The Enneagram

Exploring the Nine Psychological Types and their Inter-Relationships in Love and Life

By: Helen Palmer

Narrated by: Helen Palmer

In this fascinating program, Helen Palmer introduces a vital system of sacred psychology capable of stunning insights into our lives and loves. This Enneagram is a model of 9 central passions used in varying forms by Buddhists, Sufis, and Christians. In this comprehensive introduction, Palmer covers topics such as the 9 personality types, history and origins, how to recognize your type, the role of attention and awareness in type, how your type can give you spiritual direction, dynamics of type interaction, how to avoid mis-typing others, and much more. Here is a priceless opportunity to overcome the veil of illusion that limits your perception to only one-ninth of reality.©1995 Helen Palmer (P)1995 Helen Palmer

Critic reviews

"I really resonated with this system... The Enneagram combines a lot of knowledge gained over the years, from spiritual and psychological traditions, and distills it into a very credible, easy-to-grasp system." (Carol, 6/16/98)

I found a lot value and help in this book

I am glad I bought this book. I wish I had it two years earlier.
While I occassionally wish the author said more about this or that, I find there is so much useful information in this book that I keep coming back to it again and again for increased self-awareness and for insight in my relationships.
I have found the paper version a helpful resource (or online info) since I need the visualization of the circle of the nine types and the directions of movent between them in times of stress or security.
I hope the publisher releases a pdf download to suppliment the audio.

Now I get it

People have been telling me to find my enneagram for years and now I get it. This book was much more helpful than just taking a test. It’s like astrology with peer review.

Understand yourself and your relationships better

What did you love best about The Enneagram?

The Enneagram provided me with a new perspective on what characterizes me from a "type of person" perspective and how understanding myself and other persons in context of the nine different personality types makes it a lot easier to discuss and focus on my relationship.

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I wouldn't have minded if someone else than Helen Palmer herself had narrated the book, as she speaks quite monotonously.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It gave me an AHA experience

useful information, but...

Palmer details and explains very clearly the Enneagram, providing what seems like sound historical and psychological background to the tool as well. This is not a new age fad, but a comprehnsive tool for self-understanding and better understanding of those you know well. It takes more work than simpler, more faddish systems (such as understanding "colors.")

But content expert that she is, Palmer's delivery is deadly dull. It took me almost two years and several attempts to get through her explanations. I think other Enneagram teachers do a better job of engaging the listener, even if their presentations may not be as in-depth (especially Richard Rohr, who is unforunately not available on Audible).

If you are new to the Enneagram, you might want to find a quick overview to establish a mental framework before taking on Palmer's instruction.

Good info, Horrible narration

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not unless they are really interested in the information. It is good info, but the affectation of the narrator makes it almost unbearable. It would probably be better to buy the book.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I wanted to slit my wrists after the first 3 minutes. The narrator, who is also the author, was like a cross between Ben Stein's economics teacher character in Ferris Bueller and Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H. She was desperately monotonous, yet came off as pretentious and condescending. It is presented like a sonorously mind numbing 9 hour seminar rather than the highly informative audio book it could have been. The saddest part is it is all interesting information if you can somehow stay awake through it all. Seriously though, buy the book instead and don't listen to this while driving.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

There is some very weird, creepy, out of place music at the beginning and end of each chapter. What is that about?