structures & Patterns, Choice Changes and 'Response-ability'; acknowledgement to all the people whose 'sheer persistence and refusal to go out and find their own stories encouraged [him] to start'.
Best things: The stories! Some you'll have heard before. Some you'll want to re-word and mould to your own purposes. Some will make you smile. Some are very profound. All of them are worth reading, and I would expect to see a well-used copy on the bookshelf of any self-respecting trainer. Susan Norman, Society for Effective Affective Learning - SEAL

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