My Favorite Personality Books

The Birth Order Book

by Kevin Leman

I have a longstanding love for this book, which a family member introduced to me decades ago. Kevin Leman calls himself America’s top "pop" birth order psychologist. Birth order makes sense for a vast majority of people most of the time, because there is no greater influence on a young child growing up than his or her family.

Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence

by David Keirsey

From the publisher: "Phenomenon: Keirsey and Bates's Please Understand Me, first published in 1978, sold nearly 2 million copies in its first 20 years. For the past twenty years Keirsey has continued to investigate personality differences -- to refine his theory of the four temperaments Each of us, he says, has four kinds of intelligence -- tactical, logistical, diplomatic, strategic. The Keirsey Four-Types Sorter, a new short questionnaire that identifies one's basic temperament. Share this new sorter with friends and family, and get set for a lively and fascinating discussion of personal styles."

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

by Carol S. Dweck

From the publisher: "In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment."

Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

by Susan Cain

Cain hooks you with a great story on page 1 and doesn’t let up till the elegant ending. By sharing personal stories and fascinating research, Cain showcases introverts’ unique strengths--and how those strengths are often squelched in a culture that’s embraced the Extrovert Ideal. Quiet is smart, eye-opening, and utterly enjoyable, for introverts and extroverts alike.

The Highly Sensitive Person

by Elaine Aron

If you're an HSP, your nervous system is more sensitive to physical and/or emotional stimulation than the general population, and about 20% of you fall in that category. If that rings true for you (or someone you love or interact with) this book is life-changing. Highly recommended. (More about highly sensitive people here.)

Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive

by David Goldstein, Otto Kroeger

This book shows you how to boost your creativity by learning more about your Myers-Briggs personality type. I enjoyed it my library copy enough that I bought it, and wrote about it in this post.

The Highly Intuitive Child: A Guide to Understanding and Parenting Unusually Sensitive and Empathic Children

by Catherine Crawford

From the publisher: "Do you have a child who can walk into a room and feel 'the vibe' instantly in their body? How about one who may tune into an unspoken conflict between family members or even make a remark to 'be careful!' before you stumble upon a troubling situation. If so, you may be the parent of a highly intuitive, empathic child. All human beings possess intuition and empathy. Highly intuitive children (and adults) are born with a turbo-charge on this trait. Life for these children can be challenging as they grow up in a culture that favors the rational and 5 physical senses. Parents, teachers and therapists can help these children shine with their 6th sense through the guidance outlined in this book."

The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide

by David Daniels, Virginia Price

I really like the way this book explains the 9 enneagram types, and the self-test is genius. From the publisher: "The most fundamental guide to the Enneagram ever offered, this book features effective self-tests to determine simply and accurately what your personality type is."

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

by Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile

Shauna Niequist says, "I'm so thrilled that this book exists. The Enneagram has absolutely changed my understanding of how to love the people in my life, deepened the quality of my marriage, and given me a vision for the person God designed me to be. This book makes the Enneagram easy to understand, with helpful stories, humor, warmth, and clear language. I'll need a case, at least."

My Favorite Personality Books

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