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

by David N. Daniels, Virginia A. Price

The First and Only Scientifically Determined Enneagram Personality Test and Guide

A centuries-old psychological system with roots in sacred tradition, the Enneagram can be an invaluable guide in your journey toward self-understanding and self-development. In this book, Stanford University Medical School clinical professor of psychiatry David Daniels and counseling psychologist Virginia Price offer the only scientifically developed Enneagram test based upon extensive research combined with a self-discovery and personal-development guide.

The most fundamental guide to the Enneagram ever offered, this book features effective self-tests to determine simply and accurately what your personality type is. Daniels and Price provide step-by-step instructions for taking inventory of how you think, what you feel, and what you experience. They then guide you in your discovery of what your type means for your personal well-being and your relationships with others, and they show you how to maximize your inherent strengths. Brimming with empowering information for each of the nine personality types—Perfectionist, Giver, Performer, Romantic, Observer, Loyal Skeptic, Epicure, Protector, and Mediator—this one-of-a-kind book equips you with all the tools you need to dramatically enhance your quality of life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Personal Development, Adult, Reference, Leadership

116 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2000

About the author

Dr. David Daniels is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and is also one of the world’s foremost developers and teachers of a system called, “The Enneagram.” He is a co-founder, along with Helen Palmer, of Enneagram Worldwide, one of the leading schools for teaching the enneagram system.

Reviews

[Kristine Sprunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a writer, this is the BEST guide for creating believable characters.

[Kaytee Cobb · Rating 1 out of 5]

all that this book did for me was confirm that I'm a 2. I don't feel like I learned much of anything about myself as it was SO bare bones regarding each type. I'm hoping that the other enneagram books I have will help me dive deeper into what my type really means, how I interact with others (I believe my husband to be a 3), and help me to learn more about the enneagram and its modern applications. I have to assume there are better options out there for all of this, so don't waste your time or money on this cursory overview.

[Dawn Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the beginning of this Covid 19 quarantining, I've been fairly certain that there's a better way to do this.  Holed up at home and tracking the models and the numbers non-stop, I remain a skeptic.  Nobody knows as much as they think they do about this virus, but the powers-that-be are making drastic and long-reaching decisions as if they do know.  Big mistakes are being made.  But I continue to obey the rules. 
I'm worried and already feeling overburdened by what it's going to take to restore the people who are losing so much.  I worry about the people who are utterly alone in this, the people who are locked in with abusers, the people who were teetering on the edge of mental health before this started, the hungry kids, all the people who are losing their small businesses, and all the people who are growing comfortable in this mistrustful state of viewing every person as a possible contaminant-- seriously, when does it stop?  What does that mindset do to a society?  There is just too much error to correct. 
So then I look around my house at all the things I could be/should be doing and I beat myself up a bit, and then I do something-- not enough, but something.  Then I crab at other people around here for not doing enough either.  Then I feel bad because they're dealing with this crap storm too.  So I try to help the kids out with what they're doing-- school work, prepping for college, figuring out how to stay active without their teams...  It's a really good day if the kids take my suggestions. 

So, yeah... 1 w 2, body center, self-preservation sub-type.  That was a fun little covid project. :/ 

The book did its job though, and now I've got numbers just like all the cool Bible study leaders & VSCO girls. Haha! 
 
A few notes:
1)  I'm a fan of Myers Briggs, and at first, this seemed kind of confusing and messy with the different centers, the wings, the integration/disintegration types, sub-types, and diagrams.
2)  Also, at one point, I was pretty sure that I was 6 of the 9 types.  That could be a function of the book, of my semi-crazy mental state at the time of reading, or my personality type.  Most likely, one of the latter 2 options.
3)  Putting the book down and putting it all out of my head for a few days at a time, and then re-reading sections added clarity for me.   
4)  The book circles back a couple of different ways to double-check and help you confirm your types.  I liked that very much.
5)  I also liked the fact that this test is not a long series of multiple-choice questions.  You read 9 paragraphs, pick 3 that seem most like you, and that's your jumping off point. (But I did find a couple of free multiple-choice tests online and took them, too, just to be extra sure.)
6)  I googled my types and read some online articles.  After reading them, I felt even more confident in the outcomes of this book.
7) I see other readers were unhappy that this book didn't go deeper. I'm fairly introspective to begin with, and this was just a new way of sorting what's already going on in my head, so I didn't really need anything deeper right now. The brevity was just fine for me.
8) Other readers were also quite unhappy with those important "truths" that each type has supposedly lost sight of. Truth be told, I'm a Christian, and I'm used to ignoring those kinds of statements whenever I see them outside of a Biblical context. I skipped over that part as unimportant. (Type 1 thinking, right there...)   

