Hi
I am not certified in NLP, but I have done quite a bit of reading on it. I have also attended a one day program 3 years ago... but thats a another story... NLP holds a strong fascination for me since my student days...
As I understand, NLP refers to awareness of communication techniques, the concept being "we cannot not communicate".
It calls immense awareness of body language of both self and others. There are numerous tips by which one can ascertain the meaning behind statements (truth or lie), past history, idea creation/generation... and a host of other things.
The essential part is the establishment of rapport during any form of communication. Some of you would recall interviews / meeting new people where you instantly hit it off with the other person, and also situations where nothing you said or did in the interaction could break the ice and make a connection.
If you google NLP, you would get loads of information on the topic. In terms of history, the model was created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the early 80s or 90s (not sure when). Subsequently it has been further developed by others such as Joseph O'connor & Robert Dilts.
So if you want to invest in NLP books, look for any written by the above 3 persons, either alone or alongwith other authors.
Sorry I dont have my list of books with me now, or I could name a few more authors.
Regards
Ryan