Reviews (18)

Great purchase
This book was in great shape and is an excellent read for those who want to understand

Fascinating Look at Harlow's Research
This is one of the most interesting and well written books I've ever read on this or any similar topic.To anyone who studies or has studied attachment, Blum offers an amazing look at how this early research changed the face of psychology.To anyone who has read countless poorly written descriptions of boring research studies, this book is an oasis.
Great topic, lousy subject
This is an extremely interesting book in terms of underlining how damaging scientific fads can be.The early twentieth century fad of data and cleanliness may well have led to the deaths many children as cleanliness was preferred over attention.
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Subjects:  1. 1905-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Harlow, Harry Frederick,    7. Psychologists    8. Scientists - General    9. United States    10. Biography: general    11. Physiological & neuro-psychology    12. Popular science    13. Psychological testing & measurement    14. The self, ego, identity, personality    15. Psychology    16. Biography/Memoir   

Reviews (8)

Light, entertaining and on the mark!
This is a great little book. It's fun to read, has great cartoons and will make you laugh. Just as important, it contains concise summaries and accurate information according to Enneagram theory. It also has great tips for getting along with the different types in relationship.

Funny, entertaining, yet very insightful
I have studied the Enneagram for years and take it very seriously.This book is charming and delightful in it's very basic way of explaining types on a surface level.The cartoons capture the essence of the 9 types and make understanding the Enneagram fun and easy, even for the serious scholars!I love it! It will make you laugh and create an even deeper appreciation for the 9 types.

slim and a little lightweight
I wanted to like this book.I picked it up as a tool for exploring the chemistry between characters in my writing.I always identify their enneagrams during character development, and it seemed like this might inspire thought and lead to new depths of understanding the way they relate.
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Subjects:  1. Enneagram    2. Interpersonal Relations    3. Personality    4. Psychology    5. Testing    6. Typology (Psychology)    7. Advice on careers & achieving success    8. Popular psychology    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Reviews (6)

How could this book possibly cost $50?
This book was not written as a textbook - it was written as a standard work of non-fiction. 15 years ago it cost $8.How can they charge $50 for it? HardReading but Worth It
I had to read this for an Organizational Leadership class in graduate school.When I first got it I thought, "This is going to be like reading a VCR manual."That is, it appeared to be boring theoretical way out there stuff, with sentences lasting a full paragraph. Tough reading
I've gotmore knowledge about psychology than most of the people in the general population and found this book difficult reading.It focuses on actualization rather than on the hierarchy of needs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Humanistic psychology    2. Mental Health    3. Motivation (Psychology)    4. Personality    5. Psychology    6. Philosophy & theory of psychology    7. Psychology & Psychiatry / Personality    8. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (6)

Is MPD real?
Weell, Dr. Putnam "confirmed" a diagnosis of MPD on me in the '80's through his "brain-wave tests".Many painful years later, I realized the "MPD" had been created by the desire to please a "therapist" who wanted a multiple to rival Truddi Chase. INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL -- GREAT BOOK!
This is a wonderfully written book on MPD. I consider Dr. Putnam and Dr. Ross to be wonderful resources for information (although I do have a bit of disagreement with Dr. Ross on his views about memories). Validating and Helpful
This book helped us to understand ourselves better. We read this book in search of things that we could relate to that might be similar to our own experiences. It speaks of signs and characteristics that multiples display that we found very much the same as our own life. Really helped in our acceptance of the diagnosis. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mental Illness    2. Multiple personality    3. Multiple-Personality Disorder    4. Personality    5. Personality Disorders    6. Psychiatry - General    7. Psychology    8. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    9. diagnosis    10. therapy    11. Clinical psychology    12. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology   

Reviews (9)

Deeply insightful, for serious students of the Enneagram
I am a big fan of this book and find that it compliments the work of Riso and Hudson, Helen Palmer and others.The book has a lot of depth!The insights that Sandra Maitri illuminates regarding each ennea-type are expressed beautifully although not always in the most sensitive manner.
Confused Writer Writes Poorly, Not at All Compelling
I have read many Enneagream books, and this one is by far the worst. The author may have some knowledge of the system, perhaps a lot, but she does a poor job of showing it through writing, something which makes her a poor candidate for authoring a book on such a tricky subject as self exploration. Organization for each chapter describing personality types is nearly non-existent: Maitri wanders from observations to citations without a clear notion of where she's going, or what the Big Picture is. She loses herself and her reader in vague verbiage. This makes reading the book painful for longer than a paragraph.
Wonderful help on the road to Enlightenment
When we are fully awake and alive to the present moment, we don't need a personality.Sandra documents the fall into uncounsciousness most of us took between the ages of 3 and 6 where we built a personality.A personality is our way to fake it when we are not fully connected.She documents a way to see the personality as having 9 types.Each of these types hides an aspect of truth that we fail to experience.Each type is a way to fake being connected.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Personality    3. Religion    4. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    5. Spirituality - General    6. Self-Help / Spiritual    7. Spirituality   