[Katrine Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a five star book, enjoyed this with book club last night. Glad to see other folks found it of interest too. Great tool for self growth and introspection. And 13+ years after the first time I Enneagram'd, I'm still the same type (Type 7 Epicure) and it feels good to see how much I've grown into myself since 2007.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apparently, because I'm a One, this means that I have forgotten the eternal truth that I am "already perfect the way I am." I rolled my eyes at a similar line in another book that I just reviewed, but this book's version of the message enraged me, because it wasn't just a poor wording choice. It's a false worldview that the authors want to shove down your throat. Their research on the Ennegram is interesting, and I liked the resources that explain the similarities and differences between certain numbers to help reduce the odds of mistyping, but the authors' suggestions for personal growth and improvement involve embracing a lot of "fundamental truths" that were only ever true in the Garden of Eden.

Behold, the fundamental principle Eights have lost sight of: "Everyone begins in innocence, coming freshly to each moment, and everyone can sense truth."

An Eight's false belief about the world: "It is a hard and unjust world in which the powerful take advantage of others, which must be resisted."

This is absurd. This is crap. What self-respecting MD and PhD look at the world and then decide to coauthor a book about how people should stop believing in the reality of injustice?

You might like to believe that the One is wrong to see and struggle against their entrenched flaws, or that the Eight is mistaken to view the world in categories of oppressors and the oppressed, but these authors aren't telling people to restrain their overboard tendencies in these directions. Instead, they want us to believe that we're truly all cared for, loved, perfect, and involved in a Nirvana give-and-take where no one ever has a reason to feel guilty or take a stand against evildoers. I skimmed through the rest of this book in absolute disdain, bypassing their ideas for meditation and self-improvement, because if the bedrock of their philosophy is an imagined return to a world without sin and evil, they have nothing to offer me.

[Hayley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book starts by giving the reader nine paragraphs they are to read and then it asks them to choose the three paragraphs that describe them the most and the order in which they best describe them (ie. first, second, and third.) The book then tells the reader which types they most likely could be based upon the paragraphs that they chose. The book then briefly describes how the stress and security arrows of the types work and how the information pages for each type are laid out. The reader is then told to read the information pages for their top three types (and if necessary, look-alike types and wings of their most likely types) and then to determine their own type. The book says if they are still unsure after doing this, that they should read the "type discriminators" pages that describe the slight differences between similar types.

I was not satisfied by any of the sections of this book. I thought that the descriptive paragraphs were well written, but it was difficult to choose just three that described me. (I found at four or five that described me quite well.) I found it even more difficult to determine the order in which they best described me. I was no less confused after reading the information pages on each type. I could see myself in the information for each of my top three types and I could not figure out which one I was even with the type discriminators. I just saw myself in both sides of the comparisons.

I am not sure if it was the ways that the authors wrote the book that confused me or if I am just completely lacking in self-awareness. Perhaps I need to spend much more type reflecting on myself and trying to increase my self-knowledge. However, because I did not find this book useful and it did not help me in determining my type, I cannot give it a high rating.

[Alexis Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty solid read. I, personally, didn't learn a ton from this book, but I did become very reinforced with the knowledge that I am SUCH a type 3. If I read this before I was into the whole Enneagram thing this totally would've gotten a 5/5 because it's so clear and concise. After finishing this, I do feel like I know myself and my peers better. The Essential Enneagram helped me understand why we react the way we do and how to be mindful of that when showing reactivity. This book also wrapped up with some great journaling and breathing exercises specific to each type that I will definitely be using in the future! All in all, I would definitely recommend to anyone that likes the Enneagram concept.

[Ruth Strackany · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book is super short and a quick read. It’s not as in depth as I’m sure many other enneagram books are but what I loved about it is that it a) feels totally on target in the key summaries of each type. And b) the super practical daily practices to deepen ones understanding of oneself and others and grow beyond the limitations and challenges of your own personality. It feels like a great starting point but gives surprisingly on target and in depth practical skills to utilize.

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

good for a basic understanding if you really don't care to understand the full enneagram, but you can find the same information for free online. much better to read "the wisdom of the enneagram" or something from don richard russo and/or russ hudson

[Nui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still very interested in the viewpoints and the theories, but personally I found it very negative-focused.

[Hannah Moenyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best “one stop shop” toolkit-style book that I’ve found for getting into the enneagram. First part of book revolves around assessing yourself and identifying your primary type. Great for people new to the enneagram or familiar with the concepts but still struggling with identifying their own type. Second part of book revolves around using knowledge of your type as a tool for self-growth (primarily based on the Universal Growth Process and mindfulness techniques). This section is great for everyone, and if you pick up the book already sure of your type, you can jump straight to section 2 and still enjoy the book.

