Personality Intelligence: Master the Art of Being You

by Merrick Rosenberg

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

312 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Merrick Rosenberg founded Team Builders Plus in 1991 and reinvented how people learn about themselves through personality styles when he started his second company, Take Flight Learning, in 2012. He is the author of eight award-winning books about tapping into the power of personality, including The Chameleon and Which Bird Are You?.

Merrick has worked with more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100 companies. Under Merrick’s leadership as CEO of Take Flight Learning, his company has been selected as the New Jersey Business of the Year by NJ Biz Magazine and has repeatedly been named one of the Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work by the Philadelphia Business Journal. He is also an award-winning filmmaker, as his personality styles movie, BirdBrains, Inc., won 23 film festival awards, including four for Best Short Film of the Year.

If you'd like to explore your personality style, visit TakeFlightLearning.com or connect with Merrick on Instagram (@Merrick_Rosenberg), Facebook (@MerrickR) or LinkedIn (@MerrickRosenberg).

Reviews

[Beth Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book enabled me to dig deeper into my personality style (and others). There are different levels for each style and understanding them enables you to understand yourself and others. I took an assessment and found out my primary style is a parrot. Highly recommend this if you want to build better relationships

[SunshineGirl79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read books by Merrick Rosenberg & was thrilled to see he had another one available. His approach to understanding the DISC personality styles is innovative & memorable. Using birds (Eagle, Parrot, Dove & Owl) to represent each style makes learning them much easier. This book introduces the four levels making the learning top notch. I will be re-reading this one to make sure I captured everything it has to offer.

[Caleb O'Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personality Intelligence is an insightful and practical guide to understanding ourselves and the people around us. Merrick Rosenberg takes the concept of personality and transforms it into something far more meaningful than a simple assessment or category system. Instead, he presents personality as a powerful tool for self-awareness, communication, and personal growth.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its accessibility. The ideas are presented in an engaging, relatable way that makes readers naturally reflect on their own behaviors, strengths, and patterns. Throughout the book, Rosenberg demonstrates how greater self-understanding can lead to stronger relationships, better teamwork, and more effective leadership.

What makes this book particularly valuable is its emphasis on embracing authenticity. Rather than encouraging readers to become someone else, Personality Intelligence teaches people how to better understand who they already are and how to leverage their natural tendencies in positive and productive ways.

For readers interested in personal development, leadership, workplace dynamics, and human behavior, Personality Intelligence offers practical wisdom and actionable insights that can have a meaningful impact both personally and professionally. It is an engaging and highly valuable read for anyone seeking to master the art of being themselves.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlocking our full potential – I LOVE this book1

In the author’s words, ‘Personality Intelligence is one’s ability to understand the styles, recognize the styles in oneself and others, and tap into the full power of the styles.’ How the gifted Merrick Rosenberg leads us through his valuable concepts is a fine mixture of science, insight, originality, and humor. His system of Take Flight! personality assessment is based on four birds: Eagle (‘someone who is take-charge, direct, and confident’); Parrott (’fun, enthusiastic, and talkative’); Dove (‘create a sense of harmony, caring, and consideration’); and Owl (‘factual and embody logic and precision’), adding – Chameleon, the blend of all four styles and remarkably adaptable.

The Take Flight Profile reveals the path to becoming the highest expression of ourselves, providing the foundation of increasing self-awareness, improving relationships, and getting better results. Rosenberg’s manner of coaching is instilled with warmth, humor, excellent demonstrative stories, and exceptionally helpful guidance on how to advance our level of personality – one of the best self-help books before the public today. A must- read for everyone!

[Samantha Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an easy read filled with tons of information. It goes in detail about the different personality types such as how they act, their thinking, and how the view the world. Showing the good qualities as well as the not so good ones. I enjoyed the references to Martial Arts which made me appreciate the practice but allowed me to better understand the personality types. What I really enjoyed about this is identifying and working with people based on their personality type. You can easily identify someone's type based on how they speak, their vibes, behavior, and body language. This is a game changer when someone is experiencing intense emotions, feeling lost, or just having a normal conversation. This is a great book to improve the relationship with yourself, others, and how to level up your life.