Editorial Review

"Our scared and arrogant ego has an enormous capacity not to know itself," says Esalen Institute psychotherapist David Richo. The shadow self, the dark side of the personality, is hidden in the psyche. Others often see it, but we do not. As Jung says, "The shadow is the negative side of the personality, the sum of all those unpleasant qualities we like to hide, together with the insufficiently developed functions and the contents of the personal unconscious....[The shadow] also displays a number of good qualities such as normal instincts, appropriate reactions, realistic insights, creative impulses, etc." Richo has written an enormously useful book in which he introduces the reader to the conscious persona and the subconscious shadow. Unlike other practitioners, he includes conscious but negatively perceived traits in his definition of the dark side, plus undiscovered or unused positive traits. By helping the reader to befriend the shadow self instead of projecting it onto others in dysfunctional or destructive ways, the author performs a profound service, freeing emotional and creative resources through which we can manifest brighter, healthier lives. Read more

Reviews (13)

strong blending of mystery and romance
Experienced with ending the careers of serial killers, Seattle detective Tristan MacLaughlin is sent to Reno to head the task force trying to stop the Show Girl Slayer who has killed three local chorus line dancers. Tristan finds himself not wanting the job because he detests hoofers believing they are high-class hookers.
One of the BEST books I have ever read !!!
This book is excellent.I have read many self-improvement type books; most of them are written well but are superficial, or are deep and insightful, but are not written well at all.This book by Richio is the exception - it is well written AND very deep and insightful.The book is about recognizing the "shadow" element in us, bringing it to light, and then "befriending" it; that is, coming in terms with it and figuring out how to live a purposeful life despite our shortcomings.The perspective of the author is that of a Jungian psychologist with a slight Buddhist tinge.His analysis and explanations of why we act the way we do are right on target and I learned much from reading this book.The author has included several exercises at the end of each chapter, and almost all of them are very good and by going through them I learned many things about myself I did not know. While working through this book I kept a notebook, and wrote down several quotes from the book and wrote out all the exercises; altogether I wrote out about 250 pages!I found it best to go through this book very slowly, and don't rush through the exercises.I HIGHLY recommend this excellent and extremely insightful book, and I am very interested in reading more books by this author.If you are interested in doing your own self examination, buy this book now...you will gain many insights into your self, your hidden self, and the motivations which underlie your day to day behavior.

Great book on applied Jungian theory!
This is an excellent book for self-exploration and self-development. It provides a thorough explanation of the concept of the shadow in Jungian theory and introduces us to various practical exercises to explore our own shadow. Though I'm not really a Jungian, this was a very interesting book that gave me lots to think about. If you'd like a more simplistic but nevertheless absolutely excellent explanation of the psyche, try reading "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. It is an amazing book that explains almost everything you wondered about in a concise and down to earth way!Five stars may not be enough for this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. Creativity    3. General    4. Good and evil    5. New Age (Self Help)    6. Personal Growth - General    7. Psychoanalysis    8. Psychological aspects    9. Psychology    10. Self-Help    11. Shadow (Psychoanalysis)    12. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    13. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    14. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Subjects:  1. Individuality    2. Life Sciences - Zoology - General    3. Personality    4. Psychology    5. Social Psychology    6. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    7. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (1)

A compilation of Bowens Family System concepts
Titelman offers a fairly complete compilation of topics related to how many therapists processed their professional and personal development at home and work.This book shows the evolution of a therapists journey inpersonal and professional growth. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Psychology    3. Family & relationships    4. Psychiatry    5. Psychology & Psychiatry / Education & Training    6. Psychotherapy    7. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (1)