Adressing the main concerns expressed in negative reviews:
— This is a handy toolkit (think booklet, cliff notes) not an in-depth textbook of the subject. If you read it expecting a textbook, you will be disappointed.
— This is not an instant-results type of assessment like most online personality quizzes are. Completing this assessment takes time and reflection. This is because the enneagram is not just a surface-level personality type that can easily be “assigned” to a person. It has to do with a much deeper level and connecting with that level takes time and effort.
— While this book does not directly reference any religions or cite from any religious texts, it IS based on a philosophical viewpoint in line with the worldviews of Buddhism/Taoism/Christian mysticism. If this worldview bothers you, I’d recommend either avoiding this book OR questioning why this worldview bothers you and reading with an open mind.

[Kevin Maness · Rating 3 out of 5]

The enneagram is mostly BS pseudoscience—a few nuggets of decent spirituality, psychology, and common sense buried in a refuse pile of obfuscation, mystification, faux-mysticism, an unnecessarily arcane number-based system, and a lot of Barnum effect.

But the gems are worth finding, I guess, although you’d find them a lot more easily with a mixture of attachment theory and mindfulness meditation practice.

I get the impression that the enneagram was developed for people who were averse to psychology and preferred a system with religious overtones—or one whose unnecessarily complicated presentation appealed to people who couldn’t believe that spiritual and personal growth could arise from a practice as simple as mindfulness.

Anyway…

[Megan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book somewhat. I had taken an Enneagram test a long time ago but had forgotten my type, so I purchased this to try to rediscover it!

I think I used to be a 4, but tested as a 9 this time around. I think the info contained in this book might be a bit dated as the Enneagram Institute website has slightly different names and updated descriptions for each of the nine personality types presented here.

This will probably give you a basic understanding of where to start - would still recommend even though using this book wasn't my fave. :)

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had heard lots of people really into enneagrams so was curious. It’s not the personality test that I’ve connected with the most- but for those curious I’m a 9w1.
Too much overall focus on journaling, which is not my cup of tea, but interesting as a source of reflection and to learn what all the fuss is about.

[Shelby T]

i feel like i can never rate books like this but since being out of school i’ve been craving to learn something new so i did a deep dive into enneagrams and personality aspects and then found this book and thought it was fun to wrap it up by reading this!!! interesting and a slay

[Helena Galea · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent starting point for Enneagram self-discovery. Good for those knowledgeable of their type as well. Helpful to confirm ones type and good ideas for development within one's type. Efficiently written.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was helpful and informative. Easy to understand. So why do I still not understand what type I am? 🙄

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

here i am- just a little romantic number 9 type..
in my head…
reading my silly books….
i feel called out but also- wiser

[Andrew Bowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but I felt like David Daniel’s tried to pack too much into an introductory book. Therefore, much of the deeper content got missed out because of space/time constraints. While it is a good introductory book to the enneagram, I feel like there are better ones out there.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intentionally condensed and to the point, still a very good primer on the subject.

[Mrs C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to know my type and this book was straightforward. No frills descriptions that are helpful and clear.

[Thatjuliegirl Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is the most accurate enneagram test I’ve used.

It has good advice for figuring out your enneagram number and great, detailed information to nail that down accurately. I liked the section about moving forward once you know your number, but also felt it was the least robust part of the book. All in all, though, I really found this one helpful.

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good introduction to the Enneagram. I've struggled in the past to identify my Enneagram type, and I don't think I would have been able to using the just the initial test at the start of this book. However, after reading the type determination and type description pages, reviewing the very helpful summary of type discriminators, and considering the explanation of the three centers of intelligence in Section 2 (which I wish had been included earlier in the book), I felt very confident that I'm a Type 6.

One of the nice things about this book is that not only does it make it very easy to explore the different types and discover your own type, it also provides tips and practices for all types and for each specific type to encourage personal development.

The one thing I felt frustrated about is that some of the concepts introduced in Section 2, such as the subtypes, are touched on so briefly that I didn't really understand them. I would have liked some examples in that area so I can make better use of that practice.

I generally liked the layout of this book and found it easy to use. I have both the Kindle and paperback versions. Either works just fine, although I think it's a bit easier to flip back and forth in the paperback version.

I highly recommend this as an introduction to the Enneagram, suitable for a wide audience interested in psychology, spirituality, and personal growth.

