Are you looking for resources to discover more about the enneagram? Learn all about this powerful tool and check out the best books on ennegram types to learn all about each of the nine personality types.
What is the enneagram?
The Enneagram is a personality typing system that categorizes personalities into nine different types. Each of the personality types has its own set of values, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses.
Within my friends group we have been discussing the enneagram a lot lately, and it keeps coming up in conversations because we have all found it so insightful. While talking with my niece she said at her office they have all their coworkers take the test because it is so helpful in their professional lives as well.
Whether you are looking for personal growth or team building experiences, the enneagram is a great tool for everyone to learn about. There are plenty of great books out there, but the best books will vary depending on what insights you are looking for.
9 Different Enneagram Types
There are nine basic Enneagram personality types, which are:
- The Perfectionist
- The Helper
- The Achiever
- The Individualist
- The Investigator
- The Loyalist
- The Enthusiast
- The Challenger
- The Peacemaker
In University I had taken the myers briggs personality test and didn’t feel that it really “got” me. I could relate to some things, but I also didn’t like the actual questions personality tests because I found my answers changed depending on my mood. It just wasn’t something that clicked with me.
Enneagram Tests
There are many different free enneagram tests, but the gold standard is The Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI® version 2.5).This is the most popular enneagram guide and takes about 40 minutes to complete with a cost of $12US. Once you know your type, I found books to be the best for in-depth enneagram type descriptions.
How can knowing my enneagram type help me
Knowing your Enneagram type can help you gain a better understanding of yourself, your motivations, and the strengths and weaknesses of your personality. It can help you understand why you think, feel, and behave in certain ways, and why you have certain tendencies or behaviors.
It can also help you identify areas where you need to work on yourself, and recognize potential blind spots. Knowing your Enneagram type can also be a valuable tool for personal growth and development, as it can help you become more aware of your own needs and those of others.
In addition, it can be a great tool for communication, as Enneagram types can help you better understand how different people think and respond in different situations. Ultimately, knowing your Enneagram type can help you get deeper insights into your true self.
Best Enneagram Books
After taking a online test, the best way to learn more about the ennegram is to read a few books about it. There are some really great books out there on the Enneagram. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Road Back To You is a more recently published book with a fresh and up to date view on the enneagram. This is what I would recommend you read first. It is a great book that has incredibly approachable explanations of the enneagram. It is written from a Christian perspective (as a lot of enneagram books are), so if that bothers you move on to another book.
Both Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile have individually written other books on the enneagram that are worthy reads.
The Path Between Us -An Enneagram journey to healthy relationships by Suzanne Stabile
This is a wonderful follow up book to read after you have got the basics of enneagram down. It builds on to what you learn in The Road Back To You. Best practice requires you to know your type because it is more focused on how understanding your Enneagram type affects relationships and so that you can connect and communicate better in your relationships.
The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.
Riso and Hudson are considered enneagram experts and this is considered their best summary on the subject. That being said it is a pretty academic and clinical read for advanced readers.
The unique topic featured in this book is how the nine types present at different levels of personal development.
The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self-Knowledge by Beatrice Chestnut.
Complete Enneagram is easy to understand and provides a great overview on the subject. I appreciate the positive view on each type and how these traits are not red flags but more areas for spiritual and psycological growth.
Chestnut breaks each of the nine Enneagram types into three subtypes for each number for a total of 27 paths. Focus on these paths is to help undersant the nuances of each type for greater self knowledge (as promised in the title!)
The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People by Elizabeth Wagele.
Another great beginner book for learning about the enneagram! Its fun and light hearted, full of doodles and drawings. This book has no religious content at all, and offers great insight on MBTI and where it overlaps with enneagram theory.
The Enneagram – A Christan Perspective. Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert.
Considered one of the main books on enneagram. Its truly a deep dive on the subject with sections about where the enneagram came from, but also goes into the root sin of each type and how to overcome them. Its described as “beautifully connecting the psychological insights of the Enneagram with the spiritual richness of the Christian tradition.”
The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide by David Daniels and Virginia Price.
If you’re still figuring out what type you are, this will be a good book for you to start with.
Millenneagram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self.
You can get the style of the writing just from the title. What a fun read its funny and oh so relatable. Hannah Paasch also has a podcast and instagram that are worth checking out.
The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed
One of the first books I have read on enneagram in the workplace. Self-awareness can transform business relationships, strengthen teams, and spark creative solutions. “Each chapter includes actionable exercises and practices so that readers can move from learning to doing and apply their insights in the real world.”
More Enneagram Reads
- The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life by Helen Palmer
- Enneagram of parenting: The 9 Types of Children and How to Raise Them Successfully
- The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher l. Heuertz.
- Becoming Us – addresses marriage relationships from a Christian standpoint and applies the Enneagram to help couples understand themselves and each other.
Have you taken the enneagram test? What type are you? Tell me in the comments!
Check out all of these enneagram books and more in my Amazon Storefront!
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