A Seminal Work
If you want to understand narrative psychology in a developmental framework here is where to start. It is not overly technical, which is actually a bit of a drawback for those of us who would like more background and theory. But, it is an excellent intruduction to the field, very readable, and many people cite McAdams in their subsequent reserach (which I certainly will be doing). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biographical methods    2. Developmental - General    3. General    4. Identity (Psychology)    5. Personality    6. Psychology    7. Psychopathology - General    8. Self psychology    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Social Psychology    10. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (9)

A Sociological Classic
A sociological classic. The author shows stigma through the normal lens of everyday living and extends to the extreme. Most sociologist just summaries their theory either at the end and beginning of the book and then stuff their chapters with useless information hoping the reader will connect the information. Goffman, however, does it. He continues his theorizing from the first page until the end, being very comprehensive about it.
A Classic that is more relevant than ever
Although this is a slim book it is more rich in detail and insight than many texts twice its size. Goffman is both a genius and a brilliant writer. His theory is clearly elucidated throughout the text by real life anecdotes. The book opens with a letter to a "lonelyhearts" column from a girl "born without a nose" which concludes "Ought I commit suicide?" This sets the tone for a book that pulls no punches and comprehensively addresses the alienation of those different from what is perceived to be "normal". I hope that this text is being promoted at secondary school level, and it is certainly essential reading for anyone whose work involves dealing with people.

Breaking Down Barriers Between the Normal and Stigmatized
These the second Erving Goffman book that I've read this year (the other being "Asylums", please see my review on Amazon.com if interested).Read more

Subjects:  1. Handicapped    2. Identity (Psychology)    3. Personality    4. Prejudices    5. Psychology    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - Social Theory    8. Stigma (Social psychology)    9. Management & management techniques    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Reviews (3)

Disappointing
This is a very simplistic rendition of the theory of the enneagram meant to be specifically for understanding children. If you're looking for simplicity you'll enjoy its brevity and the often humorous cartoon drawings of various "types" of kids and their responses to everyday situations throughout the book. If you have any knowledge of the enneagram already you're more likely to find it dull. There is very little detail, and the descriptions of types are rather perfunctory. There is no discussion of how a particular type of parent might interact with a particular type of child. Concise Yet Thorough and Thoroughly Engaging Reference Book
I am a psychiatrist, but all of uswho are trying to be good parents tend to try to treat our children like we wish we had been treated: in my case I have a natural tendency to try to provide my children with as many stimulating opportunities as possible.But I am a 7 in the Enneagram system and my children are not! So it is a constant reminder for me that my little 9 daughter would rather cuddle than go to theme parks, while my little 8 daughter wants more and more action!Elizaeth has written a fabulous, concise, book reminding us of the interactions between parents of one type and children of another.A book that is both essential and ahead of its time.

It was an eye-opener to see kids from "their" point of view!
With great wit, humor and gentle humanness, Elizabeth invites us to explore the inner worlds of our children.If you have kids, know kids or teach kids, don't miss it! L.Forget ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child psychology    2. Enneagram    3. Family & Relationships    4. Individual differences in chil    5. Individual differences in children    6. Parenting    7. Parenting - General    8. Personality    9. Psychology    10. Typology (Psychology)    11. Child care & upbringing    12. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Reviews (9)

The Path Of Colors
I just love this book. It's such an easy to read guide and you don't have to read it in order either. I found it rather therapeutic. I don't mean that it'll help you with all of you're problems. However, this is a really great start trying to get a different look into you're self.

Questions Answered
I read this book before I had a consultation with Pamala Oslie. The contents were so fascinating and informative that I shared the book with my husband. We both recognized the yellow life color description fit him perfectly, and we still talk about the characteristics of our life colors and what we feel others around us have as their aura colors. For us, it explains a lot about who we are and why we act the way we do. We can also in all likelihood predict others' future behavior.
Unproven Assertions
Having had photos of my aura taken, I thought I might learn more about them with this book. In Life Colors, Oslie does not give any evidence that having a certain color of aura will give you a certain type of personality and I think that this is a major flaw in the book. I suppose one could run a experiment by taking a picture of peoples' auras, determining their main life colors which is supposedly closest to their body, and then have them take a personality exam to see if there was any pattern as far as people having the same color with the same personality. No such exam was cited or mentioned as being conducted in the book. Since asserting that an aura color gives you a certain personality is unusual claim not known by most people, I think an author has a responsibility to provide evidence or documentation for such an assertion, however brief.
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Subjects:  1. Aura    2. Body, Mind & Spirit    3. Healing - General    4. Metaphysical Phenomena - Auras & Colors    5. Miscellanea    6. New Age    7. Personality    8. Psychology    9. Typology (Psychology)    10. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    11. Parapsychology, psychic powers, ESP    12. Popular psychology   

