Rating: 
Summary: Great book for understanding people
Review: Dr. LaHaye's book is an excellent reference guide for understanding people. The principles, if applied in a believer's life work miracles. For the unbeliever, it may sound "preachy". Being a naturopathic doctor it was fascinating to study the Hippocratic temperments in light of personality. And see them put in application with my clients. Interesting corrilation between temperment and health problems, although Dr.LaHaye does NOT go into medical correlations, these were my own observation. Great stuff no matter what.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for understanding people
Review: Dr. LaHaye's book is an excellent reference guide for understanding people. The principles, if applied in a believer's life work miracles. For the unbeliever, it may sound "preachy". Being a naturopathic doctor it was fascinating to study the Hippocratic temperments in light of personality. And see them put in application with my clients. Interesting corrilation between temperment and health problems, although Dr.LaHaye does NOT go into medical correlations, these were my own observation. Great stuff no matter what.
Rating:
Summary: Have you ever wanted to see inside someone?
Review: Have you ever wanted to be able to see inside someone; to understand why they do the things they do (or maybe yourself?)?? Finally, a book free of jargon and psycho-lingo allows you to understand the four basic personality types and their combinations. The basis of the four types comes from Greek philsophy but their "working-out" and reasons for behavior are Christian-based. This book has given me "Oh Wow!" moments as I considered myself, my wife, children and co-workers. I am giving copies this year to loved ones and people I work with! This book is a blessing; mostly enjoyed, I would think, by believers in God.
Rating: 
Summary: It Does More Harm Than Good
Review: I first read this book 27 years ago. I read the original edition published around 1974. But this edition is no better!First, LaHaye condemns "negative" human emotions as SINS. This idea comes from late medieval theology, and was implemented by--who else?--John Calvin. LaHaye insists that anger--which he says is the dominant "negative" emotion for the "choleric" temperament--is the fruit of selfishness. At times he confuses selfishness with self-centeredness. He implies that losing one's temper is a sin, and that by being "controlled by the Holy Spirit" a Christian can NEVER get emotionally angry. He also insists that fear of any kind--especially worry--is also sin, and that the root of fear is selfishness. The second problem with this book's ideas--which are naturally the author's ideas--is that the fruits of the Spirit are positive emotions. LaHaye also teaches the so-called four temperaments as if they are modern-day notions, while they are actually classical in origin and no longer accepted by behavioral scientists. LaHaye believes in Sola Scriptura--one of the cries of the Protestant Reformation. Yet, he goes outside of Scripture in his dogmatism. What's more, he manipulates Scripture in order to have it say what he wants it to say.
Rating:
Summary: It Does More Harm Than Good
Review: I first read this book 27 years ago. I read the original edition published around 1974. But this edition is no better! First, LaHaye condemns "negative" human emotions as SINS. This idea comes from late medieval theology, and was implemented by--who else?--John Calvin. LaHaye insists that anger--which he says is the dominant "negative" emotion for the "choleric" temperament--is the fruit of selfishness. At times he confuses selfishness with self-centeredness. He implies that losing one's temper is a sin, and that by being "controlled by the Holy Spirit" a Christian can NEVER get emotionally angry. He also insists that fear of any kind--especially worry--is also sin, and that the root of fear is selfishness. The second problem with this book's ideas--which are naturally the author's ideas--is that the fruits of the Spirit are positive emotions. LaHaye also teaches the so-called four temperaments as if they are modern-day notions, while they are actually classical in origin and no longer accepted by behavioral scientists. LaHaye believes in Sola Scriptura--one of the cries of the Protestant Reformation. Yet, he goes outside of Scripture in his dogmatism. What's more, he manipulates Scripture in order to have it say what he wants it to say.
Rating:
Summary: It Does More Harm Than Good
Review: I first read this book 27 years ago. I read the original edition published around 1974. But this edition is no better! First, LaHaye condemns "negative" human emotions as SINS. This idea comes from late medieval theology, and was implemented by--who else?--John Calvin. LaHaye insists that anger--which he says is the dominant "negative" emotion for the "choleric" temperament--is the fruit of selfishness. At times he confuses selfishness with self-centeredness. He implies that losing one's temper is a sin, and that by being "controlled by the Holy Spirit" a Christian can NEVER get emotionally angry. He also insists that fear of any kind--especially worry--is also sin, and that the root of fear is selfishness. The second problem with this book's ideas--which are naturally the author's ideas--is that the fruits of the Spirit are positive emotions. LaHaye also teaches the so-called four temperaments as if they are modern-day notions, while they are actually classical in origin and no longer accepted by behavioral scientists. LaHaye believes in Sola Scriptura--one of the cries of the Protestant Reformation. Yet, he goes outside of Scripture in his dogmatism. What's more, he manipulates Scripture in order to have it say what he wants it to say.
Rating:
Summary: OUCH!
Review: I found this to be a very difficult book to read. Not because of the style in which it was written, but because of the very straight forward means by which the author gets his message across. I would recommend this book to anyone who like myself are battling with the WHO AM I and WHY DO I DO questions in life and are ready to hear THE TRUTH! My only complaint would be that the author could not have provided his readers with even a "condensed version" of his Temperament Analysis at the end of this book. I regret that my budget would not allow me to take advantage of his TA.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! Incredible! A sharp stab of revealing truth!
Review: I just read a review of this book that made my eyes water. I can see how not everybody would be flattered by this book. It's pretty convicting. I found it refreshing as it was straight forward and didn't "pad the blows." Not only did it point straight to the truth of human nature, it abolished the idea that we, as humans, can make it in this world without the Lord. I was so very impressed with the truth given quickly, and then the blessings added. Not only did it point out how truly selfish we were, it then lifted us to new heights with the reality that God can change it all. Amen to Dr. LaHaye! Thank God for his wisdom and his ability to share God's heart. Finally, a book that calls it as it is.
Rating:
Summary: Bunk and Heresy
Review: I read this book thirty years ago or so, when as a young Christian I was searching for understanding of myself and others. At the time it helped me face myself and understand some things about my natural strengths and weaknesses. As I studied and grew, I came to understand the ancient and somewhat occult origins of his theory, and had to set it aside as heresy.
A thorough treatment of the occult and heretical origin of his theory is available in book form from PsychoHeresy Awareness Ministries. They have a web site with specific information about this book, one of many that add to scriptural teachings about personality and motivation.
I found Kiersey's work on personality type to be more useful to me. Also I have taken a Myers-Briggs test administered by my church and obtained very useful insights. The leadership of my church treats personality variations as phenomena and does not make associations between personality traits and elements of the sinful natute, as LaHaye does, because they think these associations are heresy, that is, a teaching that does not derive from scripture.
LaHaye's system is too crude to be useful for anything except perhaps to stir debate.
I hope Christian home schoolers are not using this book. There are better resources.
Rating: 
Summary: A Pretty Good Book.
Review: If you ever wonder why you simply don't get along with certain people, especially when you have to like in a work place, this book can help you understand the reasons and clairfy what you are up against. It's also useful for just understanding people's behavior in general.Dr. LaHaye has a keen insight into different "personality types," or "temperaments," and he hits almost all the bases and their characteristics in these pages. The only problem for me, personally, is that the book is loaded with Christian dogma and the author feels that any problem is solvable through the teachings of Christ. I suppose if you're an unquestioning Believer, your troubles are over.
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