People Patterns: A Modern Guide to the Four Temperaments

I am a practicing Career Management Psychologist for the past 29 years and an early advocate of the work of Dr. David Keirsey in its application to career discovery and assessment. Mr. Montgomery, having edited Dr. Keirsey's three books since 1977, has a wonderful ability to take the power inherent in understanding one's "hard wiring" and applying it to the key issues suggested by Freud that lead to mental health i.e. love and work. What makes People Patterns particularly powerful is Mr. Montgomery's talent for explaining type and temperatment through the filter of popular culture. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Mr. Montgomery has a clear and incisive writing style that augments a simply brilliant ability to take the work of celebrities and accurately assess their type and temperament. Whether the spicy women of Sex and the City or the Houses in the Harry Potter tales, Mr. Montgomery grabs the reader with his deep and unabiding understanding of this aspect of the human condition. I can't recommend this book more enthusiastically. It has been a treasure for both me and my clients.

If understanding the depths of temperment is your objective, then this is a must-add to your phychology library. Although Dr. Keirsey's "Please Understand Me II" serves to verify the approach that temperment is nature within us, Montgomery's "People Patterns" augments this understanding for the person interested in a deeper comprehension of the subject. The two writings go hand in hand. It would serve the wise person to have a thorough collection of research on the matter to attend to those around them-as well as their own soul's understanding-and Montgomery's work is a piece of that knowledge pie!

"People Patterns" by Stephen Montgomery is a book for those who want to augment their understanding of temperament. It serves to solidify the concepts described in the "Please Understand Me" series by Dr. David Keirsey. "People Patterns" uses Keirsey's approach to temperament and applies it to modern-day fictional characters. In so doing, I found that author Stephen Montgomery tested my understanding of what I thought I had already mastered. I enjoyed being "right" in my suppositions as to certain characters' temperaments, and had to rethink my insights regarding others.Not all books written about temperament are created alike; I have learned the hard way that not all authors of temperament books have the research or credibility to back their "findings." I respect Montgomery's interpretations over most every other author on temperament since he is a personal student of Dr. David Keirsey. Montgomery also uses direct quotes from "Please Understand Me II" in order to outline and explain various aspects of the fictional characters' temperaments. For the novice this is essential information, and for the "master" this is supporting evidence.I highly recommend this book. I refer to it still, although I've already read it through completely. I enjoy being able to tell my friends that their temperaments are similar to that of the Scarecrow, Ron Weasley, Samwise Gamgee or Carrie Bradshaw, and being able to do so allows me to explain the concept of temperament more fluidly to those unfamiliar with it.Jodi Michael HornerSeattle, WA

People Patterns by Stephen Montgomery is a great introduction to David Keirsey's complex temperment theory. The approach is both fun and informative. You take a short test to determine your personality type (rational, idealist, guardian, or artisan) and then you can learn all about how your type and other types behave in different life situations, such as relationships and career. He gives some good career suggestions for each type. The really fun part is Montgomery's use of characters from popular novels and films to illustrate the different types. I particularly liked the Harry Potter references. One of his important points is that each personality type has their own unique talents and ways of approaching life, and it's a losing battle to try to change others to fit your blueprint. Try the test on your friends and family; it's fun and will change the way you look at others and yourself. Highly recommended!

Montgomery focusies on a MATRIX OF TEMPERAMENT, saying that people either make a habit of DOING WHAT'S RIGHT or DOING WHAT WORKS. Further, he says, people either make a habit of SAYING WHAT'S ACTUAL or SAYING WHAT'S POSSIBLE. This focus on the basic dimensions of temperament enables the reader to understand the numerous and bewildering differences in people's habits of working, mating, and parenting.Montgomery does something else for the reader, which is to give current examples of the doings and sayings of all sorts of noted individuals in many walks of life, and in the new millennium to boot. Also he is accurate and eloquent in depicting mating of differing temperaments, and the parenting by differing temperaments of children of differing temperaments. Very modern, very accurate. Hurray for Montgomery!