It seemed like everyone around me was talking about their Enneagram number so, after a mini teach-in at work that gave an outline of the philosophy, I checked out this book from the library to learn more. And, y'all, I think I'm an Enneagram person now.

This particular book is pretty dated and comes from a psychology perspective that is a little off-putting (particularly in strongly tying each type to a childhood trauma) so unless you are a very very patient reader like me, I don't think I'd start here. Still, I found the author's description of the history of the Enneagram and its growth in the United States to be interesting and her descriptions of the nine types were comprehensive and interesting, particularly with the incorporation of transcriptions from in-person workshops with well-articulated folks from the different types reflecting on their experiences.

I'm drawn to this system because it isn't just a "personality test" and it is based on core motivations instead of actions or preferences. Instead of taking a multiple choice test, a person attends a workshop or reads a whole book on the Enneagram and then comes to a conclusion about what type they are. I kind of doubted that until I read Type 2 (with a Type 1 wing for sure) and it just clicked. Not every single thing she said, but a lot of it. And in a way that helped me kind of stand away from my own mind and think about how it worked. And the cool thing is that since you don't only focus on your own type, you also read about people whose motivations are *different* from yours and then have a better understanding of how they tick. YMMV, but I'm embracing my sometimes embarrassing self-help/new age side and I predict there are more Enneagram books in my future! ( )

I've been reading this book for, probably, about a year now, off and on. The Enneagram is a lesser-known personality system than Myers-Briggs, dividing the population into nine broad categories, based not on personality preferences, but core failings and desires.

The style is a bit heavy, but not too academic, and there are some fairly good pictures of each of the types, along with pointers for growth, and things to be aware of. I could certainly see myself in 'type 9', as well as (in part) in the other types.. but I'm not sure I really learned anything that couldn't be found in other books on the same topic. Still, worth reading for a factual look at this system from the viewpoint of one of the acknowledged experts. ( )