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Power of Personality: Unlock the Secrets to Understanding Everyone in Your Life―Including Yourself!
The Power of Personality is not just the freshest, fiercest book on personality typing, but a guide to tearing down stale assumptions on what makes us who we are.
All the fun of zodiac signs and all the empiricism of Joseph Campbell, The Power of Personality introduces readers to a step-by-step guide on how to understand yourself and the people around you using 16 easy-to-remember animal archetypes:
THE GATHERERS: the Stag, the Beaver, the Elephant, the Bear
THE HUNTERS: the Fox, the Shark, the Peacock, the Butterfly
THE SHAMANS: the Dolphin, the Giant Panda, the Baboon, the Humpback Whale
THE SMITHS: the Killer Whale, the Spider, the Chimpanzee, the Owl
The Power of Personality will take you on a journey that re-examines, clarifies, and in some cases, debunks previously held assumptions on personality (birth order, cultural stereotypes, extroversion vs. introversion, type-A personalities).
Most books consist of a simplistic, often inaccurate, test followed by descriptions and prescriptions. But a treatment can be damaging if the diagnosis is wrong. The Power of Personality is unique in that it trains you to be the test. No more arbitrary questions. No more mistyping. No more damage.
The Power of Personality...
DISMANTLES the widely accepted, yet antiquated, dichotomy of the MBTI family tree, introducing an intuitive typing method the author has developed over a decade of real-world experience working with actual people, not abstract theories.
POPULARIZES personality typing with fun, easy-to-remember animal archetypes that immediately evoke emotions in the reader, differing vastly from the cold, forgettable letter combinations and number designations featured in MBTI and the comparable Enneagram.
REJECTS the crude, cookie cutter assessment that other personality systems center their prescriptions around—treatments are only as good as the diagnosis, and no one should be diagnosing by checklist. The Power of Personality teaches the reader to be the test.
ENTERTAINS with cultural allusions, ranging from Outkast’s Idlewild to Carl Sagan’s theory on interdimensional perception, and professional and personal anecdotes, told with an intellectually breezy, self-effacing voice.
All the fun of zodiac signs and all the empiricism of Joseph Campbell, The Power of Personality introduces readers to a step-by-step guide on how to understand yourself and the people around you using 16 easy-to-remember animal archetypes:
THE GATHERERS: the Stag, the Beaver, the Elephant, the Bear
THE HUNTERS: the Fox, the Shark, the Peacock, the Butterfly
THE SHAMANS: the Dolphin, the Giant Panda, the Baboon, the Humpback Whale
THE SMITHS: the Killer Whale, the Spider, the Chimpanzee, the Owl
The Power of Personality will take you on a journey that re-examines, clarifies, and in some cases, debunks previously held assumptions on personality (birth order, cultural stereotypes, extroversion vs. introversion, type-A personalities).
Most books consist of a simplistic, often inaccurate, test followed by descriptions and prescriptions. But a treatment can be damaging if the diagnosis is wrong. The Power of Personality is unique in that it trains you to be the test. No more arbitrary questions. No more mistyping. No more damage.
The Power of Personality...
DISMANTLES the widely accepted, yet antiquated, dichotomy of the MBTI family tree, introducing an intuitive typing method the author has developed over a decade of real-world experience working with actual people, not abstract theories.
POPULARIZES personality typing with fun, easy-to-remember animal archetypes that immediately evoke emotions in the reader, differing vastly from the cold, forgettable letter combinations and number designations featured in MBTI and the comparable Enneagram.
REJECTS the crude, cookie cutter assessment that other personality systems center their prescriptions around—treatments are only as good as the diagnosis, and no one should be diagnosing by checklist. The Power of Personality teaches the reader to be the test.
ENTERTAINS with cultural allusions, ranging from Outkast’s Idlewild to Carl Sagan’s theory on interdimensional perception, and professional and personal anecdotes, told with an intellectually breezy, self-effacing voice.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 16, 2024
14 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Eric Gee
3 books1 followerEric Gee has administered personality-based life coaching for more than twenty years. He built a successful education company that used his personality typing method to better the lives of more than twenty thousand students, parents, and teachers. As creator of the Youtopia Project website and the Youtopia 16 assessment, he has disseminated his method to over half a million users since the website’s creation in 2016. His coaching program has been used in companies (Hulu, Disney), universities, and over forty school districts.
Eric graduated from UCLA, where he studied English literature and screenwriting. Coincidentally, he’s also a classically trained pianist, backyard-trained barbecue dilettante, three-time fantasy football champion, professional mentor, and amateur magician. He owns Youtopia Creative, a shared creative workspace in Los Angeles, where he acts as both life coach and infinite Pez dispenser of saccharine bits of 80s and 90s pop culture.
Eric graduated from UCLA, where he studied English literature and screenwriting. Coincidentally, he’s also a classically trained pianist, backyard-trained barbecue dilettante, three-time fantasy football champion, professional mentor, and amateur magician. He owns Youtopia Creative, a shared creative workspace in Los Angeles, where he acts as both life coach and infinite Pez dispenser of saccharine bits of 80s and 90s pop culture.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 5, 2024
An accessible MBTI: with animals and without the tedious multiple-choice tests
I wish this book existed 20 years ago, when I first learned about the MBTI as a high schooler in an extra-curricular course about communication and relationships. After taking the test--a long ordeal--I found the result (INTJ) and its description to be accurate, so I of course wanted to try it on my family and friends. I started with my parents; while they did humor me, they remarked that the test was tedious and didn't seem so impressed by the outcome. I didn't bother shopping it around after that.
Even then, I have found the MBTI to be a useful framework for thinking about personality. The main issue is its lack of accessibility. Rather than administer tests to others, I simply guessed at their types, and occasionally they had taken some kind of MBTI test before (e.g. in the context of work training) so I could verify my accuracy (often wrong).
In this book, Gee presents a MBTI-esque personality framework that (1) has much more accessible vocabulary and imagery, and (2) uses a rapid flowchart-and-check approach instead of a multiple-choice test. It's easy to apply, easy to verify, and easy to talk about. I found it useful for adapting my mental vocabulary for thinking about personalities (I am now a Spider) and I look forward to trying it out. I'd especially recommend this to anyone working with kids and young adults, like teachers and coaches, who want to introduce their students to a fun framework that can help them have better relationships and healthier interactions with those around them.
Anyone reading this and expecting some hard science is going to be disappointed, but I think it's pretty clear this is not that kind of book (or field, for that matter). Gee's breezy writing includes lots of pop culture references and samples of daily dialogue. It's like James Clear and Mark Manson collaborated on a book to revive dusty personality typing for a modern audience. It's also timely; compared to when the MBTI was first published a century ago, technology now helps us interact with exponentially more humans and also has raised the stakes of conflict. We need to understand ourselves and each other more than ever, and this book will help.
I wish this book existed 20 years ago, when I first learned about the MBTI as a high schooler in an extra-curricular course about communication and relationships. After taking the test--a long ordeal--I found the result (INTJ) and its description to be accurate, so I of course wanted to try it on my family and friends. I started with my parents; while they did humor me, they remarked that the test was tedious and didn't seem so impressed by the outcome. I didn't bother shopping it around after that.
Even then, I have found the MBTI to be a useful framework for thinking about personality. The main issue is its lack of accessibility. Rather than administer tests to others, I simply guessed at their types, and occasionally they had taken some kind of MBTI test before (e.g. in the context of work training) so I could verify my accuracy (often wrong).
In this book, Gee presents a MBTI-esque personality framework that (1) has much more accessible vocabulary and imagery, and (2) uses a rapid flowchart-and-check approach instead of a multiple-choice test. It's easy to apply, easy to verify, and easy to talk about. I found it useful for adapting my mental vocabulary for thinking about personalities (I am now a Spider) and I look forward to trying it out. I'd especially recommend this to anyone working with kids and young adults, like teachers and coaches, who want to introduce their students to a fun framework that can help them have better relationships and healthier interactions with those around them.
Anyone reading this and expecting some hard science is going to be disappointed, but I think it's pretty clear this is not that kind of book (or field, for that matter). Gee's breezy writing includes lots of pop culture references and samples of daily dialogue. It's like James Clear and Mark Manson collaborated on a book to revive dusty personality typing for a modern audience. It's also timely; compared to when the MBTI was first published a century ago, technology now helps us interact with exponentially more humans and also has raised the stakes of conflict. We need to understand ourselves and each other more than ever, and this book will help.
April 27, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
"The Power of Personality: Unlock the Secrets to Understanding Everyone in Your Life—Including Yourself!"
by Eric Gee
In the vast sea of literature on personality types and self-discovery, Eric Gee's "The Power of Personality" emerges as a beacon of clarity and practical wisdom. This book is not just a guide; it's a transformative journey that redefines the landscape of personality assessment and interpersonal understanding.
Gee's approach is refreshingly innovative, discarding the rigid and often inaccurate tests of yesteryears. Instead, he introduces a dynamic and intuitive method of personality typing, which he has honed over two decades of life coaching and education. His system, based on 16 animal archetypes, is both engaging and empirically grounded, offering readers an instant connection to the material.
The book's strength lies in its ability to dismantle the antiquated dichotomies of personality assessment tools like the MBTI and Enneagram. Gee's animal archetypes are not only easy to remember but also evoke a strong emotional response, making the process of understanding oneself and others both enjoyable and insightful.
"The Power of Personality" is a step-by-step guide that empowers readers to become the test themselves. It's a call to move beyond arbitrary questions and mistyping, to a deeper, more personal exploration of what makes us tick. Gee's personal voice is both intellectual and accessible, weaving humor and pop culture references with profound insights from his extensive experience.
This book is groundbreaking in its potential to change not only how we see the world but also how we interact within it. The promise of a world free from social disconnect and miscommunication is a compelling one, and Gee's book is a vital tool in achieving that vision.
In summary, "The Power of Personality" is a must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of human behavior with grace, humor, and an informed perspective. It's a book that doesn't just sit on your shelf; it becomes a part of your life, enriching every interaction with newfound understanding and empathy.
"The Power of Personality: Unlock the Secrets to Understanding Everyone in Your Life—Including Yourself!"
by Eric Gee
In the vast sea of literature on personality types and self-discovery, Eric Gee's "The Power of Personality" emerges as a beacon of clarity and practical wisdom. This book is not just a guide; it's a transformative journey that redefines the landscape of personality assessment and interpersonal understanding.
Gee's approach is refreshingly innovative, discarding the rigid and often inaccurate tests of yesteryears. Instead, he introduces a dynamic and intuitive method of personality typing, which he has honed over two decades of life coaching and education. His system, based on 16 animal archetypes, is both engaging and empirically grounded, offering readers an instant connection to the material.
The book's strength lies in its ability to dismantle the antiquated dichotomies of personality assessment tools like the MBTI and Enneagram. Gee's animal archetypes are not only easy to remember but also evoke a strong emotional response, making the process of understanding oneself and others both enjoyable and insightful.
"The Power of Personality" is a step-by-step guide that empowers readers to become the test themselves. It's a call to move beyond arbitrary questions and mistyping, to a deeper, more personal exploration of what makes us tick. Gee's personal voice is both intellectual and accessible, weaving humor and pop culture references with profound insights from his extensive experience.
This book is groundbreaking in its potential to change not only how we see the world but also how we interact within it. The promise of a world free from social disconnect and miscommunication is a compelling one, and Gee's book is a vital tool in achieving that vision.
In summary, "The Power of Personality" is a must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of human behavior with grace, humor, and an informed perspective. It's a book that doesn't just sit on your shelf; it becomes a part of your life, enriching every interaction with newfound understanding and empathy.
February 14, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of The Power of Personality . I have always had a fascination with psychology, and more specifically how to read and understand people more. This book elegantly and simply breaks down the different types of personalities and delves deep into the intricate dynamics of individuality and societal pressures, shedding light on the conflict between conformity and self-expression. This book will challenge you to embrace your unique personality and appreciate the diversity that enriches humanity. What sets this book apart is its engaging narrative style, blending humor and pop culture references. With its blend of intellectual rigor and relatable anecdotes, this book is not just a guide—it's a catalyst for personal growth and social change. This is a must read for everyone.
February 18, 2024
I read an advanced copy of "The Power of Personality" due to my experience working with children, particularly those with special needs. Relatable (and fun) anecdotes punctuates the book, grounding its insights in real people and situations. What stands out is the author's humility; he doesn't take himself too seriously, maintaining a level of uncertainty while offering new perspectives on personality types.
The point of view of someone who has actually worked with a variety of people, rather than just theoretical concepts, adds authenticity (and fun) to the book. Personally, it helped bridge the concrete/abstract gap between my husband, a hunter, and myself, a shaman. The discussions sparked by the book have strengthened our communication, emphasizing how understanding each other's personalities can bring us closer.
The point of view of someone who has actually worked with a variety of people, rather than just theoretical concepts, adds authenticity (and fun) to the book. Personally, it helped bridge the concrete/abstract gap between my husband, a hunter, and myself, a shaman. The discussions sparked by the book have strengthened our communication, emphasizing how understanding each other's personalities can bring us closer.
February 16, 2024
I found this book informative, useful, and entertaining. As a licensed psychotherapist I’m always looking for resources to expand my knowledge on the human psyche and books to recommend to my clients for self learning. I’ve studied MBTI along with Human Design but only had a cursory understanding of the 4 main types. This book is a wonderful new take on personality typing and has well thought out interpretations of how the types show up in society. I really enjoyed the use of animals as a reference point and the real-life examples. Fascinating combo of research and practice. You’ll learn a lot!
November 2, 2025
Unpleasantly verbose and crude. Too many references to entertainment characters that some of us wouldn't waste our time watching. Silly.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews