S Tier:

Mind Play: A Guide to Erotic Hypnosis - Mark Weisman

Remember that whole section from Induction to Bringing Them Back? Quite a lot of that is covered in more detail by someone way better at this than I am - they’re just less furry. This book is excellent. It’s practical advice, an easy read, and the dude has his head on straight.

Mastering the Leisure Induction: A Powerful, Efficient and Simple Approach to the Induction and Deepening of Hypnosis (The Inductions Masterclass)

While this book focuses only on a single induction style, it’s improved my overall hypnosis style, breaking down components and strategies that can be reused elsewhere. In addition, this has become one of my favorite inductions - it’s a set of step-by-step strategies. I’ve written a brief of the steps required here at Induction - The Leisure Induction Short Notes - but this book is a surprise favorite of mine.

Hypnosis with the Hard to Hypnotise: How to do Inductions with Resistant Clients, Analytical Subjects and Others who may be Difficult to Hypnotise (The Inductions Masterclass Book 6):

The advice here is excellent and improved my flexibility when giving suggestions. Well worth the time investment and price. As a perk, if you apply this to hypnokink, you can help your sub dig their own hole and watch them be excited about it. Take the advice in this book with a grain of salt - but the information provided here provides a wide range of tools.

The Mind Play Study Guide

This book is a gold mine of techniques, strategies, and spicy, fun activities. While this book focuses on presenters, I regularly use this as a reference guide when I need inspiration. I still haven’t read this book back-to-back, but it’s already paid for itself.

Good - But Optional:

Revisiting Hypnosis: The Principles and Practice of Post-Hypnotic Re-induction Training for Anchoring, Post-hypnotic Suggestions and Inductions (The Inductions Masterclass Book 2)

While this covers Graham Old’s method of Post-Hypnotic Re-Induction Training (PHRIT), the authentic diamonds in this book are the tools it provides for understanding and working with anchors and describing how to gradually move from permissive to authoritative language.

My Friend John: Mastering an Ericksonian Classic (The Inductions Masterclass Book 5)

Does what it says on the tin. It’s an informative book, but it was a tour of My Friend John style inductions. There were a few nifty tips, but most applied only to this induction. I’m left to improvise and figure out how to approach this induction without having a structure similar to the one in the Leisure Induction book by the same author.

Regardless, I can effectively use this induction now. I may go back and re-read this at a later time.

Books I’m Reading:

Trancework: An Introduction to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis

Loving every drop of this book so far. Each chapter is (painfully) detailed and compelling. Instead of providing a single model of how hypnosis functions, the earlier chapters go through more than ten separate models, suggesting you find what is beneficial rather than trying to figure out what is right.

Meh:

Reality is Plastic. The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis.

Frankly, I dislike this book and recommend Mind Play first. The emphasis on stage and street hypnosis leans heavily into demanding you put on a charismatic act. This is a decent book if you’re looking to become a stage hypnotist - but the advice here will shoot you directly in the foot if you want to develop stronger relationships with your subjects.

This book leans heavily toward appearing confident in the sense of a performer. In my sessions, appearing competent and in control is much more effective than any stage-performance swagger. I’ve seen beginner ‘tists be too afraid to try things because they feel they lack confidence, and books like this perpetuate the idea that it’s mandatory to get started.

Old, Graham. Online Hypnosis: Initiating, Enhancing and Mastering Hypnosis Online (The Inductions Masterclass Book 7)

This book is OK - it just doesn’t offer anything unique. It has a few tips on doing hypnosis online, a modified Elman induction, and a decent Dr. Flowers induction, but something else is needed to make this a must-buy book.

CRUCIAL! (By Terence Watts)

I purchased this book specifically for the Seven (Plus or Minus Two) induction mentioned in Mind Play, but I’ve been slightly disappointed. This book contains a pile of inductions to dissect and draw inspiration from, but I haven’t yet found a way to apply or integrate the components of these inductions in my sessions. I’m uncomfortable buying into the model the author provides for their clients, where there are three types of personalities, each stemming from some pseudo-scientific sociological framing. It’s also priced a bit steep, nearing the thirty-dollar price point.

Neuro-Hypnosis: Using Self-Hypnosis to Activate the Brain for Change

I’ll write more about this book when I’ve read it cover to cover, but the techniques it provides haven’t been useful. This book does have a nifty section on brain anatomy at the beginning, though.