The Enneagram

As I sat down to write a review of this book, my initial thought was to call it "Helen Palmer Light." But there's a lot more than that to this slim volume.The enneagram is an old and very complex system of personality typing and self-growth. In just 175 pages, Webb gives the reader a brief overview of how the system works, and then provides concise thumbnail sketches of each of the nine enneagram psychological types. The type descriptions are followed by two especially useful sections: One on ways to distinguish between "lookalikes" across the nine types; and another on communication, both from the perspective of being a listener and a speaker, belonging to each type. The book concludes with a short opinion on "what to do next," along with a (somewhat UK-centric) resource directory.Whereas Karen Webb leaves us with little doubt that she's a big fan of Helen Palmer-- Palmer even wrote the foreword-- "Thorsons Principles of The Enneagram" is really an excellent introduction to a very complex subject, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who's curious enough to want to learn the "basics." Webb's style follows the "oral tradition" of the enneagram-- which also means that there is no "quiz" to determine your type; instead, you would need to read about each type and make your determination based on the descriptions.Final thoughts: Highly recommended (9.5 out of a possible 10 bookmarks). I own more than 50 books on this subject, and this is possibly the best "concise introduction" available.

The best introductory enneagram book I've seen, and I've read most of the authors out there. Some of the other books, such as those by Don Riso and Helen Palmer, are great but very dense, especially for beginniners. Furthermore, Palmer's books can seem a bit choppy and esoteric while Riso's books can seem too tight and specific. This one, however, is very clear and accurate, and is definitely the book to get if you're either curious about the enneagram or want to get someone else interested in it.

I own around 8 Enneagram books, but this one is my favorite. Why? It's simplicity, it's accuracy, and it's section on "possible lookalikes". Author Karen Webb was a student of Helen Palmer's, so she writes more from the oral tradition. For example, do you want to know why 3's are often mistaken for 7's? Or counterphobic 6's for 8's? Webb takes the time to explain why certain Types look similar to one another, and even has mini-tests if you're torn between 2 Types. This book even has numerous Enneagram graphs showing Variants for each Type (Social, Sexual, Self-Preseveration), as well as Head, Belly, and Heart Center for each type. I highly recommend this book, for those new to the Enneagram, as well as those who've been studying it for years.

I first came across this book in a library. It did not appeal to me at first sight because it was thin (the thickness is about a third of most other books on Enneagram)and seemed like untouched. My perception changed as soon as I flipped through the pages and saw the headings and diagrams. "Hmm, seems like it is a quick revision of the things I learnt about Enneagram." ... And it really is,... and much MORE...If you are really interested in looking for an Enneagram book that could tell you what it takes 3 to 4 books to cover the same topics, this is it! It is written in a very concise manner with almost no repetition. It contains more than what is printed at the back of the book it's contents. Besides what is being mentioned, it also covers on how to spot the types, differentiate the wing look-alike and how to communicate with each type.If you think you already know much about the Enneagram, try this and find out....