If this book was a marathon, most of what I’ve read on the enneagram thus far has been comparable to anything from a 5k to a Half Marathon. I’m grateful for the work, the research, the perspective offered in it — but man, my eyes went a little blurry sometimes from the headiness of it, which meant I had to take small bites over time. But that’s okay! It is definitely one I will refer to again and again on the long and windy road of transformation!

Only 3,5*
Had hoped for more but can’t quiet say what exactly

I was exposed to enneagram a few months ago and have been trying to learn more about it ever since. At first it felt ready good to feel heard/understood by discovering my type (5). The description of my type felt so accurate, for example it captured the way I handle my emotions way more accurately than other "personality tools" I've seen in the past. But this book does a wonderful job of going past the initial "fun" of the enneagram; it's not a parlor trick or quick personality quiz, it's a tool that can be used for some self-awareness and spiritual growth. And of course that type of work is uncomfortable, hard, humbling, yet worthwhile.

I am also glad that I started learning about enneagram in a group setting because I've been able to watch the dynamics play out between different numbers. Anyway, I highly recommend this book to any and everyone. Good read, important read.

A intiresting read on the enneagram.

I would probably give this 4 stars for content and 2 stars for writing. I intentionally took my sweet time with this book because I had decided I really wanted to dig in to the enneagram this year so I was taking fairly extensive notes by hand while reading which really prolonged the process. I recently found out that Shauna Niequist recommends everyone start with The Wisdom of the Enneagram as their first book on this personality typing system so I maybe missed the boat starting with this one. The enneagram is totally fascinating, and at times it felt like I was witnessing an impressive parlor trick or horoscope reading as certain types might as well have been descriptions of particular people in my life. They say you have likely identified which of the 9 types is yours when something resonates but makes you feel kind of uncomfortable and that was pretty spot on for me (though I was initially conflicted between at least 3 types-- and you can only be 1). I love the enneagram as an alternative to more analytical descriptive systems like Myers Briggs-- there is a lot of nuance and depth, you get pretty brutally called out on your specific brand of bullshit and unhealthy behaviors, and you're given a vision of what it looks like to move towards health and "integration" within the context of your personality type. I learned some specific things about my personality, past, and way of interacting with the world that were very insightful and helpful-- at times a little discouraging and alarming, but ultimately so valuable. The other huge benefit of the enneagram is the opportunity to understand the personality types of core people in your life and be in better relationship with them as you come to understand how they are wired. The book itself is pretty terribly written and organized in my opinion. It needed a good editor. There were parts of the beginning that were so esoteric and in-the-weeds that I was skimming them (... and as a Type 1 Perfectionist I do not skim, people) and many of the examples given of historical figures who represented each of the 9 types were very dated-- I don't think they're likely to resonate with many 21st C readers. At the end of the day this book served its purpose-- it was a solid crash course and gave me my bearings in all things enneagram. I will definitely be reading more and am guessing this won't be the book I ultimately end up recommending to people.

There is some insightful stuff here, and I understand this is a pivotal work for the enneagram. I am hoping some of the works that build on it are stronger, though, because Rohr is theologically unsound in places and comes across as arrogant and presumptuous. The gospel of John misquotes Jesus because Hitler abused the statement? Pilate was a three based on a single action for which we do not know the motive? Come on, now.

I love the Christian spiritual focus on the Enneagram outlined in this book, which also includes fun things like symbolic animals and colors for each number. The real people examples, which are included and shared as mini-memoirs (of just a few pages), are very engaging. I also enjoyed the authors' take on Biblical personalities and the Enneagram. Good stuff!

I've become borderline obsessed with the Enneagram; it is an amazing tool for self-evaluation and self-growth. This book intrigued me because it gave a "Christian perspective" on what appeared to be simply a sort of personality profile. Also, I've wanted to read Richard Rohr for a long time.

Well, if you only read one book on the Enneagram, read this one! Rohr dives into the history of the Enneagram, finding roots in the desert fathers (Cassian and Evagarius) and the seven deadly sins. In essence, you take the seven deadly sins and add two more and you get the nine points of the Enneagram. Identify the sin that most pulls you and you find which point you are.

As I read their description of a 9 (easy-going peacemaker) I felt like I was reading a bio of myself, right down to my desire to retreat into laziness and sloth as a defense from the world (I'm tempted to sit in front of the TV right now and watch Fuller House...okay, not really). I think the Enneagram is a helpful tool that any person, and any pastor, could benefit from understanding. It sheds light not just on you but on people around you. That said, I think the greatest benefit is in understanding yourself.

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