Pilfered New Age garbage - Rated 
I wonder how many of the psychologists and "enneagram teachers" and other quacks writing glowing reviews on these pages can present a shred of scientific evidence for their claims? Fact: the enneagram typology has zilch academic credibility; there is not a single substantive analysis that does or indeed ever will support these people's claims. Let them prove me wrong by quoting references in respectable journals. I've no doubt Ben Goldacre of the Guardian's Bad Science would have a field day! It is issues such as these that make me proud to have had a scientific (rather than pseuedo-scientific) training.
If psychologists, therapists and the like wish to promote New Age mysticism in this way, they only undermine the credibility of their profession. However, they would do well to acknowledge the Palmer's moneyspinner was stolen wholesale from Claudio Naranjo, who in turn decided he was qualified to teach a system promoted by Oscar Ichazo. Fact: the enneagram is ultimately derived from Gurdjieff. However, Gurdjieff is never acknowledged by today's self-styled practioners and they are incapable of understanding Fourth Way ideas. Ichazo is responsible for the typology; an invention he based upon Fritz Peters' writings. It is a testament to the quackery of much of the psychology/psychiatry community, that this simplistic and misleading numerology has become fashionable, presumably because it was found to be so profitable! For those interested in the truth of the matter, get hold of William Patrick Patterson's 'Taking With the Left Hand'; a brave man indeed to singlehandedly take on the New Age community.
Acute observation of the dynamics of the 9 types - Rated 
As an experieced enneagram teacher, I refer to this book frequently and am always stuck by the acuteness of the observations. An essential foundation book for serious students of the material.
EXCELLENT BOOK on a insightful subject! - Rated
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK!. I COULDN'T LET THE LAST REVIEWER'S UNINFORMED "RANT" GO UNCHALLENGED - even though I've never written a review before! I've been studying psychology for over 30 years and I can tell you that the modern Enneagram of personality really does offer many profound insights into human personality and the way our minds works. It has not been invented by self-styled Californian guru's as the last reviewer states but is studied and taught by respected psychiatrists, academics and lay therapists of very high reputation and by educated atheists, agnostics, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Moslems and many others including those who have dedicated their lives to helping others or to following a specific spiritual path whether religious or not. (A recent British book on the subject - although it was nowhere near as good and this one by Helen Palmer - had an introduction by no less than the Archbishop of Canterbury - who, as far as I know, is NOT an Californian guru! And as far as I know his job depends on him NOT being unduly influenced by them either!).
The last reviewer obviously has an axe to grind and seems to hanker after the Gurdjieff-style version of the Enneagram symbol with its "mysteries" and explanations that really have little to do with psychology and which come across as weird and pseudo-scientific - definitely NOT a "true science" and NOT a scientific Cosmology like Einstein's as he claims.
In a nutshell, by the last reviewer (like many other "literal" followers of Gurdjieff) has badly missed the real point, significance and value of the Enneagram as a representation or map of personality types by treating the symbol almost magically and loading it with a "Cosmology" and other unwarranted "significances".
Anyway, let's leave the previous reviewer believing his / her own version and missing the point and get back to this book and the modern Enneagram of Personality of which Helen Palmer is a leading teacher. As a psychological typing system (there are many)it has interesting and profound things to say about real people's lives (both us "ordinary" people and people who have and are shaping the world's history and politics). It can help us understand not only ourselves and those close to us (and therefore be more tolerant) but it can also inform our appreciation of art, literature and the lives of artists, writers and politicians who's decisions and personalities influence the world. Helen Palmer's book alone will not do all that for you - you will have to read more widely (e.g. try the work of Thomas Condon, Michael Goldberg, David Daniels, Judith Searle and Claudio Naranjo for instance) but the Enneagram personality typing system is a respected, thoughtful and insightful method of understanding many (but of course not all) aspects of the human mind and the human condition as they influence our lives and decisions.
What Helen Palmer's book will do, on a personal level, is help anyone who is reflective and thoughtful and wants to know themselves better. It can help us grow both spiritually and psychologically by allowing us to be more honest with ourselves. It can help us effectively to identify some of our unexamined habit patterns, strengths and weaknesses.
I recommend this book wholehearted to all thoughtful and unbiased people - whether they be scientists, artists, business people or students of humanity with degrees in the university of life. This is an astute and excellent book. I too will return to it many times.
Horrible misinformation - Rated
The Enneagram was introduced by Gurdjieff. It is a diagram of two cosmic laws akin to Eisnteins cosmology. It does not have anything to do with body types or personality types. This is an error that was inroduced by fake self-made teachers in California back in the seventies. No matter how much it seems to fit, it is not the true science of the Enneagram.
This is an invaluable resource to go back to again and again - Rated
Ms Palmer's descriptions of the types are drawn from collecting and analysing large amounts of data about what people of each type say about themselves. Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. I highly recommend it to dip into whenever you want to refresh or widen your understanding of the different types.
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