[Brandon Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did everything it said it would do. It provided a version of the Enneagram test within its pages; it offered profiles for each type (after the test); it offered advice on what other types you may be if the type you were assigned with the test wasn't the most accurate fit (based on Connected Types, Non-Connected Types, and Probability of Types); it also provided practices for the reader to work on based on their assigned type.

For those curious, I am a type 6. I had taken the Enneagram assessment online YEARS ago, and I was labeled a type 1. However, I had the opportunity to be assessed for my Enneagram type from professionals in the field earlier this month, and they gave me two suggested type assignments: Type 2 and Type 6. After this book's assessment, which was recommended to me by the professionals with by whom I was assessed, I was assigned Type 6. This is 100% the type that I connect to most, and I'm excited to begin the internal work through the practices that the book offers for Type 6's: Practicing Receptive Awareness, Practicing Taking Action, Practicing Previewing and Reviewing Your Progress, Practicing Working with the "4As" of Awareness, Acceptance, Action, and Adherence, and Practicing Reflecting to Reclaim Your Higher Qualities.

[Martin Denton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am always up for books that can help me understand myself (and hopefully others) better. I know various systems such as Myers-Briggs to be limited but nevertheless useful in such pursuit.

This book sets forth the idea of the enneagram as a way toward personal growth and development. As I understand it, the enneagram concept is that everyone has one of 9 different personality types. Each is rooted in a limitation in how one sees the world, and the goal of the book/practice is to show how to overcome this limitation and change one's personality to be "better."

I have to say that, especially given what I am learning through mindfulness practice, I disagree profoundly with this premise. I read carefully through the first part of this book and could not find a good fit for myself in any of the 9 personality types. And I don't think that, whatever our personality preferences, we can fundamentally change them (although we can learn behaviors in particular settings that will mitigate these preferences and make us more successful).

I am trying to understand myself and think I am moving towards a greater understanding. But this book doesn't feel at all useful to me.

[Catherine Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this to everyone. It's one of the best personal growth books I've ever read, with a very clear "road map" set out, what first steps to take, how to take them, what the journey consists of, the different goals along the way. I have never before felt so excited about actually doing the exercises and practices, this book encourages and inspires me more than any other book before, this is going to be my go-to bible for self-development. It's also very clearly written, well organised, and quite witty at times. The only caveat was the rather pedantic way the author spelled out what you were going to read in the first part of the book. I'd have just rather read it without the preamble each time, it just slowed everything down and unneccesarily seemed to complicate the reading for me somehow, but it's a minor point, I can understand the author's reason for that, namely to structure the reading in a clear, straight-forward way.

[Mokawawi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the fact that your "discovered" personality type is not fixed. You have a personality for when under stress and another when in security. I actually related to this distinction. The personality also comes with wings and look a-likes which confuses me. I got some insights about my self but i want to check it out with outside friends to check their credibility.


Oh, yeah about the test itself. It gives u 9 paragraphs to choose the closest 3 to your personality. then it determine your type. the type comes with wings and a-likes and also with stress and security personality. Then you confirm the type. after that, you get some exercises. Short book but with a lot of reflections.

I would give it more than 2 stars but for now 2 stars will do.
BTW, i am type 9 ;)

[Angélique (Angel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the Enneagram resources that I have encountered, this book is the most accessible. It provides a succinct introduction to the 9 types without sacrificing a deep look at the motivations, struggles, and strengths of each type. I found that the self-test is also much better than any of the other short tests I've encountered. It's simple but challenging which primes the reader for the paradoxical challenge that naturally comes with attempting to better understand oneself. My favorite parts of the book are the comparison paragraphs and the tools for personal development based on type at the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the basics of this system and of their type.

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a personality type nerd, for SURE. I find them so fascinating and helpful. I've long been interested in the Myers-Briggs types (INFJ over here!) and have become so intrigued by the Enneagram after seeing more and more of the bloggers I follow talking about it. I had read a few articles about it and had a sense of what I thought my type was, but this little book (I had it on my Kindle app on my iPad!) was SO helpful in really dialing in my type and diving deeper into what it means. (I'm a Type 1, wing 2!) So, so, so much more to learn here, but this is a great start and a resource I highly recommend if you're just starting to dig into the Enneagram. Good stuff here!

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve taken the typing test online and read Ian Morgan Cron’s “The Road Back to You” and thought I had my type nailed down. I’ve always thought I was a One but The Essential Enneagram really made me reassess and dig into both type One and Eight. After finishing the book, I’m confident my type was correct, and I feel like this helped me further verify it through reading about security/stress types and wings. It’s a great starting point if you don’t know your type and has good personal development suggestions, but it doesn’t dive very deeply into a full description of each type like I hoped it would.