Reviews (1)

always satisfied with Essentials series
Essentials of MMPI-A Assessment is an extremely useful addition to this great series.Like with other Essentials titles I own, there is an easy-to-read format that lets me use it as a reference.This book is an excellent tool for scoring and interpreting the MMPI-A, and I definately would recommend it to my fellow clinicians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Minnesota Multiphasic Personal    3. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory    4. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents    5. Personality    6. Personality Assessment And Testing    7. Psychology    8. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory f    9. Physiological & neuro-psychology    10. Psychological testing & measurement    11. Psychology & Psychiatry / Testing & Measurement    12. Psychology-Personality    13. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Editorial Review

Bored with the old board games that are gathering dust in your closet?Grab a copy of Read more

Reviews (19)

excellent !
i havent been able to put this book down since a relative introduced it to me. i even took it to work. im such a big fan of it . its quite possibly one of the most enjoyable books ive ever come across. kudos to the writers !
Too simplistic(2 stars for people under 15... 1 star for adults)
I ordered this book for something fun to do with friends. When I received it I previewed a few of the tests, and was disappointed. The "results" of the tests are simplistic, inaccurate, and seem geared toward the mentality and humour of a junior high or maybe high school student. I continued to read the entire book for any tests that my adult friends might have fun with, and found 95% of them to be ridiculous. It is not the themes or questions asked, but the conclusions drawn that are lacking. I won't give any away here, but the test results bring the same reaction(wince and groan)as a bland, corny joke - when the punch line is coming and is so obvious, but you hope to be surprised with something original...and it does not happen.
Very interesting...and addictive
I could not put the book down once I began to take the different little tests! The majority of them had relevance to my peronslaity and it also helped me to learn a little about myself. most of all, it was fun. I didn't want there to be an end to the questions! if you like any kind of personality quizzes, etc...this is for you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    2. General    3. Personal Growth - Self-Esteem    4. Personality    5. Psychology    6. Self-Help    7. Testing    8. Mind, body, spirit: mysticism & self-awareness    9. Self-Help / General   

Subjects:  1. Clinical Psychology    2. Counseling - General    3. General    4. Mental Health    5. Psychological Testing    6. Psychology    7. Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology    9. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (4)

More than Good Enough
The author is a clinical social worker who's especially interested in the common boundary of traditional and transpersonal psychology models. She found in interviews that ineffective therapy can occur when therapists either argue with their client's worldview or merge with it inappropriately. She also shows how really good therapists "intervened in ways that addressed the dilemmas of the client's Enneagram style," even without knowing the Enneagram. But this is not just a guide for therapists and counselors. The descriptions illuminated my understanding of the nine Enneagram styles in ways that inform my own coaching practice. In particular, I find the notion of "good enough" counseling to be refreshing. Whether we're focused on our own personal growth or taking the role of a helping professional, it's comforting to be reminded that we don't have to be perfect - if we provide the basic safety, caring, mirroring, and containment necessary during the process of change, that's good enough.

An invaluable resource
Carolyn Bartlett has combined her years of experience as a therapist and her knowledge of the enneagram to compile the real stories of individuals who have used the enneagram in their ownlife situations.Her skill at communicating and explaining this material is the key to the usefulness of this book -- both by individuals seeking to better understand themselves and for therapists seeking to better assist their clients.I find it a great help in working with executives in coaching situations as it provides clear, concise definitive examples of type related patterns.

Excellent Choice
The Enneagram Field Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone who works with individuals, manages employees or simply want insight into the personality styles we encounter each day. The stories used in this book given an insightful look into how human experiences effect us based on our personality style. As a "One" I was able to understand why I react to situations the I do and begin to undestand how to use my personality strenghts and recogonize my weaknesses ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Enneagram    2. Personality    3. Psychology   

Reviews (3)

Excellent introduction to Ego Psychological Theory
Dr. Goldstein's book provides students with a survey of the major contributors to ego psychological theory. To her credit, she manages to effectively communicate sometimes difficult material without resorting to the complicated jargon that one often finds in similar psychoanalytic texts.Ego Psychology and Social Work Practice 2nd Edition enables beginners to appreciate some of the insights of the ego psychologists without having to read and interpret the original texts.This would be a daunting task and unnecessarily laborious for a beginning student.It also provides more experienced clinicians the opportunity to review material germane to clinical practice or as an accompaniment to more advanced reading.

the best!!
Hot-n-hulky Eda Goldstein has written a classic for mental health practitioners. A skillful integration of Ego Psychology practice and treatment.

