Book Description
Determine your personality using a scientifically validated method based on the work of C.G. Jung and gain insight into why others behave the way they do, and why you are the person you are.
Customer Reviews:
Can't put it down........2004-03-23
This book is an amazing introduction to Typology. I started reading it and could not put it down. There is so much useful information in this book that can only help you when you have dealings with others. It can also help you learn a great deal about yourself. The authors pointed out that was the main purpose of this book.
For example is was able to determine that I am a INFP. I also learned that it's very uncommon to be an INFP, being a male. I was also able to learn what types of work envoirnments I work well in, what types of careers people with my type are attracted too, what other types I correspond with best, and much more. Also finding out that all of my poor Introverted people were persecuted for being so quiet, and often recieved constant day-to-day pressure to get out and be normal (so I'm not alone). Not realizing that this behavior could not be more normal.
This book is a very easy and enjoyable read. Everything is well organized and laid out. The authors use alot of conversation examples between different personality types, often a riot to read, it also makes a point about different types of people, which really helped me the most. This book has so much to offer, everybody can benefit greatly from it.
Knowing Your Type.......2004-03-11
Have you ever walked into a co-workers office and asked them a question as they first look at you with a glazed look, and then ask you to repeat the question? Have you dealt with a people who take forever to answer anything? How about trying to understand individuals who seem to be somewhat unfocused and a bit scattered in their conversation?
The book Type Talk is a great introduction to understanding the personality make up of these types of people and basically everyone else.
This book breaks down the 16 Myers Briggs Types to come up with an introduction to individuals who want to know why people do the things they do.
For individuals who know types through the MBTI, this book will assist you in understanding the type of almost anyone you talk with, and be able to relate better with them. For someone who has not been through the MBTI, this book will allow you to be introduced to personality types without animal names, colors or something that sounds like a sickness (phlegmatic....ahem....)
You will come to understand and reflect on how someone who tends to be more Introverted or Extroverted, Sensing or iNtuitive, Thinking or Feeling, Judging or Perceiving and how a combination of the above will determine how people tend to relate to the people in their lives, how they approach life in general and daily.
This book could help everyone to understand the world we live in.
One thing though, don't put people in a box. If someone is considered one of the 16 types, that is not a box they are in, that is the reference they usually feel most comfortbably working from.
Thuesen and Kroeger bring together their years of research and have a lot of documentation for back up and instruction.
A must book if you are in Human Resources, Training or Education or if you love the differences that make up the human race.
Now if only schools used this stuff..........2004-01-20
The descriptions of the types are great. This is very well written and most informative. I recommend it most definitely and wish the inefficient, one-size-fits-all obsolete psych of the education system could get thrown out in favor of this more practical psych system.
The only place the Otto and Janet missed the boat completely is where they try and guess famous people's types: they are nearly always off base, strangely.
Top-Shelf.......2003-03-13
I work in the field of Leadership Development and the two assessment tests we use are the MBTI and the Gallup StrengthsFinder. The MBTI is great for learning preferences and type, and how someone will act in public. This book, 'Type Talk," does an excellent job of working through all the types and preferences, whether Extrovert/Introvert Intuitive/Sensing Thinking/Feeling or Judging/Perceiving, this book does it all. It makes sense, it is easy to read, and will get you on the road to understanding the world of Myers-Briggs a whole lot better. Overall Grade, A.
Joseph Dworak
The Best MBTI Book Out.......2003-02-13
After over 10 years of studying and using the MBTI in corporate and not for profit work, I have found Otto and Janet's books most useful. Their writing is non-judgemental and very acurate. There are many useful "job aids" throughout that give excellent tips in areas like communication, conflict, etc... They explain type through stories and experiences that illustrate meaning behind the model. I have not found better authors on the subject of MBTI.
Book Description
The leading experts in the field, Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson have set the standard for determining personality type using the enneagram. Their studies of this ancient symbol and their progress in determining type with increasing accuracy are known, taught, and emulated worldwide. Discovering Your Personality Type is the essential introduction to this system, a psychological framework that can be used practically, in many aspects of daily life. This revised and updated edition features the all-new, scientifically validated Riso-Hudson Type Indicator, and has also been refined and simplified to appeal especially to beginners and anyone interested in unlocking the secrets of personality. The most reliable, most accurate, and most accessible way to identify type, the improved enneagram questionnaire helps identify fundamental character traits, revealing invaluable directions for change and growth. The profile that emerges is useful for a wide variety of purposes: professional development, education, relationships, vocational counseling, and more. Discovering Your Personality Type is the book readers need in order to begin to see the possibilties made available by understanding personality types.
Customer Reviews:
It's OK, but I ended up being a Myers Briggs fan........2007-05-07
In order to develop a personality typing method, you have to make it fairly complicated, taking more patience than the average pop psych afficionado. Thus, the enneagram method is just as complicated as the 16 personality types found in Myers Briggs method. You can't get around that. That being said, the book fails for a number of reasons.
First, it spends so much time explaining the method that it never spends a great deal of time justifying it. Thus, it was not a very good introduction to the subject. Since it is a scientific method, the author should assume that the person reading it is a skeptic, like most scientists.
Second, the book argues that this method leads to a spiritual awareness of the contingency of personality, where you understand that you are not your personality, you are in fact a soul (put simplistically). Well, the author should express an interest in his own subject, I would think. People are trying to understand their personalities, and yet the author is essentially arguing that the personality types are just window dressing to your true identity. I expect psychology, and I get the Dalai Lama!
I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm saying it is morally questionable to place all that spiritual extra baggage on what could possibly be a scientific method. The author is essentially saying that everyone will come to the same conclusions about spirituality once they take a hard look at their personality type. This is wishful thinking. For someone who purports to understand differences among people, I think it is ridiculous for the author to suggest that everyone's reaction to this process would be so uniform; people may formulate their own spiritual conclusions, or they may not see it as having a spiritual component at all.
Thorough "Forced-Choice" Test Better than General Reading.......2007-03-05
Having read widely in the fascinating Enneagram literature, I find this test indispensable in accomplishing the actual typing of a person. People and their friends often wish for one Enneagram label or another to apply to them, and Enneagram typing from general reading is susceptible to this *major* distortion. Containing dozens of questions, this thought provoking, multiple choice test -- which forces a choice between the answers presented for each question, often including either *no* answers appealing to the examinee, or *too many* appealing answers -- gives the examinee less opportunity to answer by prior self-stereotyping, and less of a hint of what Enneagram types correspond to which answers. "Forced-choice" testing, widely respected in psychological testing circles, can be uncomfortable when no answers seem a happy fit, but they are a good testing format. Even in other excellent books by Riso and Hudson -- also my favorite Enneagram writers -- the shorter quizzes don't compare in clarity to this. Don't skip this in your efforts to type yourself or a friend.
This book also contains a short exposition of the Enneagram approach and types. This part is cursory, and reading one of Riso and Hudson's lengthier books will be far more satisfying for this information and analysis. Helen Palmer's work is also excellent, but she takes a darker, more pessimistic view of human beings. Hudson and Riso, while recognizing each type's darker sides, present a far more balanced analysis.
Know Thyself........2007-01-09
This book gives you the tools to identify and understand your inherent strengths and weakness'. This process is vital if you are to apply action steps to improve your life. If you want to hit the target, you have to know where the target is!
Discovering Your Personality Type .......2006-03-03
The book is a quick read and easy to understand. The insights are mostly good and the system an interesting one. Take the test and see how accurate you think it is. It does provide a tool for understanding your own and others behavior.
Great Book.......2005-02-05
If you have read Personality Types then this book is even better. It actually shows you who you are by a series of questions. I remember because it showed me I was wrong about my own self (after just reading Personality Types)! So, needless to say, this book along with Personality Types is all you will ever need to learn to about psychology.
Amazon.com
Recommended by two highly credible authorities, consciousness explorer Ken Wilber and spiritual-growth guru Harville Hendrix, this compendium of Enneagram information was assembled by the cofounders of the Enneagram Institute as an introduction to the subject. Designed with a plenitude of charts, boxes, and quotes (by noted illuminaries such as A.H. Almaas, Maya Angelou, and G.I. Gurjieff), this exceptionally easy-to-use, manual-size paperback teaches the reader how to figure out which of the nine types she is, identifies red flags to self-illusion, and provides practical suggestions for spiritual growth. Advice on how to observe your type's fixations and let go of the need to act out automatic and dysfunctional behavioral responses are down-to-earth and attainable. A distinctly accessible approach to cultivating daily happiness through understanding the complexity of fixations that weave together human personality types. --Randall Cohan
Book Description
The first definitive guide to using the wisdom of the enneagram for spiritual and psychological growth
The ancient symbol of the Enneagram has become one of today's most popular systems for self-understanding, based on nine distinct personality types. Now, two of the world's foremost Enneagram authorities introduce a powerful new way to use the Enneagram as a tool for personal transformation and development. Whatever your spiritual background, the Enneagram shows how you can overcome your inner barriers, realize your unique gifts and strengths, and discover your deepest direction in life.
The Wisdom of the Enneagram includes:
Two highly accurate questionnaires for determining your type
Vivid individual profiles focused on maximizing each type's potential and minimizing predictable pitfalls
Spiritual Jump Starts, Wake-Up Calls, and Red Flags for each type
Dozens of individualized exercises and practical strategies for letting go of troublesome habits, improving relationships, and increasing inner freedom
Revealing insights into the deepest motivations, fears, and desires of each type
Highly accessible, yet filled with sophisticated concepts and techniques found nowhere else,
The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a strikingly new fusion of psychology and spirituality. It offers an exciting vision of human possibility and a clear map of the nine paths to our highest self-expression.
Customer Reviews:
Essential guide for leadership and life.......2007-10-01
The Wisdom of the Enneagram is a gift for the world - it is an essential guide for living and leading in the 21st century. Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson provide a profound and personalized path for learning who we are in our uniqueness (and connectedness) as our essential self or essence (who we are at our best). And for understanding and integrating supporting practices and insights into our lives as we relax into who we truly are - compassionate and loving individuals and leaders living in a world that is longing for a sustainable way forward.
in-depth, extremely clear, and easy to use.......2007-07-19
This is a great book that, unlike many online Enneagram tests, encourages you to read around in all of the profiles to make sure your results fit who you are. It also discusses how certain types will routinely mis-diagnose themselves as a different type. It breaks down each type according to a Healthy, Average, and Unhealthy range of behaviors and also discusses individual variants of every type--self-preservation instinct, sexual instinct, or social instinct. In short, this will give you a finely-grained, extremely clear, and totally accessible account of your type. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
This book contains profound wisdom.......2007-07-17
This book is greatly helpful for most people except those who are caught up with religious doctrines without being able to understand the spiritual message behind the doctrines.
This book focuses on sanctification (transformation), it provides a road map to help us transform spiritually into loving individuals. Love and compassion comes from spiritual maturity instead of power of our will. Therefore, the wisdom from this book is consistent with any religion that promotes love.
On the other hand, for those who are caught up with justification doctrines, this book will not be appealing. Justification for the well being of ourselves works against the spiritual path towards being a loving person. Therefore, at the onset, anyone who is entrenched in the justification mentality would likely believe this book portrays a path away from justification.
This book points out some important aspect of the reality of our existence. It is most useful for those who are (1) out of balance spiritually, or (2) are interested in rediscovering the rich experience of life. The intention of the authors is to help readers to deepen their spirituality through expanding awareness. When spirituality deepens, we become more connected with others. This is the unpreached message because it happens automatically. When understood properly, this book provides a roadmap towards enlightenment. Make sure you read the intro chapters because they well explain how the types are personalities that we should NOT identify with. Also, this book is a resource book more than a quick read, to master the stuff outlined in there could take a life time. The best reading approach is to read slowly from the beginning and stop when we feel like we've chewed off just a little too much for our daily practice.
It's so true when the authors say we identify with our personality in order to get a sense of our identity, but doing so disconnects us from our true Essence because personality is simply a set of habits developed as coping mechanisms.
At this price, I've bought 2 copies beyond my own to give to two of my friends already. I'll be getting more.
When this book is truly lived out, I suspect life would be full of awe like the time when we were a child again, except now we have an adult mind. It could be a bliss, but obviously it's just my projection, I'm no where close.
This book has helped me out of depression (symptom of a dysfunctional 4)and compulsive thinking (symptom of a dysfunctional 5) already. Hope others might find useful insight as well. This is the best Enneagram book I've come across so far.
Best all around reference to the Enneagram.......2007-06-30
Wisdom of the Enneagram is the first book I recommend to people - it is also the text for the Enneagram study group I have just joined!
I bought this book and have copied (forgive me Amazon) chapters for my friends and loved ones who are now jazzed on the Enneagram. It is easy to read, big and full of well organized information, and very accessible.
My first Enneagram book was Sandra Maitri's: The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram, which is FANTASTIC!! Maitri takes a hard look at the personality types - her book was a huge wake up call for me (a two) and totally changed my life. She also talks more about the Holy Ideas. It is a must have though for those into the deeper aspects of the Enneagram along with her Passion and Virtues book and A.H. Almaas's: Facets of Unity.
The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types
The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram: Nine Faces of the Soul
The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: Finding the Way Home
Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas
Best intro to the Enneagram on the market.......2007-04-11
This is about the tenth copy I've purchased. I give it to people who are new to the Enneagram. I'm partial to Riso & Hudson's work, and I personally think that "Wisdom" is the best general introduction available for non-professionals. The visual display of information helps to make points very clear. The text is clear as well, and it is also sensitive and profound. Riso & Hudson's skillful treatment of the subject in this volume helps to spread understanding of the Enneagram. I believe that we can all benefit from its wisdom.
Book Description
Quickly acquire the knowledge and skills you need to confidently administer, score, and interpret the MBTI
The popularity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®(MBTI) among counselors, psychotherapists, educators, businesses, organizational consultants, and government agencies has made it the most widely used tool for the assessment of healthy personality. In order to use it appropriately and effectively, professionals need an authoritative source of advice and guidance on how to administer, score, and interpret this test. Written by Naomi Quenk-who coauthored the 1998 revision of the MBTI® Manual-Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Assessment is that source.
Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy mental health practitioners quickly acquire the basic knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of a major psychological assessment instrument. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the informationcovered.
The initial chapters of Essentials of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Assessment provide step-by-step guidance on test administration, scoring, and interpretation. In the chapters that follow, the author provides expert assessment of the test's relative strengths and weaknesses, valuable advice on its clinical applications, and several illuminating case reports.
Other titles in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series:
Essentials of WAIS-III Assessment
Essentials of CAS Assessment
Essentials of Millon Inventories Assessment
Essentials of Forensic Psychological Assessment
Essentials of Bayley Scales of Infant Development II Assessment
Essentials of WISC-III and WPPSI-R Assessment
Customer Reviews:
Ethical Use of the MBTI.......2007-02-14
If you want to understand the fundamentals of using and interpreting the MBTI this book is an EXCELLENT resource. The author tackles advanced concepts, and the information contained is an excellent condensation of important information you need to know to use the instrument ethically.
However, many (perhaps the majority) of professional MBTI practitioners do NOT endorse the use of the instrument for recruiting or other human resource practices (except for fostering personal understanding) as ethical. One of the myriad reasons for this is that type DOES NOT EQUAL competencies. This reductionistic view of the study of psychological or brain types is harmful and shows a sincere lack of depth of understanding of the previous reviewer's knowledge. And it adds to the mistrust individuals have because a wonderful tool for pursuing self-understanding and life satisfaction is used in these questionably ethical practices that tend to stereotype people.
Any "type" is capable of exhibiting a wide variety of competencies and is capable of performing excellently in a wide variety of professions. Having different types engaged in the work of different careers adds to the richness of any workplace landscape.
I am a career counselor with over a dozen years experience working with people and helping them find life and career satisfaction from informed and responsible usage of this body of knowledge. Prior to that I worked as a professional recruiter and managed professional recruiters for over 10 years.
Good Reading...........2001-06-25
Competency-based recruiting is made easy with MBTI and this book nicely explains all the finer points of the technique. I recommend this book for all those who wish to implement Competency based activities in their organization
Book Description
Just as people have personalities, Bridges explains organizations have character.
Customer Reviews:
Myers-Briggs for companies - surprisingly effective........2002-11-07
Criticisms that this book merely recycles standard Myers-Briggs ideas are misplaced. Most people familiar with ideas of psychological type might agree there was *some* case for an analogous approach to organisational character, perhaps at the level of the four categories of temperament. However, William Bridges succeeds in showing how applying the sixteen types of Myers-Briggs type theory can highlight essential and distinctive organisational characteristics. Most of his examples, although dated, seem compelling. There are a few issues: I suspect that most people would consider Hewlett-Packard to be SF, rather than ST, as Dr. Bridges has it (p. 25). And even for a book first published in 1990, the omission of Microsoft is a little surprising (INTJ?).
The other dimension of organisational analysis covered in this book is that of organisational development and lifecycle. Again, Dr. Bridges leverages type theory to develop some interesting ideas as to the different type-characteristics exhibited from organisation conception ("the Dream"), through maturity ("Becoming an Institution"), to organisational death. Given the extent of merger and acquisition activity in recent years, I was surprised to see how little attention Dr. Bridges gave to managing the cultural and developmental issues which surface when different company characteristics collide in M&A, (about half a page).
Finally, there is a deeper theoretical issue as to why Jungian/Myers-Briggs type theory - developed from Jung's theories of the human psyche, should be expected to apply to organisations at all. Do organisations assemble themselves around the type of their founders, does the type emerge as a side-effect of the types of employees who are best at tackling the company's problems, or is there a supra-human theory of "organisational psychology" trying to get out here? The book alludes to the existence of these kinds of problems, but does not really add much to our understanding.
All in all, this book will add value to anyone who already has a feel for the Myers-Briggs approach to personality types, and who is interested in effectively dealing with organisations.
a little hokie.......2002-02-03
I sent this book back - Its basically the myers-briggs at the organization level. It goes through characteristics of the ENTJ organization for example. My problem with it was that the people make the organization and the culture and unless all the same types of people are being hired or cloned and all the people in the org are primarily the particular type then the concepts fall apart. The other thing that bugged me was that the leadership generally sets the tone for the organization so if the leader is a certain personality type then that will probably prevade the organization so there's no need to look at the organization's type but instead to look at leadership and see what type of culture/values they portend andthen work at that level to make change. Anyway, I didn't find this book useful at all - just another spin on myers briggs
Insightful!.......2001-05-09
Organizations have their own personalities, as William Bridges demonstrates by applying the most popular personality test ever devised for humans to groups of people working together. Bridges developed the “Organizational Character Index” (OCI) from the ubiquitous Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. While OCI thus far lacks the rigorous testing of hundreds of certified Myers-Briggs trainers, intuitively the model makes sense. Bridges provides a useful way of thinking about organizational styles and tries to understand the nature of departments within organizations. Abundant examples, lists and charts help illustrate the principles. We...recommend this book to managers and human resource professionals seeking insight into the nuances of organizational development, provided that they are willing to spoon through a certain amount of alphabet soup. (Note: Though this book has a 2000 copyright date, with the exception of a new forward by Sandra Krebs Hirsh, it is a republication of a work written in about 1990.)
For anyone seeking to transform their own business.......2001-02-10
The Character Of Organizations identifies sixteen types of organizational character using the framework of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument and clarifies what people actually experience on the job. Utilizing "real world" corporate examples, William Bridges shows that an organization's character shapes how decisions are made and new ideas are received, how employees are treated and how change is accepted or rejected, and how such things affect company performance. Written in a lively, contemporary, and completely accessible style, and in a new edition enhanced with a foreword by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and a new preface by the author, The Character Of Organizations is highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to transform their own business to take advantage of their strengths and become aware of their weaknesses with which ever corporate character style they are employing.
An "Inside-Out" understanding of organizations.......2000-08-31
William Bridges' "Character of Organizations" provides a valuable understanding of the journey of an organization through its' "life cycles" as well as how to understand some of the confusing and counter productive actions of its' members as it progresses on that journey. Dr. Bridges has skillfully utilized the richness of Type, combined with his own knowledge and experience working with organizations, to develop a framework for understanding their strengths and limitations. His work then demonstrates for the reader how to build on this framework to help the organization improve critical aspects of its' operations such as strategic planning, problem-solving processes, communication systems and decision-making approaches, "The Character of Organizations" is a must for organizational leaders at every level.
Amazon.com
Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Freakonomics (written with Stephen J. Dubner), Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun. These enlightening chapters are separated by effusive passages from Dubner's 2003 profile of Levitt in The New York Times Magazine, which led to the book being written. In a book filled with bold logic, such back-patting veers Freakonomics, however briefly, away from what Levitt actually has to say. Although maybe there's a good economic reason for that too, and we're just not getting it yet. --John Moe
Book Description
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics. Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan. What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter. Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.
Download Description
"
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But
Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.
Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author
Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In
Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.
What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.
Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But
Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.
"
Customer Reviews:
My two cents.......2007-10-08
This collection is the perfect introduction to "thinking outside the box" that Young Adults so desperately need. Filled with challenging situations that demand to know, "why things are the way they are?" Sprinkled with just enough statistics to give credibility, (but not to overwhelm), and just enough history to shed light on the bigger picture; it asks the meaningful, fresh questions that will intrigue and interest the most lethargic student. Recommended for thoughtful, mature audiences, this book may appeal to the Young Adult reader, and their parents. Drugs, crime, getting a job - this book covers many of the contemporary issues facing Young Adults today.
Mind blowing .......2007-10-02
This book changed the way I think about economics, while being entertaining and fun. Highly recommended!
Dumbed Down Levitt.......2007-09-27
I saw Steven Levitt (the economist) on CSPAN Book-TV. He was intelligent, incisive & insightfull and presented his information clearly with a wry sense of humor. I very much anticipated reading this book. What a disappointment! Clearly the book was written by Dubner, not Levitt, and it's origins as a Sunday magazine profile are too apparent. The sharp intelligence and clear ideas are made fuzzy by Dubner's generic, puffy non-fiction writing techniques. This is not to say this book is without merit. Levitt's ideas manage to shine throught the murk of Dubner's writing. But if you want to get a clearer picutre of Levitt and his thinking, go to the C-SPAN Book-TV archives and watch the show with Steven Levitt discussing the book.
I hope that next time Levitt and/or his publisher will have the confidence to have him write a popular, non-academic book on his own and won't feel the need to hire a "professional" to translate his ideas to a popular audience. His ideas need simple clarity, not fancy dressing up.
Spray-Painted Fruit.......2007-09-25
"Freakonomics" has all the elements of great nonfiction. It approaches old subjects in new ways. It combines a "rogue" economist's out-of-the-box thinking with the concise work of a disciplined writer. A quick read, it also challenges Americans to think for themselves--now there's a real accomplishment!
Levitt and Dubner make some interesting points about our education system, medical and parental fears, and racial divides. They never claim to tie all these insights into a cohesive treatise, although they do meander back and forth over unifying themes of what motivates us as human beings and what causes us to buy into collective myths. For years, I've observed the lemming effect in our society, usually driven by the media, and by the average person's seeming inability to override knee-jerk fears with a small dollop of logic. Raising my own children, I heard the flip-flopping of the experts: "Babies should sleep on their backs...their bellies...their sides...in your bed...in their own bed..." ad nauseum.
"Freakonomics" has worthy goals. It reaches them on many levels. On the other hand, it is marketed toward those who already see through these societal deceits. It's not high-minded enough to satisfy those seeking true "rogue" economics, and it's not accessible enough for those nominative readers who might benefit from it the most. Also, on a number of occasions, it draws from a hodgepodge of statistics and extrapolates theories that, while very reasonable, are not proven here with any certainty. And yet we are expected to believe them, even while the same authors are telling us to stop believing such extrapolations from other "experts."
