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Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business
The witty and practical bestseller and global phenomenon that helps you to understand and communicate better with those around you.
THE NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED
Do you ever think you're the only one making any sense? Have you ever tried to reason with your partner with disastrous results? Do long, rambling answers drive you crazy? Does your colleague's abrasive manner get your back up?
You are not alone.
Communication expert and bestselling author Thomas Erikson has dedicated himself to understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people.
In his simple but groundbreaking book, Erikson reveals the four types of human behaviour - Red, Yellow, Green and Blue - and how understanding them can transform every interaction in your personal and professional life.
By learning how to read personality cues, adapt your communication style and handle conflict confidently, you’
Build stronger relationships at work and home
Improve teamwork and leadership skills
Boost empathy and self-awareness
Finally understand why people behave the way they do
Now offering even more insight, this fully revised and expanded edition - based on questions and feedback from Thomas’s more than 10 million global readers - brings you 30% more material than before, honing this classic, comprehensive toolkit to new heights.
Packed with humour, insight, and practical strategies, Surrounded by Idiots?will help you understand and influence those around you, even people you currently think are beyond all comprehension.
Praise for Surrounded by Idiots and Thomas
'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining' Publishers Weekly
‘A good resource for understanding how different personalities communicate and deal with feedback…Everyone should read [it]' Business Insider
‘Equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny…Buy it!' Jim McPartlin, author of The Enneagram at Work
‘Everyone can benefit from this book’ Booklist
‘Life changing’ 5-star reader review
‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ 5-star reader review
‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ 5-star reader review
‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ 5-star reader review
THE NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED
Do you ever think you're the only one making any sense? Have you ever tried to reason with your partner with disastrous results? Do long, rambling answers drive you crazy? Does your colleague's abrasive manner get your back up?
You are not alone.
Communication expert and bestselling author Thomas Erikson has dedicated himself to understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people.
In his simple but groundbreaking book, Erikson reveals the four types of human behaviour - Red, Yellow, Green and Blue - and how understanding them can transform every interaction in your personal and professional life.
By learning how to read personality cues, adapt your communication style and handle conflict confidently, you’
Build stronger relationships at work and home
Improve teamwork and leadership skills
Boost empathy and self-awareness
Finally understand why people behave the way they do
Now offering even more insight, this fully revised and expanded edition - based on questions and feedback from Thomas’s more than 10 million global readers - brings you 30% more material than before, honing this classic, comprehensive toolkit to new heights.
Packed with humour, insight, and practical strategies, Surrounded by Idiots?will help you understand and influence those around you, even people you currently think are beyond all comprehension.
Praise for Surrounded by Idiots and Thomas
'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining' Publishers Weekly
‘A good resource for understanding how different personalities communicate and deal with feedback…Everyone should read [it]' Business Insider
‘Equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny…Buy it!' Jim McPartlin, author of The Enneagram at Work
‘Everyone can benefit from this book’ Booklist
‘Life changing’ 5-star reader review
‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ 5-star reader review
‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ 5-star reader review
‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ 5-star reader review
- GenresNonfiction
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
129 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Erikson
41 books1,603 followersThomas Erikson is a behaviourist and the bestselling author of the Surrounded by- series about human behaviours.
The series, has been translated to close to 60 languages and has sold over 8 million copies.
His mission is to make people’s lives easier by making them more aware of themselves and help people to a better understanding of what it takes to achieve the best possible communication.
He is a highly sought-after public speaker with 120 keynotes yearly on topics such as human behaviours, self-awareness, , narcissism, and leadership.
He lives by the simple but useful quote:
You can’t change somebody else, but you can change yourself.
Thomas was writing for twenty years before finally getting published. Being an author was his dream in life, so he never gave up. Instead he tested new ideas, tweaked his writing style, learned new skills, asked professionals, worked from 03.00 in the morning for years.
No one really believed in his writing ambitions, so he had to believe in himself.
Nowadays Thomas is Sweden’s most translated author still active. Only Selma Lagerlöf and Astid Lindgren has been translated into more languages.
He has until today published twelve books – half fiction and half non-fiction – and he will continue to write as long as he breathes.
He lives on the countryside in Sweden with his wife Christina, Sweden’s biggest romance author, he runs a family business that provides online courses and master classes on all the topics he writes about in his books.
Fun fact: Thomas is a true anglophile. He is a passionate gardener, loves topiary: if he could wear tweed the full year he would. And he is s collector of old Land Rovers.
Some of them works, most of them don’t.
The series, has been translated to close to 60 languages and has sold over 8 million copies.
His mission is to make people’s lives easier by making them more aware of themselves and help people to a better understanding of what it takes to achieve the best possible communication.
He is a highly sought-after public speaker with 120 keynotes yearly on topics such as human behaviours, self-awareness, , narcissism, and leadership.
He lives by the simple but useful quote:
You can’t change somebody else, but you can change yourself.
Thomas was writing for twenty years before finally getting published. Being an author was his dream in life, so he never gave up. Instead he tested new ideas, tweaked his writing style, learned new skills, asked professionals, worked from 03.00 in the morning for years.
No one really believed in his writing ambitions, so he had to believe in himself.
Nowadays Thomas is Sweden’s most translated author still active. Only Selma Lagerlöf and Astid Lindgren has been translated into more languages.
He has until today published twelve books – half fiction and half non-fiction – and he will continue to write as long as he breathes.
He lives on the countryside in Sweden with his wife Christina, Sweden’s biggest romance author, he runs a family business that provides online courses and master classes on all the topics he writes about in his books.
Fun fact: Thomas is a true anglophile. He is a passionate gardener, loves topiary: if he could wear tweed the full year he would. And he is s collector of old Land Rovers.
Some of them works, most of them don’t.
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