Sixteen Men

I have been a student of personality type for almost 20 years, and thought this book might offer a somewhat different perspective from what I have seen before. Indeed, "Sixteen Men" offers an interesting "gender specialized" view of personality typing, using the basic Jungian model and the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. Although the focus of the book is type as it relates to men, it would certainly be an equally useful and interesting read for women. The opening chapter of the book presents readers with a basic overview of typology, from its origins, to how it works-- including sections on the influence of gender on type. Chapter two is a particularly interesting discussion of the psychology of type and male communication. Noteworthy is the author's suggestion that miscommunications between men and women-- often thought of as "gender related"-- really could be caused as much by type differences as gender, especially in view of the fact that certain types are predominantly male, while others are predominantly female. For most of the remainder of the book, readers are introduced to the "Sixteen Men," presented in four groups of four as "The Thinkers," "The Idea Men," "The Doers" and "The Dreamers." Within each group of four, there's a short overview of the category, followed by a detailed description of each man's traits, strengths and weaknesses, corresponding to each of the 16 Myers-Briggs types. Pedersen's use of "real people" with real lives (rather than just anonymous letters) gives the book a nicely human touch. I found the type descriptions (both my own, and those of people I know well) to be quite accurate. The book concludes with a chapter on how to use typology as a psychological and personal growth tool. There was some useful information in this chapter, especially in the realm of relationships, and developing the "inferior" function. I also found the appendix quite interesting, with the inclusion of a number of statistical tables, showing a breakdown of types by gender, as well as a selection of professions by type. Final thoughts: Recommended (8 out of a possible 10 bookmarks). Although the book stands alone pretty well, it's probably more useful to those already familiar with typology and the Myers-Briggs system. The book does NOT contain any kind of quiz or "self-test" to help determine type.

If you are a man who doesn't match all the typical male "stereotypes", you may be fed up with figuring your palce in the world. Dr. Pedersen cuts through stereotypes by stating that what we think are 'sex differences' are really 'type preference differences', using the well-respected Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. Using sixteen composite fictional characters, he describes the various ways each man is unique and how we can, by understanding not only our personality type, but also how our male socialization affects us, we can be more comfortable with who we are, our feelings and thoughts, and no longer have to "apologize for being ourselves." He clearly shows what aspects we show to the world, and which we defer, and how this affects communication not only between men and women, but also in our work and friendship relations with other men. Women may find in 'Sixteen Men' understandings about themselves, as it Dr. Pedersen's thesis encompasses both sexes, even though the stated subject is men. He states at many points that just as some men may appear to have more of the feminine, and why, some women may appear to have more of the masculine in how they communicate.In a very readable form, Dr. Pederson gives insights well past those of popular books that simply separate the natures of men and women. The only caveat I have to the book is that readers are well-advised to have had an introduction (even if just from the web) to the Myers-Briggs system, and what type preferences they might have.

Pedersen has filled an important niche with this book. He shows how the myers-briggs personality theroy applies to men. He shows the reader how it influences communication style and relationships with other men. It helped me understand my two sons better. It helped me understand the men I encounter in the world of work. Since personality type does not depend on sex, it helps one understand women even though they are not the focus of the book. Pedersen uses fictional characters to illustrate the types and tells a story which illustrates how certain types tend to have a problem understanding another type. The story also shows where types have a natural empathy. This story and the fictional characters are a great idea for communicating dry, abstract conceps. The book isn't perfect. Analysis of each type later in the book has the type of symmetry made easy by word processing software, but it is simple to skim these passages. Pedersen's a Ph.D. Jungian analyst, not a professional writer of fiction. One could quibble that the characters could be more vivid, but this is a minor fault. Altogether, it was very useful for me. I recommend it without reservation