For a book that'll cause you to reconsider certain "established" norms" and to carry on lively discussions, "Freakonomics" is a wonderful coffee table addition. I was disappointed, though, in its overall lack of depth. Most of the subjects addressed are ones I, as a regular individual, have questioned on basic principles of logic in the first place. I didn't need a "rogue" economist for this, or a catchy title. I could've extracted the same tidbits from a decent magazine article by the same pair.
An apple is an apple is an orange. Yes, there are some nutrients in this tasty book, but the authors, like many grocers, have spray-painted the fruit to appear a bit more delectable than it actually is.
This book makes economics entertaining.......2007-09-23
Think you won't be entertained by a book about economics? Think again. Reduced to its essence, economics is about people's response to incentives. This book abounds with examples that you probably aren't accustomed to thinking of as economics. The author excels at analyzing mounds of data and extracting nuggets of wisdom from it. He even steps you through a couple of them, though once he's sure you've got the idea he sticks to giving you the pertinent information. After reading this book I became aware of how economics permeates human interactions.
Average customer rating:
- A Solid Effort!
- User-Friendly Reading
|
Work Types
Jean M. Kummerow ,
Nancy J. Barger , and
Linda K. Kirby
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Motivational
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Occupational & Organizational
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Personality
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Industrial Psychology
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mental Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Business Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Type Talk at Work (Revised): How the 16 Personality Types Determine Your Success on the Job
-
Lifetypes
-
Quick Guide to the 16 Personality Types in Organizations: Understanding Personality Differences in the Workplace
-
Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work
-
Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type
ASIN: 0446672173 |
Customer Reviews:
A Solid Effort!.......2001-06-02
Worktypes can be a very useful tool for understanding how your personality affects your efficiency at work. Strategies for maximizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses are offered as well as tips for dealing with personality types other than your own. Unfortunately, the book offers only a brief description of personality types. For readers to get the full value from this book, it is suggested that they read a book with more detailed descriptions of the 16 types. (The authors suggest the 1989 book, Lifetypes, but any number of books focusing on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and psychological type will do.) Without a clear understanding of the 16 psychological types, it is difficult to apply most of the information in the book. However, with an appropriate companion book, Worktypes can be instrumental in your quest to improve your effectiveness at work. We [...] recommend this book to a wide range of readers, since the personality breakdowns can be of value to anyone from the most powerful leaders of corporations to their front-line employees.
User-Friendly Reading.......2000-08-12
As someone very familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, I found WorkTypes to be a very useful tool. As we learn about type in the workplace, it's important to emphasize that type shouldn't limit the kind of work or activities we choose.The explanations "Using Type Knowledge at Work" and "How not to use Type at Work" should be required reading for any employee whose workplace in undergoing restructuring. The preference combinations used narrow down the kind of information shared. An individual who is new to type, and wants to learn more about it on a casual basis, won't be bogged down in temperament or dominant function theories. Scenarios illustrating workplace issues--Leading, Meetings, Change, Communications--are very realistic. Many readers can identify with these situations. The suggestions given to improve these situations are effective and written in a language that is easily converted to actual application. I wish that I had access to this book earlier in my planning process. Since that time, I have recommended the book as part of my workshops. Type notwithstanding, I have also found its applications useful in other environments outside the office.
Book Description
One of the most important of Jung's longer works, and probably the most famous of his books, Psychological Types appeared in German in 1921 after a "fallow period" of eight years during which Jung had published little. He called it "the fruit of nearly twenty years' work in the domain of practical psychology," and in his autobiography he wrote: "This work sprang originally from my need to define the ways in which my outlook differed from Freud's and Adler's. In attempting to answer this question, I came across the problem of types; for it is one's psychological type which from the outset determines and limits a person's judgment. My book, therefore, was an effort to deal with the relationship of the individual to the world, to people and things. It discussed the various aspects of consciousness, the various attitudes the conscious mind might take toward the world, and thus constitutes a psychology of consciousness regarded from what might be called a clinical angle."
In expounding his system of personality types Jung relied not so much on formal case data as on the countless impressions and experiences derived from the treatment of nervous illnesses, from intercourse with people of all social levels, "friend and foe alike," and from an analysis of his own psychological nature. The book is rich in material drawn from literature, aesthetics, religion, and philosophy. The extended chapters that give general descriptions of the types and definitions of Jung's principal psychological concepts are key documents in analytical psychology
Customer Reviews:
One Of The Most Influential Work Written In The Last 100 Years.......2007-03-19
This Magnum Opus of Jung,totally encapsulates his main goal as to an outline of a "healthy" working personality theory with the key to understanding the intricate balance between what in our common definitions is called the man of action and the man of ideas.
Needless to say since we are all a combination of the 2,it is heart warming to see the precision and intimacy of Jung's care in explicating a sort of systematic approach while the author remains humble enough to allow for fallibility's as to the perennial question mark of uncertainty.
200 pages can take one months to savor,but for those philosophically and academically inclined the journey is worth it as Jung takes on a historical survey through biblical criticism,Greek mythology,German poetry,Idealism as well as a treasure house of distinctions and comparisons between states of being such as naivete(the extrovert) and sentimentalitty(the introvert),intoxication(extrovert) and dreaming(introvert) to convey his ideas in merging Freud and Adler into a system that became totally Jungian leaving it's footprints as a giant but not only in common day jargon between the introvert and extrovert but balancing an individuals life between conscious and unconscious reality. The emphasis on Freud the extrovert(predominance of the sexual instinct and melting/loving the world)as distinct from Adler's introversion(power and subjective positioning of mastery of one's self and world)) were philosophical insights that alone were too one sided for Jung,hence a possible union was developed by confusing love for power (or vice a versa) which leads to fragmentation whereby the individual's libido becomes lost by slipping into either the unconscious or the conscious reality without a proper regulating principle.
