The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life

Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting Concept
Review: The enneagram is based on the concept that there are nine basic personality types and that we all are essentially driven by one of nine basic sins. As children our personlities are formed, using natural talents and predispositions, in order to create a safe place to live and a safe style of coping with life's hardships and stresses.

This volume, while profoundly comprehensive, is a bit hard to follow for the casual student. I also discovered that many of the "types" have very similar characteristics, making it difficult to differentiate between them. I also finished reading with the sense that Ms. Palmer prefers certain types to others. For instance, what inspired the seemingly random discussions of pairs in love and at work? Some types got a lot more ink that others.

Interesting book for the reader with a serious interest in enneagrams, but a chore for the simply curious.