Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Desk Reference
This is a perfect book for someone to keep as a desk reference for the personality types. I found the information very valuable even though I own most other books on this subject. It is an outstanding reference for the types in an organizational setting.

Comprehensive and Concise---Perfect for Organizations
I found this booklet to be of extreme value compared to similar products. I used to buy a whole text to give to my clients before this came along. It contains some of the best material I have seen on the Myers-Briggs types. The fact that it has so many great contributors is a value-add. I would recommend this booklet to anyone using Myers-Briggs types in a professional setting. The booklet covers multiple topics including leadership, career development, creativity, stress, problem-solving, personal development, and learning. At first I was overwhelmed with the page count for the types, but after reading the content I was pleasantly excited and couldn't wait to show them to my customers. The book also includes some interesting new information about a new model---MTR-i---which is a team role model based on Jungian type. A very good value for the low price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Career/Job   3. Careers - General   4. Handbooks, manuals, etc   5. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator   6. Personality assessment   7. Psychology   8. Psychotherapy - Counseling   9. Teams in the workplace   

Customer Reviews (6)

Paradoxically fluffy and profound
I think this, aside from Keirsey's, "Please Understand Me II," is probably the most useful book I've found in understanding the overarching theory and subtheories of Jungian-Briggsian personality theory. This slim volume manages to convey a number of different sub-theories of how preferences interact, from the conflicts between the Perceiving and Judging functions, to temperament. Sometimes these models can seem to conflict with each other, however, this seems to flesh out the theory more than a simple one-perspective guide ever could.

It does all of this in an oddly sketchy, yet very iNtuitive way: for each type, the profile is just a series of phrases that describe the dominant and auxiliary functions. And yet, these same sparse phrases manage to trigger lines of thought and association, that can lead to a larger understanding of just what each preference means, and how to understand their interaction in each of the sixteen types. I think, in fact, it is this exact lack of detail, that assists one in understanding personality typing in a more profound way, one that almost defies expression in words.

There is some wonderful advice (quick, and to the point) on dealing with inferior function eruptions for each type, as well as symptoms of these grip experiences (if you're interested in this aspect, supplement with Naomi Quenk's wonderful book, "Was That Really Me?" for a more in-depth look at inferior functions), so that you can diagnose yourself quickly, and find ways to correct your imbalance. There are also some wonderful suggestions on how to communicate with other types, and show them the sort of respect they most appreciate receiving. And the authors find some wonderful real-life examples in illustrating the preferences, and how they express themselves in people (I'm particularly fond of the illustration of Sensing and iNtuition).

What is unfortunate about this book is that the tone can become a bit heavy-handed, and a little too intellectually fluffy at the same time. Admonitions litter the 200 or so pages quite frequently, warning people that "personality type can be used to gain power unethically, so don't do it!" I think, in some ways, this diminishes some of the power of this book in assisting you to understand Jung's theory.

However, I think this book serves as a wonderful iNtuitive guide to understanding the whole of personality typing, in ways that most other books can't. Sometimes paradox and conflicting information can help you to understand theory far better than the a completely coherent presentation can. I don't recommend this book for Sensing types looking to learn more, but for an iNtuitive, especially an NTP or NFP, this is probably one of the best out there!

~~INTP author~~

A Mixed Bag for MBTI-philes
As a layman fascinated with all things MBTI, I picked up this book with eagerness, hoping it might give deeper insights into what other books and Websites discussed, or tread new ground. I was somewhat disappointed.

The authors DO start with some fairly clear, insightful examples and definitions of the MBTI categories, including a wonderful story about an E father and an I son. However, they soon veer from clarity and insight into what I can only call high-level "mush" -- paragraph upon paragraph of needless exposition and feel-good truisms. As noted in another review, Pearman and Albritton's prose is an inconsistent mix of clear, focused text and fluffy, platitude-filled philosophy on having appreciation and understanding for those different from you. While I do appreciate their emphasis -- not stereotyping others and working hard not to just understand them in an academic way, the writing is simply too "lite" and jarring with the text that is specifically MBTI-centered. When they remain on-topic about MBTI and how types interact, the book is good (though not anything drastically different/deeper than other books in the marketplace).

They do offer some very good insights into what the different types value, especially in regards to communications. This is where the book is most valuable -- as a beginning point for understanding HOW and WHY you communicate the way do, and ways to bridge differences with others. However, their many charts tend to get a bit numbing after a while, and some don't do a very good job of show clearer delineation between the 16 types. And for whatever reason, the authors completely ignore Keirsey's distinction between character and temperament; using it could have helped them carry their thesis farther and with more punch.

Worth reading -- or at least skimming -- if you really enjoy MBTI-related material, but for those new to MBTI or looking for more practical, user-friendly texts, I recommend looking into Keirsey's or Kroeger's works.

Great Addition to Jung and Myers-Briggs
I find this book to be intellectually rewarding. I have studied Character Typing alot and in college it is my major. This book helps you really understand the many facets of type and how they interact. Thanks ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Differential Psychology   2. General   3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator   4. Personality   5. Psychology   6. Typology (Psychology)   

Customer Reviews (3)

A Must Read for Every Manager!
Every manager should read this book to enhance his or her self-awareness, and to better understand the "hard-wired" styles of others.

Roger was the pro who trained me on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator years ago. His extraordinary knowledge was obvious then, and now it's available to everybody in this great book! I highly recommend this book!

Michael Beitler, Ph.D.
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

A Good Read!
You can figure out who you are - and more importantly, who the people you lead are - if you have a little patience with Roger R. Pearman. The author carefully applies the Myers-Briggs personality type system to explain leadership styles. He asserts that if you understand how people behave, one personality type at a time, you can lead them more effectively. You can use this system to understand how your employees (and you) think, and to spot strengths and weaknesses. Pearman's examples, lists and charts show how to identify different personality types and how to apply this understanding in different situations. We at getAbstract recommend this excellent book as particularly helpful to those who are familiar with the Myers-Briggs system and to those who like taking an analytical approach to human behavior. (If you are less analytical, don't get testy while trying to sort out the 16 personality types - The trip is worthwhile.)

A probing exploration of leadership and the mind.
This book explores a fundamental paradigm for effective leadership based on Jungian psychological type theory and the sixteen personality types used in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The author's goal is to go beyond the usual human potential categorizations of the MBTI to establish a new foundation of leadership psychology based on Jung's work. Chapters focus on six building blocks of leadership psychology: communication; problem management; learning and development; blind spots; team building, and values and culture. These six blocks refer to mental processes and habits of mind (hardwiring). Key points are illustrated with real-life scenarios. This exploration of patterns of mind and how they are expressed in leadership settings proves to be a probing examination of leadership. The author argues that each person has the wiring to be leader. Recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Entrepreneurship   5. Leadership   6. Leadership In Business   7. Personal Growth - General   8. Psychological aspects   9. Typology (Psychology)   

Subjects:  1. Leadership   2. Personal Growth - General   3. Psychology   4. Typology (Psychology)