The beauty of this scholarly work(for that matter the majority of his works are scholarly and difficult)is the outline he left humanity and modern times as to understanding man and his manifold contradictions,the constant oscillation between living in the world of sensation(extroversion) and one's own ideas and theoretical construct of the world(introversion).The balancing act in finding A "3rd way" for our energy(soul) is a regulating principle to understanding mental health despite the predominance of one tendency or the other in our general make up.
Indeed one can argue incessantly between living in a world of black or white or grey but one's perception is obviously colored by the past millions of years within one's genetic makeup fusing with the world of sense perception with a keen view to eternity.
The issue it seems to me and Jung is not epistemological truth or salvation but a working theory on what makes people tick and how the world accompanies diversity of spirit and temperament.
Viva la differences!.......2006-06-06
This is the forerunner of many contemporary works on psychological types. The mother-daughter team of Briggs & Myers devised the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) on it--devising the 4th (Judgmental-Perceptive) scale based on preferences (i.e. superior function vs. secondary function) between the iNtuitive-Sensate scale & the Thinker-Feeler scale. Jung does not address the J-P scale (it didn't exist yet). The book is written in Jung's usual rambling, erudite style with his usual quantity of incredible interspersed observations & conclusions. Some modern works are far easier to read, but many (e.g. Keirsey's "Please Understand Me") leave much out. Indeed, his assessment tool is quicker but less accurate IMHO (I used to score MBTI results for a professor doing research on MBTI's in other countries). I also took a couple of short courses (paid for by the U.S. Navy) related to the MBTI--& lots of management courses which referred to it or utilized it. It is extremely useful in improving interpersonal communications & understanding amongst co-workers, supervisors, etc. I used it with my own subordinates & found it quite valuable--people shared their results readily. Of course, there's a bit of confusion between Extrovert & Introvert--surface/laymen views can be misleading. The key is where one gets/loses one's psychic energy. Introverts get it from being alone & tend to lose it in groups; Extroverts, vice versa. But, this has nothing to do with whether one enjoys people, books, parties, etc. So, to understand the types, one must read the book. As Jung states, p. 526 "The psyche is the very thing we know least about, although it seems to be what we know best of all, & furthermore that everyone else probably understands it better than we do ourselves." Further, self-knowledge is a continuing challenge because p. 52: "The psyche creates reality every day." Also, psychological type relates not only to self, but also to society: p. 448: "Only a society that can preserve its internal cohesion and collective values, while at the same time granting the individual the greatest possible freedom, has any prospect of enduring vitality" & p. 449: "The more a man's life is shaped by the collective norm, the greater is his individual immorality." However, it is important to understand that Jung is NOT saying people ARE this type or that (implying the types are real) but that the types are a useful model for understanding human differences-- p. 493 "Reality neither consists of theories nor follows them." The sixteen types are a reasonable model for differences in accordance with Jung's scientific approach. As he states here & elsewhere--on p. 41 & on p. 494ff: "The scientific axiom known as Occam's Razor--`explanatory principles should not be multiplied beyond the necessary.'" Necessary & sufficient are required. This work is at least as relevant today as when it was written.
introversion extraversion intuition sensation thinkng feelng.......2003-10-18
If you're familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and want to know more about it then _Psychological Types_ is one title you'd certainly want to read. It is the definitive work on which the MBTI is based. In this volume Jung explains in detail what the nature of the two attitudes--introversion and extraversion--really are, as well as that of the four functions--intuition, sensation, thinking, and feeling. He also discusses various combinations of these attitudes and functions, such as Introverted-Thinking, Introverted-Feeling, Extraverted-Sensation, etc.
It is Jung who gave us the terms introversion and extraversion. But our colloquial understanding of these terms are not exactly what Jung had in mind. For instance introversion he says means "an inward-turning of libido [psychic energy]." Moreover, the introverted person is one who orients himself predominantly by subjective views in contrast to the extraverted who orients himself by objective (external) conditions. Therefore, extraversion and introversion have to do with which realm--outer or inner--the person is drawn to and invests his energies in. So much for our simplistic notions of what these now household words mean!
Personally, I have not read the first half of the book. When I got my copy I went straight to Chapter 10 "General Description of the Types" since that's where the meat of Jungian typology can be found. And let's not forget the four essays in the appendix. They too offer additional insights into typology.
As a bonus there is an entire chapter (some 80 pages) entitled "Definitions" which is actually an in-depth glossary of some of the more important terms and ideas that Jung uses throughout the Collected Works.
If you'd like to learn about (Jungian) personality typology then I suggest you get this relatively inexpensive paperback edition. I've read many works on Jungian typology but nothing beats getting it straight from the horse's mouth.
an interesting typology...........2000-06-02
...but a tiring survey of previous typologies that must be read before you get to Jung's version.
Jung is fantastic!.......1998-10-13
Jung's theories are absolutely amazing. Anyone who is interested in psychology should read this book!
Book Description
After years of unrequited love, a lonely man commits a desperate act that affects the lives of everyone it touches, triggering a chain of events no one could have anticipated.
Download Description
"Elliot Perlman has established himself as one of Australia's most perceptive and accomplished novelists with his critically-acclaimed bestselling novels Three Dollars and Seven Types of Ambiguity (which was shortlisted for Australia's top literary prize, the Miles Franklin Award, alongside J.M. Coetzee, Peter Carey and Shirley Hazzard), and his short story collection, The Reasons I Won't Be Coming. Following years of unrequited love, an out-of-work schoolteacher decides to take matters into his own hands, triggering a chain of events that neither he nor his psychiatrist could have anticipated. At once a psychological thriller and a social critique, SEVEN TYPES OF AMBIGUITY is a story of obsessive love in an age of obsessive materialism. It's a story of impulse and paralysis, of empty marriages, lovers and a small boy, gambling and the market, of adult children and their parents, of poetry and prostitution, psychiatry and the law. Brimming with emotional, intellectual and moral dilemmas, this page-turning novel-reminiscent of the richest fiction of the nineteenth century in its labyrinthine complexity-unfolds at a rapid-fire pace to reveal the full extent to which these people have been affected by each other and by the insecure and uncertain times in which they live. Our times, now."
Customer Reviews:
Convergence of characters.......2007-08-21
Eliot Perlman was such a pleasant surprise to discover as an author, even if I randomly found his novel accidently at Costco browsing. At first you are hooked and then must patiently wait as he so cleverly lays out carefully the well described characters weaving them into one commonality. It is such a treat to find a book after reading so many predictable novels that rewards the reader. It at time seems like an endless read but you savor it. How true to the human condition his descriptions of how each individual perceives reality ranging from the prostitute girlfriend conflict to shared infidelity, including a barren marriage, high risk takers, and the convergence of the characters in the end. A very fruitful process with rewards and deep thinking provoked along the way.
Totally engrossing!.......2007-08-15
There aren't many books out there that make you want to set everything else aside, and read, read, read! This is one of those books! It's long -- over 600 pages -- but it definitely doesn't feel like it. I loved the shifting perspective and interesting characters. I also liked how the stories overlapped at critical moments. Perlman is clearly a very gifted and intelligent writer, and I can't give him enough praise. Who would have thought the story of an out-of-work teacher, a stockbroker, a prostitute, and a psychiatrist would be so interesting! This is definitely one that will make you think about "obsessive love" and "obsessive materialism" in ways that you may not have before. I loved the "ambiguity" found in these interpersonal relationships as well as the characters' own motivations and understanding of the world. This is not a black-and-white world, so why should literature be? Subtlety is the name of the game. So good!!!
Oh, good, I'm not alone........2007-05-25
I'm relieved to see some dissent amid the five-star reviews here. I wanted very much to like this book. My brother gave it to me, the first few pages intrigued me, and I was ready for a solid, satisfying, very long read.
No such luck. Talk about the Dreaded Expository Lump, which writers are taught and taught and taught to avoid. It isn't that there's no place in fiction for telling rather than showing, but this novel is almost exclusively expository--it is one long DEL. Even the dialogue reads like a series of university lectures, whether the subject is managed health care, literary deconstructionism, jazz, or other topics the author is eager to expound upon.
I also agree with those who have noted the desperate need of strenuous editing, the droning similarity of voice and style throughout, and the lack of color in the setting or the physical descriptions of the characters. Even when these people are behaving colorfully, they come across in shades of gray, taupe, ecru.
All in all, I was massively disappointed and only finished this so I could tell my brother I had done so.
The two stars above are for this novel's ambition and its occasional flashes of real insight. I wish I could have joined the five-star folks.
Blew me away.......2007-05-06
Like other reviewers I was daunted by starting this very thick volume. But it was worth every minute -- the best novel I've read in a long, long time.
Extraordinary.......2007-03-03
Like another reviewer, I too had owned Seven Types of Ambiguity for over a year, not knowing anything about it beside some faint positive rumblings that my cultural antannae (they are removable) picked up. What I found when I finally decided to open the covers was an amazement.
The story whisks the reader along like a fast ride at a carnival. There is a hint of a crime drama about it, especially during the extremely convincing trial scenes. But the author was able to dissect the lives of his characters with a surgical scalpel right down to the bone. And in doing so, the society in which they lived was also laid open with Austen-esque brilliance. The end result was a chilling, depressing, scathing, riveting view of their world. By the way, their world, Melbourne could easily have been any number of other exurban locations. There was very little reference to place.
For me, the separate passages were distinct and each character had their own voice. The novel itself had a somber tone and I felt as though it were being spoken softly from behind a curtain. Also, I do not agree with the "Roshomon" analogies, for there, each retelling of the story was dramatically different from the previous version, to the extent of disagreeing on essential facts, colors, numbers. Here, I found that the characters were in agreement about what had happened. Instead, it was stated through the lens of their personal choices and priorities. The impact of the key events and the psychological reverberations were different for each character.
Also, I found the character of Joe to be one of the most starkly drawn and powerful characters I have experienced in a long time. There were a few scenes from the collapse of his and Anna's marriage that I found myself flinching as I was reading. I could not stop reading, and yet, I felt as though I had put my ear against a wall and was listening to my neighbors fighting. Joe was elaborately nasty with very few redeeming qualities and extremely well drawn.
This was easily one of the best novels I have read in the past 12 months or longer. The first section of the novel alone is worthy of inclusion among the "great works" of fiction. I highly recommend it. Don't be bothered by the number of pages. You will want it to be longer.
Average customer rating:
- Unique approach to style
- Entertaining
- Disappointed
- Must buy! Why? Simply because it was so inciteful...
- The Domain Book of Intuitive Design
|
The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design: How to Decorate Using Your Personality Type
Judy George
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Style
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decorating
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Decoration & Ornament
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Style
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Art Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Home & Garden Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Intuitive Businesswoman: Achieve Success Through the Power of Your Personality
ASIN: 0517707632
Release Date: 1998-11-03 |
Amazon.com
If you've always liked formal, high-ceilinged rooms with classic period furniture that some would call "stiff," or gravitate to cozy, intimate rooms with an interesting array of travel memorabilia that your neatnik friends might refer to as "clutter," there's a reason. The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design identifies four basic personality types--the Visionary, the Artisan, the Idealist, and the Adventurer--that correspond to four very different decorating styles. The book begins with a 20-question "Intuitive Personality Quiz" to help readers classify themselves using the four broadly drawn archetypes. Then the fun begins, as a question is posed: "What would you do with a naked sofa?" A basic sofa is shown with an all-out treatment for each personality type: satin pillows and classic flanking end tables for the Visionary; printed cotton pillows, a teddy bear, and an afghan for the Artisan; sleek leather coverings and a bare floor for the Idealist; four contrasting cloth coverings and leopard-print and shag pillows for the Adventurer. Each personality type and its preferences are described in detail, and then a room-by-room section shows how each type can implement a decorating plan that shows off its preferences to advantage. Shopping lists and mini-exercises display an element of playfulness--after all, decorating is supposed to be fun! And the "split personalities" pages at the end help dual types integrate their preferences into an interesting, cohesive whole. If you haven't yet managed to settle into a style that's really right for you, this book will show you how to plan rooms you'll feel comfortable in.
Book Description
Do you love bright, airy rooms with sheer curtains that allow light to flood in? Or are you attracted to intimate, jewel-box rooms with rich fabrics and colors? Are you most comfortable when nestled among pretty objects to touch and enjoy, or do you want your home to be free from all clutter?
These decorating choices aren't just a matter of taste. They're true reflections of your personality, and they speak volumes about who you are.
The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design is the first book to identify four different kinds of people--the Visionary, the Artisan, the Idealist, and the Adventurer--and to explore how these types express themselves through aesthetic choices.
If you're an Idealist, you might be happiest in a sleek, contemporary home with all the latest conveniences. But if you're an Adventurer, your domestic bliss would more likely be found in a lively dwelling that bursts with color and surprise. You might be a Visionary if you love fine antiques and classic proportions; if you're more interested in casual, comfortable furnishings and a great view of the outdoors, then you're probably an Artisan.
This book begins with a quiz to help you discover which personality archetype you most resemble. The next four chapters give an overall picture of each archetype, and explore the emotional underpinnings that lead to each type's decorating preferences.
Then, a room-by-room section brings those choices into beautiful focus. From real-life examples you will learn to create a home that is not only lovely to look at, but that also suits your true self. Shopping lists, mini-exercises, and guided visualizations will inspire, educate, and amuse you. Along the way you will recognize yourself, your friends, and your loved ones.
The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design introduces a whole new way of thinking about decorating. Most important, it offers the language and the tools to understand and express your one-of-a-kind style.
Customer Reviews:
Unique approach to style.......2006-05-19
This unique book addresses decorating styles based on personality - the visionary, the artisan, the idealist and the adventurer. It contains quizzes to test your style and then shows examples of each type of room for each of the four styles. I liked the page of each style section that states -"You may be an artisan if ..." and it lists different traits. Also at the end of each style is the alphabet for each style - and it gives buzz words for each style. Very unique and creative; fun to read with good ideas.
Entertaining.......2003-10-03
I liked this book, I ended up giving it away to a friend and I will purchase it again and again. You will be able to share with your group of friends the personality test and understand why you like some stuff and why your friends like other things.
Disappointed.......2002-12-17
I guess I must be one of the few people that didn't like this book. The quiz may be simple, but it is not very helpful. I was excited to learn what personality Type I was, but when I looked at the photos, I didn't feel like it fit my design style. I think that only four styles is way too few to encompass the varity that is present in interior decoration. I was also disappointed in a similar book called Yes/No Design. Sometimes, if a book doesn't have very useful tips, but beautiful photos, I might still buy the book. The photos don't save this book from the reject pile.
I think that people are much better off choosing their own unique style of interior decoration then trying to have it dictated to them by a quiz. Sometimes, interior decoration is about breaking the rules and going with your own intuition.
Recommendation: There are other books that will give you better guidance towards developing your own style. Good luck!
Other Resources:
The Ultimate Home Style Guide by Katherine Sorrell is the best book on the broadest range of styles that I have seen. Almost all styles are represented here with enough details on colors, fabrics, and other style elements to create the looks yourself.
The Architecture and Design Library series are excellent primers on different design styles. Each book focusess on one style, such as eastern style, Arts & Crafts, French Country, and Retro Modern to name just a few.
Color in Your Home by T. Evelegh has one of the best primers on how to use color. The photos are beautiful. The style is modern country and/or feminine (but not overdone) color schemes.
Color Design File by Geddes-Brown also does a great job of covering the basics, and there are beautiful photos. I like the fact that there are pockets for swatches and magazine inspirations. This book shows primarily Loft style.
Must buy! Why? Simply because it was so inciteful..........2000-04-28
Not only was the "quiz" extremely easy to take, fun to read and quite inciteful but the illustrations, the content and presentation of this book was absolutely an A+ for me. It doesn't matter what level of "expertise" you categorize yourself in with respect to interior design...this book touches everyone at every level. It's also a great gift idea!
The Domain Book of Intuitive Design.......2000-04-13
My wife and I have eclectic tatses. Our home consists of a 300+ cookie jar collection all the way through to antique tables, beds and chairs. We have spent many years collecting/decorating, and are constantly seeking opportunities to bridge the gap between our differing design points of view. It is important to us both, that as we personalize each room, and balance is achieved to mesh our combined tastes. Since we entertain frequently, our environment is very important, as we seek to provide warmth and coziness, while at the same time, provoke thoughts of curiosity and of course, smiles. We achieve this through our art, furnishings and use of space, and are actively searching for additions to furnish. The Intuitive Book of Home Design helped us to focus on identifying our unique personalities to ensure that we achieve balance. The test was particularly revealing, not to mention fun. We did find ourselves somewhat on the edge of more then one type, which might explain how the mix of my wife's taste and style, while different then mine, can work well as we developed a greater understanding and appreciation for our unique points of view through our reading.
Thanks Judy.
Andrew Koven - A satisfied and enlightened Fan
Books:
- You Don't Have to Take it Anymore: Turn Your Resentful, Angry, or Emotionally Abusive Relationship into a Compassionate, Loving One
- A Briefer History of Time
- A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery
- A Hat Full of Sky
- About Behaviorism
- American Literature, Vol. 2: Realism to the Present
- An Introduction to the Sun and Stars
- Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe, Fourth Edition
- Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe, Fourth Edition
- Astronomy Today (5th Edition)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Collection
- Knuffle Bunny
- Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin of Consciousness
- Handbook of Adhesives and Sealants in Construction
- History: Fiction or Science
- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of th
- Live Bait
- Searching for Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture, and Artifacts from the University of Pennsylvania Mu
- Delta Sugar: Louisiana's Vanishing Plantation Landscape
- The Cat In History, Legend And Art
Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence
Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types
What Type Am I?: The Myers-Brigg Type Indication Made Easy
![The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0374292795.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
