The Enneagram Type 5: The Investigative Thinker

The Enneagram Collection #5

by Beth McCord, Knox McCoy (Foreword)

The Enneagram Collection is for anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of their Enneagram type. The Enneagram Type 5: The Investigative Thinker is an interactive book that focuses on those who have a core desire to be capable and competent. The book explores the unique motivations, longings, strengths, and weaknesses of a Type 5. The Enneagram Type 5: The Investigative Thinker is a great self-assessment resource for all spheres of life, Author Beth McCord teaches readers how to transform self-limiting behaviors into life-enhancing personal empowerment. Books from The Enneagram Collection are great for anyone newly interested in the Enneagram or longtime Enneagram enthusiasts. Inside readers will This ancient personality typing system identifies nine types of people and how they relate to one another. It helps people discover what motivates them, their fears, and how best to interact with others. Not a Type 5 or want to learn about the other Enneagram types? Check out the rest of The Enneagram Collection by Enneagram coach, author, and speaker Beth McCord.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Christian

160 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2019

About the author

Beth McCord, founder of Your Enneagram Coach, has been an Enneagram speaker, coach, and teacher for more than fifteen years. Having been trained by the best Enneagram experts and pouring hundreds of hours into advanced certifications, Beth is passionate about coming alongside individuals and helping them rewrite their story, allowing them to see that lasting change, meaningful relationships, and a life of deep purpose are possible. Beth lives outside of Nashville and has been married to her best friend, Jeff, for 23 years, and they have two teenage children.

Reviews

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in about a half hour. Maybe it's the 5 in me, but I would have loved more in-depth research and content on my type. It felt like most of the book is probably copied in all nine books and little sections are unique to each type. I didn't learn anything new about my type that I hadn't read or learned before. I did not do all of the journaling prompts at the end of each section so perhaps that would change my impression. But I'll probably stick to the "Road Back to You" as my primary Enneagram source for my type and others.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Here's what this book is: a very straightforward enneagram primer from the Christian perspective. Other reviews already shared how the book does repeat itself and most of the content is likely copy pasted in the other books in the series. But the writing is clear and this book should not intimidate newcomers. Here are other books to consider: if you are a Five who wants a much deeper dive then consider Riso and Hudson. If you are a Christian who wants a deeper dive then consider Chris Heuertz. And if you want one primer that covers all the numbers then consider Stabile (Methodist) and Cron (Anglican). For a super quick introduction check out the songs by the band Sleeping At Last, for example the song "Five" for enneagram type five. :-D

[Lilly Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slay my wing

[Alexandria Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible

If a book is going to be riddled with references to God and faith and spirituality every 3rd sentence, it should be referenced on the cover. I couldn't get through this because of the over bearing religious aspect of it. I wanted to learn more about enegrams, NOT religion!!

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! I learned some new things.
It was set up like a daily devotional which was a nice way to break it up.
I would love to see the other numbers’ books too.

[Michael Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly there are some truths here but the book felt quite shallow and mostly boilerplate rather than tailored to a specific type.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a 5, don’t expect a robust analysis of what the nature of the 5 experience entails; this is not a research project. Rather it’s more of a reflection journal/devotional that does a great job aligning deep reflection on those parts of this enneagram type, the things I’m sure most 5s like myself don’t want to deal with. Grounding this growth journey in biblical teaching helps reveal how our weaknesses ultimately find fulfillment in God regardless of type, which should be encouraging. Though seen outside of this Christian framework, I can understand how some will find the book lacking

[Savannah Faraci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhhh yes I am 5

[Marisa Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I am not an adept in this field, this book or mini workbook gives the reader a clear and straightforward picture.

At times it became repetitive and lacks scientific information, at least to me, but I would like to highlight an idea that become reality: ‘my needs are not a problem’

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

There just isn't a lot of value in this set of Enneagram books. I wanted to like it because I love the idea of each number having its own book but the problem is there was little more information than said in a brief chapter in other Enneagram books that cover much more general information. This means there is a bunch of filler material.
McCord decided that material filler would be any series of phrases about devotion to God one would get in a Sunday School, or typical evangelical church service. No one reading these Enneagram books is looking for light fluff material that might be the topic of the latest Joel Osteen, Max Lucado, or Rick Warren book.
Enneagram readers and thinkers are introspective, thoughtful, and self-aware and wanting to become more aware. We are not readers that want to hear "Christian fluff"... So Meh. That's all I can say... I'd much rather read Richard Rohr or someone who isn't trying to make the awesomeness of the Enneagram palatable by dumbing it down to evangelicals.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Enneagram from a Biblical perspective. Personally, I was hoping for more in-depth explanations on the various pathways respective to my type. I found the reflection questions to be simplistic, so much so that I did not spend time writing down my answers. I imagine that most of the content is identical for every type’s book, with smatterings of insight unique to the specific type being considered. A good place to start if you haven’t already been introduced to the Enneagram.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a journal/devotional type format. Easy read with good information but s little too formulaic.

[Casey | Essentially Novel]

Here in this little book Beth McCord provides insight into the type (there’s a book for each) and offers 21 days of self-reflection. She breaks down the type, it’s growth patterns and unhealthy habits, wings, and more, with about 3-6 questions at the end of each short daily reading for further introspection. She does bring in faith and God in this, which I really liked (I’d also recommend Marilyn Vancil’s book Self to Lose, Self to Find if this is something you’d like too).

It’s certainly a useful tool to help anyone curious about their type and those who may have known about the Enneagram for years to grow. That’s what the Enneagram does: it helps us grow. Grow in knowledge of ourselves and hopefully develop healthier habits for our personality type, and grow in compassion towards others who are both similar to us and those who are vastly different. And a small book like this, with quick chapters and a couple of reflection questions is easy enough for even the busiest of people to add into their daily routine for 3 weeks.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was spot-on re: my personality. The insights were welcome, because sometimes, I just need things spelled out. I think it will be helpful in knowing my triggers and how to anticipate negative reactions. My issues with the book are with the type - many of the pages are yellow-gold with white type, and the contrast isn't great enough to read easily. Also, there are too many pages devoted to journaling type questions with blank space for writing. That space could have been better used, in my opinion, with additional information (typical 5 answer, I know!).

Also, this series takes a Christian approach to the enneagram and applying it to one's life. I think that a more deeply contemplative approach could have been taken rather than what seems to be Protestant evangelicalism. However, I do think it would be helpful for many people.

[Patrick Funston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 21-day journal into one’s Enneagram personality profile. Did it together with my spouse and found the questions to be identical and the reflections to be only slightly different based on our profile. Still, as our third joint-journal experience (the second focused on the enneagram) it was enjoyable.

This book introduced me to a couple new Enneagram concepts:
The Blind Spot Path, which are the negative/stress traits you take on when you feel safe (typically aligned with the negative traits of your Growth Path-Type).
The Convergence Path, when health/growth abounds so much that you get the positive traits of your Stress Path-Type (in addition to the positives of your Core and Growth Path Types).

[Alisha I · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like to criticize others work, but how was this published 🤔. Over 130 pages that should have been made into a pamphlet. I literally skimmed the book looking for information I could use. I think I found about 10 pages worth my time. This is not a critique on Enneagram Types. I chose the book because this type spoke to me. But the book is fluff. Each chapter is just listing the characteristics over and over again, with some trust God blended in, and 3 pages of vague journal questions. Very little new information in the first half of the book. The paths discussed in the later half of the book were just plain confusing 😕. Basically, I didn't gain anything beyond the initial descriptions of each type.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely good and probably better if you have your own copy to write in. I would have liked more depth and detail and examples, but I can see that this isn't quite that kind of book. Worth reading and probably much more worth doing all the writing parts.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this little book. It leads you on daily reflections to help you work through the various aspects of your enneagram reality. i found it very helpful and it brought a lot of the different aspects of the enneagram together in a practical way for me.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explains everything through a Christian lens. It’s like enneagram lite + devotional, but I was looking for the complete and unabridged version.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking for other resources on 5s!

[Chasity R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish we could give 1/2 stars because this devotional lands squarely in the middle of 3 and 4 because there were definitely enlightening moments but the journal prompts weren’t fleshed out enough.

[Magen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christian propaganda. I learned nothing about being an enneagram five but got all the preachiness of a Sunday sermon.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little basic. good for beginners, especially if you want a Christian spin on the enneagram

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent if not flawed on faith based actions

There are some interesting things in this book. It is unfortunate that it has the faith based sheen to it that takes away from the message. It is hard to be a pagan dealing with a 5 mentality when I have the God of a son all up in my grill.

If you can take things out of the book without the faithism injected into it, more power to you. I am a flawed mortal that needs many gods.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much "God" in here for me.

I don't need to hear about God every sentence.
The rest was fine. Perhaps a reboot would be good for us 5's.

[Joshua Southard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out I’m an enneagram Type 5. That means a lot to those people who understand enneagram things, like my wife. But I need a map, so Aubrey got me a book to work through the details. This book is a 21-day exercise/journaling type book, which runs through the basics of the enneagram, the core motivations, fears, desires, weaknesses, and longings of Type 5s. Then it covers alignment, wings, triads, and various paths. Like all personality bucketing systems, the enneagram is a soft science, but its power comes from its ability to provide language around the core emotions of each type. I learned a lot about myself by engaging and journaling through all 21 days. Historically, I haven’t been able to stick with journaling for more than five minutes so this was a big win in the discipline experiment category.

This book is for enneagram Type 5s or their significant others.
(Rated G, Score 7/10, hardback, 141p.)

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

21 days to help you work on yourself and how you relate to others. It's broken down into small sections to be able to absorb a bit each day. There are questions for you to ponder in each section too. I enjoyed seeing how 5s relate to others around them and how to make it easier to understand the way I can make it easier for 5s in my life. So far I've read the numbers of the people in my immediate family but hope to read through them all eventually. Well written and helpful. Not negative as many enneagram books are written. Helpful and concise.