[Ivana S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personality Intelligence is one of those books that sneaks up on you. At first, the Eagle-Parrot-Dove-Owl framework feels almost too simple like, “Really? Birds?” But as you move through Merrick Rosenberg’s stories and explanations, the whole system clicks in a surprisingly practical way. The mix of neuroscience, humor, and character-driven fables makes the book serious and light, which is refreshing in a genre that can get preachy fast.

As a reader, you start seeing your own reactions, strengths, and blind spots with uncomfortable clarity in a good way. Rosenberg doesn’t just label you; he pushes you to grow beyond your default personality and become more adaptable. Some examples lean a bit corporate, but the overall message lands. It’s an insightful, engaging guide for anyone who wants to understand themselves and others with more precision.

[Steven Finkelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been understood for many years that humans can be broken down to some degree into personality types. For instance, if you say that someone is an extrovert, most people instantly know what you mean. These archetypal personality types don’t necessarily define who you are, but they at least give an immediate and meaningful clue as to what you might bring to the table and what your strengths are.

The author of this book has another take on human personality types. He uses different kinds of birds to make logical comparisons. As you read, you’ll find out whether you’re an owl, a parrot, a dove, or something else. Once you learn to match your personality type with one of these birds, you can quickly ascertain how best to effectively leverage your natural strengths and to build healthy relationships in all areas of your life.

[CarlitasFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read
I was always curious about people's personalities, that's why I decided to read "Personality intelligence” by Merrick Rosenberg. Throughout the chapters he explains 4 personality styles with the Eagle, Parrot, Dove and Owl. He uses specific tales to explain readers' personalities' insights and teaches ways of mastering those 4 styles to become the best version of yourself. Everything is useful to develop healthy and lifelong relationships in every sphere of life.
All in all, it's a well-written, complete and interesting guide that teaches ways to embrace life with a different perspective. There are interesting aspects touched here that will help readers mold and enhance their personalities. I learned a lot after reading it and I highly recommend it.

[Margarita Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my process of self-discovery, I found this book that helped me develop the ability to know who you are, how others perceive you, and how to adapt without losing your essence. ‘’Personality Intelligence’’ is a very interesting book that, through stories, will help you cultivate self-awareness, making you understand your patterns, strengths, and blind spots. In addition, it will help you strengthen relationships, notice the emotional cues of those around you, respect differences, and generally communicate in ways that resonate. It also improves decision-making, develops resilience, and, most importantly, fosters personal growth. This book is definitely a light in your process of self-discovery. This is a book that everyone should read.

[Jason Meucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love any book that helps me try to become a better version of myself - and Personality Intelligence definitely does that. I'd highly recommend this one to anyone interested in developing their self-awareness. The book is especially enlightening in how it combines the concepts of both DISC and Emotional Intelligence to give you a higher level of what the author calls PIQ or Personality Intelligence. He explains how to not only master your own personality style, but how to adapt your style to best meet the needs of the people in your life - at work and at home. The tips and techniques in the book can really improve the quality of your relationships and ultimately your results, largely by enhancing how others see, perceive and experience you.

[Eric F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personality Intelligence by Merrick Rosenberg really made me think about how I deal with people every day. It didn’t feel like a typical personality book. It felt more like something that helps you understand real situations that actually happen in your life.

One thing that really stayed with me is how even your good qualities can become a problem if you overdo them. I saw that in myself. Sometimes I try to be too perfect or I overthink things, and instead of helping, it just makes everything more complicated. It made me realize that balance is really important.

At the end, the book left me with a simple thought: when you understand people better, everything feels easier. It made me feel more patient and more open when I talk to others.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book only because of the title, and turned out to be a very useful read. This concept about learning to adjust how you act depending on the situation is a great and simple advice and yet, very difficult to implement or be conscious about at the moment. Also, I think this book has very simple ways or patterns to follow and that helps complex things easy to remember and apply. And the author also talks about changing behaviour in a very interesting way.

Overall, it is definitely a good book to learn how to communicate properly and understand others, helping any kind of relationship work better.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book amazing because, through entertaining stories, it shows us that we are capable of finding a new and better version of ourselves.
Something that fascinated me about this piece of work is the simplicity with which it is explained; even the scientific information is understandable. The interesting point about this is that I thought it would be just as easy to implement the ideas proposed, but I found it a little difficult to put them into practice. However, instead of getting discouraged, I felt more confident to continue.
The author's writing is captivating, and his wisdom is evident on every page; the experience is sublime, as he is top-notch in the field.

[Charlie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me understand myself in a more honest way. Instead of telling yourself to change who you are, this book focuses on knowing yourself better and learning how your personality and values affect your decisions, relationships, and habits. What I liked most is how the book explains that being yourself is not a weakness, but a strength when you understand it. It helped me reflect on my reactions, communication style, and how I interact with others. This book didn’t make me feel judged or rushed to improve myself fast. It made me feel more aware and calmer. By the end, I felt more confident about who I am and how I show up in different situations.

[Marina L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t go into this book with big expectations, but it kind of caught me off guard in a good way. The whole bird personality idea feels fresh, not like the typical personality stuff I’ve read before. Everything just clicked for me, and it was actually fun to read too.

I’ve even started trying some of the ideas in real life, like noticing how I react when I’m talking to people and adjusting a bit depending on who I’m with. I know it sounds small, but it's actually made a difference.

It’s a very entertaining read, sometimes even funny, but at the same time you learn a lot without feeling overwhelmed. Definitely worth it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neuroscience has shown us how important it is to take care of our mental health and our relations, which we often neglect. In this interesting and comprehensive book with concise and easy to follow instructions, author Rosenberg introduces us to the world of personality intelligence and offers a path on how we can develop our personality to become the best version of ourselves.
We build our personality day by day, and often we don't realize the potential we have to do things better. I believe this book is a great guide for anyone who wants to be a better person and have healthy relationships in their lives.

[Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personality Intelligence: Master the Art of Being You (For Your Sake and Everyone Else’s) by Merrick Rosenberg is an engaging self-development book that combines psychology with practical insight. The writing style is approachable and lively, making complex ideas about personality easy to understand and enjoyable to explore.

The author presents his ideas through relatable examples and structured frameworks, helping readers see personality as something dynamic rather than fixed.

My reading experience was both insightful and accessible. I look forward to implementing the knowledge learnt from this book in real life.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Personality Intelligence to be an easy and quite useful read. I liked that it doesn't just label personalities, but explains how we can improve and adapt. The four-type approach is simple and helps you better understand both yourself and others.
It's not dense or technical. It uses examples and short stories that make it more engaging. At times, I felt it oversimplified some things, but it still provides clear ideas that can be applied in daily life.
I found it practical and relatable. It helped me see my strengths and also what I can work on to relate better to other people.

[Jeff Backal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personality Intelligence is an outstanding book. Merrick takes something as complex as personality styles and makes it simple, fun, and practical with the Eagle, Parrot, Dove, and Owl representing the four styles. The stories are engaging, the insights are clear, and the learnings can be applied immediately at work and in everyday life. This book is a great resource for improving communication, building stronger relationships, and leading more effectively.

[Dolores Woodington · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A smart, refreshing approach to understanding behavior—clear, engaging, and genuinely useful.”

[2.0 Paries M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlocking Your Best Self Through Personality Mastery

Master the Art of Being You (For Your Sake and Everyone Else’s) is an engaging and insightful guide that redefines how we understand personality. Instead of treating personality as fixed, the book presents it as something dynamic, capable of growth and refinement over time.

The writing style is lively and accessible, blending science with storytelling. Using memorable personality types like Eagle, Parrot, Dove, and Owl, Rosenberg makes complex behavioral concepts easy to grasp and apply in everyday life.

The “journey” unfolds as a path of self-improvement, guiding readers through progressive levels of awareness, from understanding their natural traits to becoming highly adaptable and effective in different situations.

What truly stands out is its empowering message: growth is always possible. It’s a motivating, practical read that helps readers build stronger relationships, sharpen self-awareness, and become more intentional in how they show up in the world.