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The Test Book
An essential library of tests for self-knowledge and success, from the strategic thinking experts behind the international bestseller The Decision Book.
Are you clever? Can you self-motivate? Are you creative? How do you handle money? Can you lead others well?
With their trademark style and wit, best-selling authors Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler present sixty-four tests spanning intelligence and personality type; creativity and leadership skills; fitness and lifestyle; and knowledge and belief. From what you see in a Rorschach test to comparing your workout against a Navy SEAL’s, from EQ to IQ and Myers-Briggs in between, The Test Book offers a panoply of ways to assess yourself and decide what you need to succeed. As Krogerus and Tschäppeler highlight, you can only know whether you have the right skills, the right job, or the right partner when you know where you stand right now.
Small enough to fit in your pocket but packed with insight and good humor, The Test Book delivers a quick, fun way to evaluate your life and happiness.
Are you clever? Can you self-motivate? Are you creative? How do you handle money? Can you lead others well?
With their trademark style and wit, best-selling authors Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler present sixty-four tests spanning intelligence and personality type; creativity and leadership skills; fitness and lifestyle; and knowledge and belief. From what you see in a Rorschach test to comparing your workout against a Navy SEAL’s, from EQ to IQ and Myers-Briggs in between, The Test Book offers a panoply of ways to assess yourself and decide what you need to succeed. As Krogerus and Tschäppeler highlight, you can only know whether you have the right skills, the right job, or the right partner when you know where you stand right now.
Small enough to fit in your pocket but packed with insight and good humor, The Test Book delivers a quick, fun way to evaluate your life and happiness.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
40 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
Mikael Krogerus
43 books165 followersMikael Krogerus is a freelance writer for German and Swiss newspapers and magazines. He was a staff writer with NZZ FOLIO, the supplement magazine of Switzerlands leading newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, for five years. Prior to that he worked as a copywriter for various advertising agencies. He’s a graduate of the Kaospilot School. He’s a Finnish citizen and was brought up in Sweden and Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 7, 2016
Oooo, a quiz! Who doesn't love a quiz?!
This book takes lots of long tests and boils them down to the bones producing tests that are often just a few questions. I tend to gravitate toward personality and intelligence tests but there is a lot to choose from in this small, fun book. Another impulse grab at the library that has kept me entertained, this would make a fun gift book for inquisitive friends. Beyond the tests and evaluations, there are interesting quotes, too. Something for everyone.
My favorite test was "Am I a good mother or father?" The test and evaluation is brilliant! 4 stars.
This book takes lots of long tests and boils them down to the bones producing tests that are often just a few questions. I tend to gravitate toward personality and intelligence tests but there is a lot to choose from in this small, fun book. Another impulse grab at the library that has kept me entertained, this would make a fun gift book for inquisitive friends. Beyond the tests and evaluations, there are interesting quotes, too. Something for everyone.
My favorite test was "Am I a good mother or father?" The test and evaluation is brilliant! 4 stars.
March 6, 2024
Скучно и неизчерпателно. А за част от тестовете е достатъчно заглавието, за да си отговори човек, без да има нужда да чете по-нататък.
Read
December 7, 2023IDK why I read it I was bored in my cousin's house and he had this sitting in his shelf ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
March 12, 2015
I liked the first three books by the same authors, and this one I absolutely loved.
It gives a quick look to 64 scientific tests, giving not just a bird's eye view of these but also a first hand experience. There were some tests that stood out for me, like the Rorschach, Narcissism, Polygraph, Alcoholic, Stork, and the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Tests.
This book brings together a wonderful collection of tests spanning topics of personality, health, skills, society, and knowledge, along with an interesting cheat sheet to some of them.
It gives a quick look to 64 scientific tests, giving not just a bird's eye view of these but also a first hand experience. There were some tests that stood out for me, like the Rorschach, Narcissism, Polygraph, Alcoholic, Stork, and the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Tests.
This book brings together a wonderful collection of tests spanning topics of personality, health, skills, society, and knowledge, along with an interesting cheat sheet to some of them.
May 23, 2023
Great book
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May 23, 2023Good book
March 18, 2022
The cover of The Test Book reads with a line that evokes memories of the Cold War television and radio of my youth: “This is a test.” It isn’t a test of the Emergency Broadcast System but the way one picks up the little book known as The Test Book is a test of left-right dominance. But that’s just a teaser. The Test Book has at least 65 tests (not counting the fact that the intelligence instrument used in the book is a battery of several different test instruments presented over multiple pages). The book starts out with a little explanation about what a test is and has a short history of tests going back to ordeals and oracles in the ancient world.
Each test instrument is introduced with a question such as “How Do I Learn?” or “How is My Work-Life Balance?” It explains what the test is trying to measure and then presents the test instrument (usually on the right-hand page after the introduction on the left-hand page). Now, I am always cautious to tell people that any test instrument I might use isn’t the only possible approach and the editors of The Test Book do so as well. They do not suggest, as I try to when I use any psychological instrument, that the measurement reflects your feelings/state-of-mind at the time and may not be reflective of your tendencies, feelings, and perceptions at all times. I certainly appreciate the editors taking the time to indicate that their battery of intelligence tests is not decisive, merely potentially informative.