An excellent book, essential for all clinical social workers
This book is an excellent primer for clinical social workers working with volatile populations as it addresses ego functioning and deficits in depth. It additionally provides invaluable insight intoborderline and other personality disordered individuals, as well as a survey of other noted theorists, besides Dr. Goldstein in the areas of ego functions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ego (Psychology)    2. Psychiatric Social Work    3. Psychoanalysis    4. Psychology    5. Psychopathology - General    6. Social Work    7. Philosophy & theory of psychology    8. Social Science / General    9. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (2)

Useful
This book has some good ideas and strategies to help both in reading and writing, however I feel it has been padded out with overlarge diagrams and riddles that take 4-5 lines and are given a whole page.

Really Good!Really Helpful!
This book not only discusses great strategies to use with older students but lists them in an easy to use and reference format.I'm glad I chose this book over others because it is easy to hold and use.It is easy to understand too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. Elementary    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Literacy    6. Reading    7. Reading (Elementary)    8. Reading (Middle school)    9. Remedial teaching    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - Reading    11. United States    12. American English    13. For National Curriculum Key Stage 2    14. For National Curriculum Key Stage 3    15. Language Arts & Disciplines / Literacy    16. Reading skills    17. The self, ego, identity, personality   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Guide for Continued Personal Development
Dario Nardi's "Multiple Intelligences and Personality Type" represents a comprehensive look atthe concept of intelligence through three sections and provides great "workbook-style" exercises for personal reflection.The first, personality and intelligence explores eight styles of personality type (Keirsey Four Temperaments taken a step further) and gives real-life character descriptions to provide concrete examples of those types.The second sectionon Multiple Intelligences, explores Howard Gardner's eight intelligences and gives you two different exercises to find out your strength in that intelligence---these are worth the price of the book.The third section, Intelligence and Conciousness, Dr. Nardi explores intelligence from a unique perspective--through the understanding of the different concious and unconcious perspectives people go to for analysis and learning.This section is complex, but is accompanied by exercises that put the learning to use and makes the information easier to grasp.I would say that anyone interested in personality and personal development should purchase this book.It seems like a great book for counselors, coaches--or the like--that need material to help people build interpersonal and intrapersonal skills for furthering their growth and development.I would like to see what others thought about this book---so if you have read it, let everyone know what you think--Thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Creativity    2. Multiple intelligences    3. Personal Growth - General    4. Personality    5. Psychology    6. Psychology & Psychiatry    7. Self-Help    8. Self-Help / Personal Growth / General    9. Success    10. Temperament    11. Typology (Psychology)   

Reviews (3)

There are better books on the subject
The main disadvantage of the book is that it does not do what it actually "promises". In order to learn the technique of scoring and interpretation you are constantly referred to Exner's books. Without any of his books on the comprehensive system the book is useless ;-( So it may be a better idea to get the "real thing" (i.e. Exner's handbooks or the workbook).
A useful tertiary reference
In my experience, all of the "Essentials" series books are useful to a greater or lesser degree. I routinely write psychological testing reports, and have a stack of reference books nearby for quick perusal.This is NOT a book that should be used by students or professionals to comprehensively score and interpret a Rorschach; the Exner workbook is needed for that.However, this book has an excellently compiled index that allows the evaluator to quickly look up research and normative data on specific variables that stand out in a record.

Look at other books before buying this one
I bought this book to assist me in learning the Rorshach in a projective assessment class. The book is easy to read, and it certainly provides the reader with eye catching information boxes that help to make sense out of complicated material. However, there are some problems. First, the book is out of date: it does not refer to current research or Exner's newest comprehensive edition. An update of this book might take care of this problem. Second, at times material that could be more comprehensively laid out for the reader is neglected. This concern would require the authors to re-write sections that are overly simplified. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Clinical Psychology    3. Mental Health    4. Personality    5. Psychological Testing    6. Psychology    7. Rorschach Test    8. Psychological testing & measurement    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Testing & Measurement    10. The self, ego, identity, personality