Appreciating Differences - Jack Falt - Ottawa area, Ontario, Canada

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Book Review by Jack Falt

Baron, Renee, What Type Am I? Discover Who You Really Are, Penguin Book, New York, NY, ISBN 014 02.6941, 1998, 171 pp

Whether you are new to Jung/Myers theory or are someone using the MBTI® instrument professionally and wanting to have a basic book to have for your clients to read, here is an ideal book that covers the essentials in an interesting way. Renee Baron’s text along with Miriam Fabbi’s delightful line drawing combine in a unique presentation. Very few Jung/Myers theory books have any illustrations; while this book usually has at least one on each page. Also, I can see this being a book to use with a high school class or to give to a curious teenager.

Ms. Baron devotes a chapter to each of the four dimensions of behaviour. They include a checklist of statements so that readers can get some idea what their preferences might be. There are tips on how to get along with each of the preferences, and some suggestions for each of the preferences to cope better with their opposite numbers.

In the chapter on putting all the letters together into a type, there are some good ideas as to the problems there might be in finding your true type. This helps emphasize the point that an MBTI® instrument score still needs investigation before deciding what type you are.

There is a chapter for each of the sixteen different types and these are arranged according to the four temperaments. The author has come up with her own temperament names: Duty Seekers (SJ), Action Seekers (SP), Knowledge Seekers (NT), and Ideal Seekers (NF).

Each chapter describing a type includes information on the type at work, in relationships, leisure, and some suggestions on how the type can get along better in life.

The concludes with some general comments on types in relationship, parenting, and at work. The author encourages readers to develop their nonpreferences.

In an appendix type dynamics and type developments are briefly introduced.

Renee Baron has coauthored a book on the Enneagram called The Enneagram Made Easy. In a further appendix, the author briefly describes the nine Enneagram types, and helps the reader see how the two systems relate. The correlations of the two systems are given in a chart based on the results from a large sample.

I would recommend this book as one that the lay person can read and get a good understanding of Jung/Myers theory. Also, it is one that professionals can recommend with confidence to clients. Perhaps professional also can pick up an idea or two that they hadn’t thought of before and can use in their presentations.

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