For me, the most surprising result of a test was when I took the Lateralization Test (#32 – “Which side of my brain do I think with?) and discovered that I am apparently more right-dominant than I realized. However, the editors are very careful to indicate that this dominance factor does not simply identify analytical versus creative (as per popular belief) but more accurately suggests detail-oriented versus big picture tendencies (p. 74). The least valuable test instrument to me was the determinant of perpetrator vs. victim status (#47). Unfortunately, this questionnaire is overtly designed to establish victimhood and doesn’t really address those who are the perpetrators of stereotypes and discrimination. And, while I appreciated the direction the questionnaire on work-life balance (#42) takes one, the focus questions may cause ADHD sufferers to have a false positive as it were on potential balance issues. Again, though, the editors merely suggest that those at a certain threshold of answers seek counsel; they do not definitively assert that there is a problem. And yes, the test of concentration (#31) called the d2 test definitely demonstrated my attention deficit problem.
I was intrigued by the measure of self-motivation (#39). Before answering this series of questions, I would have said that I was in the highest percentile of self-motivated individuals. My results aren’t bad, but they don’t support my prejudice. Part of the problem may be in the definition of goals or objectives. I rarely write them down, but I have them. I rated myself somewhat lower because I don’t formalize them. The VARK test (#30 – How do I learn best?), however, gave me similar results to any other VARK (Visual, Auditory, Reading-Writing, and Kinesthetic) instrument I’ve used with classes and seminars.
I picked up The Test Book mostly out of curiosity and a sense of fun, but I plan to use some of the instruments with some of the small groups I lead. This is a pocket-sized book that offers plenty of punch.
Each test instrument is introduced with a question such as “How Do I Learn?” or “How is My Work-Life Balance?” It explains what the test is trying to measure and then presents the test instrument (usually on the right-hand page after the introduction on the left-hand page). Now, I am always cautious to tell people that any test instrument I might use isn’t the only possible approach and the editors of The Test Book do so as well. They do not suggest, as I try to when I use any psychological instrument, that the measurement reflects your feelings/state-of-mind at the time and may not be reflective of your tendencies, feelings, and perceptions at all times. I certainly appreciate the editors taking the time to indicate that their battery of intelligence tests is not decisive, merely potentially informative.
For me, the most surprising result of a test was when I took the Lateralization Test (#32 – “Which side of my brain do I think with?) and discovered that I am apparently more right-dominant than I realized. However, the editors are very careful to indicate that this dominance factor does not simply identify analytical versus creative (as per popular belief) but more accurately suggests detail-oriented versus big picture tendencies (p. 74). The least valuable test instrument to me was the determinant of perpetrator vs. victim status (#47). Unfortunately, this questionnaire is overtly designed to establish victimhood and doesn’t really address those who are the perpetrators of stereotypes and discrimination. And, while I appreciated the direction the questionnaire on work-life balance (#42) takes one, the focus questions may cause ADHD sufferers to have a false positive as it were on potential balance issues. Again, though, the editors merely suggest that those at a certain threshold of answers seek counsel; they do not definitively assert that there is a problem. And yes, the test of concentration (#31) called the d2 test definitely demonstrated my attention deficit problem.
I was intrigued by the measure of self-motivation (#39). Before answering this series of questions, I would have said that I was in the highest percentile of self-motivated individuals. My results aren’t bad, but they don’t support my prejudice. Part of the problem may be in the definition of goals or objectives. I rarely write them down, but I have them. I rated myself somewhat lower because I don’t formalize them. The VARK test (#30 – How do I learn best?), however, gave me similar results to any other VARK (Visual, Auditory, Reading-Writing, and Kinesthetic) instrument I’ve used with classes and seminars.
I picked up The Test Book mostly out of curiosity and a sense of fun, but I plan to use some of the instruments with some of the small groups I lead. This is a pocket-sized book that offers plenty of punch.
October 6, 2018
Okay, so first off the subtitle "64 tools to Lead You To Success" is straight-up false advertising. Rubrics for pop psychological tests don't equate to anything which leads to success (apart from successfully being entertained by quizzes). I suspect this was a publisher's decision. Anyway, I picked this book up not realising the title so I didn't feel misled but still. Worth mentioning.
The actual content is fine. Not incredibly well-written (inconsistency or poorly formatted explanations). The quizzes are fun but by NO MEANS meaningful or accurate. These are debunked or pop psychology tests at best. Fun to do on a whim, but yeah. Nothing more than that.
Some "tests" aren't even tests at all, just historical factoids about certain tests, which is great but again, makes the title even more misleading. Other tests don't even provide results sooo... Yeah.
