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Rating: 
Summary: A fun and informative look at personality and relationships!
Review: Although I am a long-time student of the Enneagram, I skipped past this book a number of times, mistakenly thinking that it would be yet another formulaic "How To Find Your Perfect Mate" book. Of course, I was quite wrong about that-- once again showing that there is SOMETHING to that old "Don't judge a book by it's cover" saying. Some day I'll learn.....Baron & Wagele have put together a light-hearted and eminently readable book, introducing readers to the personality types with the Enneagram-- in the context of relationships and relating between the nine different types. The authors have also included a section on Myers-Briggs personality typing, comparing MB types with Enneagram types. Whereas this is intended to be a fun and informal look at type and relationships, the book offers lots of solid information for those interested in personality typing and understanding the people in their relationships. I suppose you COULD use this book is a helpful tool if you're on a quest to find your perfect partner, but I get the sense that's not really its purpose. Each of the nine Enneagram types has its own chapter, which includes a brief description of that type; a section on each "subtype" (Self-preservation, relational, social); a brief coverage of Enneagram Wings; as well as examples of famous people and couples who fit that type. The bulk of each chapter is dedicated to paragraphs about what each of the OTHER types might think of the type described in the current chapter-- and I found these descrptions to be especially "on the money." Finally, the authors include their thoughts on "Things this type would NEVER do," and "How to get along with" each type. The book is illustrated throughout with Elizabeth Wagele's sometimes poignant, sometimes silly cartoon drawings. Overall rating: Highly Recommended (9 bookmarks out of a possible 10); although this is by NO figment of anyone's imagination a "thorough" work on the Enneagram, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of useful information and insight I found. A quick and easy read, and well worth it!
Rating:
Summary: A fun and informative look at personality and relationships!
Review: Although I am a long-time student of the Enneagram, I skipped past this book a number of times, mistakenly thinking that it would be yet another formulaic "How To Find Your Perfect Mate" book. Of course, I was quite wrong about that-- once again showing that there is SOMETHING to that old "Don't judge a book by it's cover" saying. Some day I'll learn..... Baron & Wagele have put together a light-hearted and eminently readable book, introducing readers to the personality types with the Enneagram-- in the context of relationships and relating between the nine different types. The authors have also included a section on Myers-Briggs personality typing, comparing MB types with Enneagram types. Whereas this is intended to be a fun and informal look at type and relationships, the book offers lots of solid information for those interested in personality typing and understanding the people in their relationships. I suppose you COULD use this book is a helpful tool if you're on a quest to find your perfect partner, but I get the sense that's not really its purpose. Each of the nine Enneagram types has its own chapter, which includes a brief description of that type; a section on each "subtype" (Self-preservation, relational, social); a brief coverage of Enneagram Wings; as well as examples of famous people and couples who fit that type. The bulk of each chapter is dedicated to paragraphs about what each of the OTHER types might think of the type described in the current chapter-- and I found these descrptions to be especially "on the money." Finally, the authors include their thoughts on "Things this type would NEVER do," and "How to get along with" each type. The book is illustrated throughout with Elizabeth Wagele's sometimes poignant, sometimes silly cartoon drawings. Overall rating: Highly Recommended (9 bookmarks out of a possible 10); although this is by NO figment of anyone's imagination a "thorough" work on the Enneagram, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of useful information and insight I found. A quick and easy read, and well worth it!
Rating:
Summary: fantastic & entertaining - can't live without this one
Review: Don't be put off by the title -- this is not a is-he-the-one? book; it's about how the different eneagram types interact with one another. It may help you understand your relationships with friends, family, children, parents, coworkers -- everyone. The book is eminently readable, packed with information, and filled with delightul, laugh-out-loud cartoons. In addition to providing overviews of each of the nine enneagram types, the book goes through each of the types & summaries how each interacts with the other types -- What ones think about twos -- why they like twos, why they have dificulty with twos, what ones think about threes, fours, etc., and vice versa. It very accurately identified the high points & trouble spots in several of my friendships -- (I was bothered by a one friend who always abandons me when my depressed four side comes out -- the book identifies the #1 thing about why ones have trouble with fours is four's brooding & focus on their feelings). The authors also identify famous couples (real couples, movie couples, duos like Siskel & Ebert) by their types and compares the types to Myers- Briggs typing. I particularly like the book because it has application as to how the enneagram typing helps us understand not only ourselves, but how we interact with others. This is a good introduction to the enneagram. It and Baron & Wagele's The Enneagram Made Easy are the two enneagram books I most often share with others.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic & entertaining - can't live without this one
Review: Don't be put off by the title -- this is not a is-he-the-one? book; it's about how the different eneagram types interact with one another. It may help you understand your relationships with friends, family, children, parents, coworkers -- everyone. The book is eminently readable, packed with information, and filled with delightul, laugh-out-loud cartoons. In addition to providing overviews of each of the nine enneagram types, the book goes through each of the types & summaries how each interacts with the other types -- What ones think about twos -- why they like twos, why they have dificulty with twos, what ones think about threes, fours, etc., and vice versa. It very accurately identified the high points & trouble spots in several of my friendships -- (I was bothered by a one friend who always abandons me when my depressed four side comes out -- the book identifies the #1 thing about why ones have trouble with fours is four's brooding & focus on their feelings). The authors also identify famous couples (real couples, movie couples, duos like Siskel & Ebert) by their types and compares the types to Myers- Briggs typing. I particularly like the book because it has application as to how the enneagram typing helps us understand not only ourselves, but how we interact with others. This is a good introduction to the enneagram. It and Baron & Wagele's The Enneagram Made Easy are the two enneagram books I most often share with others.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, Fun Introduction to the Enneagram.
Review: Great introduction to the fascinating personality theory known as the Enneagram. I've been studying the Enneagram for four years now and I continue to be amazed at its accuracy and complexity. I know many people who are interested in it, too, and who claim to really want to know "What type am I?! Is that a good one to be?!" In the past, I've enthusiastically loaned out the more in-depth, advanced books by Don Riso and Helen Palmer, authors who address the weaknesses of each type as well as the strengths... only to have my friends come back with only part of the book read, turned off to the whole theory because it seems too complicated or talks about the "cons" of each type. "But I only want to see how cool I am," they whine. "If I wanted to hear criticisms of myself, I'd call my mother." Never mind that the whole point of personality books is to UNDERSTAND yourself and others, to learn to appreciate the strengths as well as to learn how to grow and to improve upon the weaknesses...but... (sigh). So, partly out of my own selfishness to keep some friends into the theory, I checked out "Are You My Type....?" and I am so excited. The authors have done a fantastic job of providing a good, solid introduction to the theory and gently describing some of the, um, less appealing qualities that each of the types has. The cartoon illustrations throughout seem a bit too silly at first, but once you see them in context to the text, you can see that they really enhance the text. A sense of humor with the Enneagrams is nice, too, as it does get taken a bit too seriously sometimes. I've loaned this book out as an introduction to the theory and have gotten a lot more people interested in the Enneagrams and in learning about themselves. A very good thing!
Rating:
Summary: must have for successful relationships
Review: loved it...loved it loved it!
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