Personality Types

Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery

By: Don Richard Riso, Russ Hudson

Narrated by: James Anderson Foster

Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Personality Types has become the indispensable resource in the field of Enneagram studies, as well as a cherished classic in the literature of personal growth around the world. This second edition is not only a monumental intellectual achievement, it is a landmark in the history of psychology and human understanding. For the first time, the landscape of human personality has been completely mapped out - from the high-functioning states of ego transcendence to the depths of pathology. Unequaled in the Enneagram field, the authors provide precise and comprehensive systematic descriptions of each personality type, as well as new, expanded descriptions of each type's major subtypes and its Directions of Integration and Disintegration.

This entirely revised edition reveals new insights, including the authors' revolutionary discovery, the Core Dynamics, which give the specific motivations, attitudes, fears, and desires at each of the nine internal Levels of Development for each type, as well as the parental influences on each type, an expanded history of the Enneagram, new material on the Instinctual Variants, and much, much more.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1996 Don Richard Riso (P)2017 Tantor

Far too cold and clinical for my tastes...

After downloading and listening to Ian Morgan Cron's "The Road Back to You," I was very eager to find and absorb any other material I could about the Enneagram. This book received great reviews, and with over 20 hours of listening time, appeared in-depth and more complete than Cron's book. I was pretty excited to dive in. However, I was disappointed right off the bat when this the author denied any legitimate ties to Christianity or correlation of the content to spiritual understanding. In fact, the whole reason I am interested in the Enneagram is to help strengthen my faith and refine my negative habits and perspectives to overcome potentially unhealthy behaviors that might be holding me back from my true Christian potential and purpose. This book is extremely clinical, describing the Enneagram and each of its personality types in an overly objective, even dry manner. It reads almost like a psychology textbook, missing any of the lighthearted tone or anecdotes describing the various personalities that Cron included in his book. The descriptions of the personality types described in this book lean toward the negative and unhealthy, and after listening to a few of them, it just didn't resonate with me in the way I had hoped. In fact, the overall "dark tone" of this book left me feeling very concerned and apprehensive about my type. The individual chapters characterize the Enneagram types in either "very healthy," "average," or "extremely unhealthy." I think most people can agree that a human being fluctuates between very different, very complex levels of their Enneagram type based on circumstances, time, day, mood, stress level, or age, or relationship status. I suppose I was looking for something that helped me to identify specific thoughts and behaviors as they come up, with a practical plan for addressing and working through them with regard to actually relating to people or discovering my true purpose and inner-self. Instead, the very broad-level, clinical descriptions and sometimes "psychotic" unhealthy observations of my personality type didn't resonate with me in any way. I only listened to a few chapters of this book, but will be returning it for my credit. It's just not what I was looking for. Maybe someone else who is looking for a very non-spiritual, clinical dive into the Enneagram will enjoy this more.

The Best I've Reat Yet

When it comes to enneagram books I can't get enough. I have thoroughly enjoyed dissecting this book. Absorbing the truths and comparing the style this author brings to his writing with all the other Enneagram books, articles, and podcasts. This book has much more detail than many others. Still, it is an easy read, which enables the reader to start anywhere and use it as a research opportunity. You will not be disappointed in this investment.

The why of the enneagram

this is the book to get you into the guts of the enneagram. great depth.

Wow this really goes in Deep

Still going throught the book but i have to give kudos for its presentation. i love the way it presents each number by levels. 1-7, each with a magnificent describtion of their reducing lower levels of devolopment.

Great Narrator

This is a great book to step inside an enneagram and truly understand the healthy, the average, abs the unhealthy.

Enneagram textbook

This is a great book to get a full comprehensive understanding of the enneagram. It’s not diluted or biased. It’s straight-forward and objective, creating the framework for so many enneagram interpretations of today. I learned so much. Go here for textbook content.

A must read

This is a must read for those who would like to understand themselves better and live a more fulfilling life.

Excellent narrator

Crystal clear voice. I had the impression that Foster fully understood the Enneagram as if he had collaborated with Riso & Hudson.
Much gratitude.

Negative overview of types

I did not get through the book. After the first few chapters as I was totally discouraged by the complete review of my type and both my children's types. I have listened to some information about Enneagram typing and this seems to give a negative spin on the types.

One of the best books by the best authors on the topic.

One of the best books by the best authors on the topic. The enneagram is such is stunningly accurate test, for me at least. Highly recommended