A neat little book to throw in with your crossword puzzles and mini trivia books.
The actual content is fine. Not incredibly well-written (inconsistency or poorly formatted explanations). The quizzes are fun but by NO MEANS meaningful or accurate. These are debunked or pop psychology tests at best. Fun to do on a whim, but yeah. Nothing more than that.
Some "tests" aren't even tests at all, just historical factoids about certain tests, which is great but again, makes the title even more misleading. Other tests don't even provide results sooo... Yeah.
A neat little book to throw in with your crossword puzzles and mini trivia books.
January 23, 2021
Week 4 Book 5
The Test Book by Krogerus and Tschappeler
Rating: 4/5
I've had this book for a while but it's only this week that I finally strated to thumb through it. Ive always been a sucker for tests and this was a fun book to go through. It's a treasure trove of dozens of different types of tests, both new and old, which aim to give you an insight into various aspects of your life. Everything from your personality, to your health profile, from your career skills to knowledge and belief - there's a test for everything. It's mostly a fun, sometimes shocking or disappointing but usually an introspective look at oneself. I recommend it to all to try it out and get to know yourself better!
The Test Book by Krogerus and Tschappeler
Rating: 4/5
I've had this book for a while but it's only this week that I finally strated to thumb through it. Ive always been a sucker for tests and this was a fun book to go through. It's a treasure trove of dozens of different types of tests, both new and old, which aim to give you an insight into various aspects of your life. Everything from your personality, to your health profile, from your career skills to knowledge and belief - there's a test for everything. It's mostly a fun, sometimes shocking or disappointing but usually an introspective look at oneself. I recommend it to all to try it out and get to know yourself better!
June 10, 2017
A compendium of self-diagnosis tests. Supposedly the tests are scientific, I bought this book to get a cross-section of well-constructed tests. More science-y than science, the bases for the tests are barely explored and the tests stand mostly unconvincing.
January 17, 2022
Book in a sentence: a good dive into all different kinds of tests: personality, character, health, skills, career, lifestyle, knowledge and beliefs.
Key lesson learned: I'm biased towards myself and don't know me.
Key lesson learned: I'm biased towards myself and don't know me.
January 8, 2025
Would be more accurately title 'The Test Introduction Book'. Contains an overview of the what, why and how of 64 different tests, but only a series of sample questions for each. To complete the tests and assess yourself, you'll need to look further.
November 8, 2017
I love this was a quick read. And most of the tests are interesting. My favorite was How German Am I? The writer has a great sense of humor. I especially appreciate all the resources listed in back.
October 3, 2018
The tests and the insights behind them mentioned in the book are pretty cool BUT this book won't really lead me to success as it claims on its cover. It's a bait!
January 24, 2019
Great, useful tests.
October 1, 2020
Доста занимателно и като да не повярва човек, НЕ СУХО четиво!
May 17, 2021
A funny book, not for all person. But I think, most of the test are inapplicable outside US.
May 31, 2021
Another quick summary and fun book that takes you through most fluently used tests. It was a lot of fun to do this with someone else—we finished it in a morning. Would love a volume 2!
July 25, 2021
Insightful and can be funny.. Loved it!
Has nothing to do with leading you to success though.
Has nothing to do with leading you to success though.
August 31, 2021
Ok. Yeah. No.
December 14, 2024
Did the authors not give a shit toward the end of the book because why’d it get less and less serious as it went on?
November 20, 2021
Fun, quick read that shows the origins of some famous tests and also includes a variety of tests you can do yourself.
March 6, 2017
This is a deceptively small short book that you think you will zip right through. However, the 64 tests that cover everything you can think of do take some time, even if just to contemplate. Consequently, it does seem to drag on a bit. But the writers have done exceptional work in garnering help in gathering and compiling very doable, informative, no-study-for tests which can be helpful and entertaining.
November 16, 2016
I love these little books by Mikael and Roman. They are insightful, helpful, and lots of fun. They take longer than you think to read, because you are constantly taking little tests to determine something about your personality. Don't take it too seriously, but use it as a tool to look at yourself and others more objectively.
August 13, 2017
This book boils down a lot of logical/psychological tests into easy bite sized tests one can easily consume. Not sure that they're necessaily going to lead you to success as the as the sub-heading claims but it's fun to read.
Verdict: A good little fun read in which everyone should find one or two tests they love and a few more that are just interesting to know.
#2017ReadingChallenge
Verdict: A good little fun read in which everyone should find one or two tests they love and a few more that are just interesting to know.
#2017ReadingChallenge
June 18, 2016
READ JUN 2016
This is a nice collection of various test organized by helpful categories. Not only is it interesting, but provides indirect insight into developing new tests.
This is a nice collection of various test organized by helpful categories. Not only is it interesting, but provides indirect insight into developing new tests.
October 5, 2016
Not as informative/ insightful as i hoped it would be. But at least still an entertaining way to pass time.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews