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The Enneagram Made Simple: A No-Nonsense Guide to Using the Enneagram for Growth and Awareness
Discover who you are and who you can be with the Enneagram It’s a natural human instinct to want to know more about to try to understand who you are, why you behave a certain way, and how you can move forward. Enter the Enneagram—a tool for personal understanding and transformation. This easy guide to the Enneagram will help you figure out who you truly are and support you on your journey to becoming your best self. What sets this Enneagram book apart from other books on personality Realize your strengths and overcome personal barriers with The Enneagram Made Simple .
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 4, 2022
274 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 24, 2022
Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober (known as @enneagramashton on Instagram) brings us this short and sweet guidebook of the Enneagram. After a short history of the system (which opened my eyes a bit), she has her own test that can help determine which of the nine types you are. The rest of the book is a detailed overview of each of the nine types, and this is more than what you'll get on many sites online (or you'll have to pay for it), talking about relationships, how each type interacts and more, all in prose that's easy to consume. The back of the book has even more resources for those looking to dig further, including books and other Instagram accounts. This is a great book for those new to the Enneagram, and I highly recommend it. I'll be using it to build my characters going forward.
December 17, 2022
Pretty good and helpful. I am into Ennegrams right now. I have read several books and this one is short and useful. It's available on KU and I recommend it if you want to know more about yours type.
May 1, 2023
This book came highly recommended from a friend since all the online tests I took lead me to several different types. Reading through it helped me figure out that I am a Type 4 with a 5 wing. I recommend it to anyone wanting to figure out their Enneagram number!
June 20, 2024
Great introduction to the basic principles of the enneagram. I found it easy to understand and very straightforward. It was a very good overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each personality type, but I do wish it had a little more information about dealing with conflicts in relationships between them. I read this for my book club, and I’m looking forward to the discussion.
January 24, 2023
A great beginning foundation for understanding the Enneagram. A good overall look at each type.
May 24, 2022
This helped me understand myself as a “9” and how I fit in with the other personality numbers.
March 8, 2025
Fun. Short. Easy to understand. A great intro to the Enneagram. Heard the interview with the author on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast with Glennon Doyle.
I think I have figured out the numbers of most of the people in my life, and that is really interesting.
I am a Four, The Individualist.
I think my partner is a Six, the Loyalist (but she hasn't read the book yet to concur.)
My daughter (who told me to read this) is a Nine, The Peacemaker.
I like this system more than the Myers-Briggs.
It is more helpful in knowing myself and others.
It's kind of like Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies, though richer.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the Enneagram.
I think I have figured out the numbers of most of the people in my life, and that is really interesting.
I am a Four, The Individualist.
I think my partner is a Six, the Loyalist (but she hasn't read the book yet to concur.)
My daughter (who told me to read this) is a Nine, The Peacemaker.
I like this system more than the Myers-Briggs.
It is more helpful in knowing myself and others.
It's kind of like Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies, though richer.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the Enneagram.
October 12, 2022
This book accomplishes what it sets out to do, make the enneagram simple and digestible enough for anyone to make meaning out of a personality tool that assesses the motivations and fears that drive our behaviors and decisions.
However, this is not a book with a lengthy and satisfying personality test. Go in knowing that there is no test in this book, which relies on the plethora of free online resources for people to get their enneagram baseline scores completed. Rather, this book gives the reader the tools to understand scores, comprehend variances between numerical typings, and discern which number or numbers best explain their motivations, relationships, and behaviors.
My husband and I tested and read about our scores together (I'm a longtime enneagram reader; he was a first timer), and we really enjoyed learning more about why the other person does what they do (with validation from them of course) and thinking about our relationship in these terms. Enneagrams can get a little complicated (and therefore less practical) if you're having to parse the meanings between primaries, wings, integration and disintegration points, and if this book had required all of that my husband would have been out of there. Rather, Whitmoyer-Ober rolls all of those relationships into a 2-3 page summary for each type, complete with a brief blurb on possible variations, which made it easy for us to skim to relevant sections and discuss our relationship organically and without having to search a glossary.
I highly recommend this book for starters looking to learn more or people who are skeptical of personality typing in general. This was an informative book that could be read non-linearly or finished cover to cover in an afternoon.
However, this is not a book with a lengthy and satisfying personality test. Go in knowing that there is no test in this book, which relies on the plethora of free online resources for people to get their enneagram baseline scores completed. Rather, this book gives the reader the tools to understand scores, comprehend variances between numerical typings, and discern which number or numbers best explain their motivations, relationships, and behaviors.
My husband and I tested and read about our scores together (I'm a longtime enneagram reader; he was a first timer), and we really enjoyed learning more about why the other person does what they do (with validation from them of course) and thinking about our relationship in these terms. Enneagrams can get a little complicated (and therefore less practical) if you're having to parse the meanings between primaries, wings, integration and disintegration points, and if this book had required all of that my husband would have been out of there. Rather, Whitmoyer-Ober rolls all of those relationships into a 2-3 page summary for each type, complete with a brief blurb on possible variations, which made it easy for us to skim to relevant sections and discuss our relationship organically and without having to search a glossary.
I highly recommend this book for starters looking to learn more or people who are skeptical of personality typing in general. This was an informative book that could be read non-linearly or finished cover to cover in an afternoon.
March 15, 2022
What I Loved: This is a great beginner's guide to the Enneagram. After seeing lots of Instagram content about the Enneagram, I felt like I needed to start with the basics and make sure I had a good foundational knowledge of the vocabulary, the diagram, and the types. Great structure to the chapters. I highlighted a lot of information about my own enneagram type and had fun trying to type my friends as I read the other chapters. I'm glad to have this on my shelf so I can loan it out to interested family or friends.
What I Didn't Love: This is truly just the basics - nothing fancy. I'm glad I started here, but I do look forward to reading deeper.
What I Didn't Love: This is truly just the basics - nothing fancy. I'm glad I started here, but I do look forward to reading deeper.
November 18, 2022
An interesting read
"The Enneagram is a powerful tool you can use to increase your self-awareness and personal development. It can help you understand the motives and behaviors of the people in your life."
This is absolutely true, and I found a lot of helpful, useful information in these pages.
It was very clear which numbers were mine, (1,3,6 - IYKYK) and the helpful matras coordinating with each number is very helpful.
I recommend this read if you are at all curious about why you, and others do the things they do. It is no nonsense, and easy to read and understand.
"The Enneagram is a powerful tool you can use to increase your self-awareness and personal development. It can help you understand the motives and behaviors of the people in your life."
This is absolutely true, and I found a lot of helpful, useful information in these pages.
It was very clear which numbers were mine, (1,3,6 - IYKYK) and the helpful matras coordinating with each number is very helpful.
I recommend this read if you are at all curious about why you, and others do the things they do. It is no nonsense, and easy to read and understand.
May 5, 2022
This book lives up to its title. The concept of the enneagram kept popping up everywhere from Fr. Rohr to conversation with a close friend, but it was never a concept I understood. This book presented the information succinctly, yet with enough details to make sense. It was also an overall positive approach and avoided the defensiveness I have felt in the past when trying to understand what this weird enneagram thing might be.
January 8, 2022
there are a lot of enneagram books and this one is barely different
The only thing different is the family life, relationship life and the mantras. Otherwise it doesn’t say anything differnt than any other enneagram book. I guess if this is your first time reading an enneagram book, it will be good .
The only thing different is the family life, relationship life and the mantras. Otherwise it doesn’t say anything differnt than any other enneagram book. I guess if this is your first time reading an enneagram book, it will be good .
June 4, 2022
Recommended for Beginners and Dabblers
Solid overview, well organized, and easy to read. This is great for someone looking for a simple way to learn the basics about enneagram personality types without having to read a lot of different or overly- detailed materials. You can read this and know a lot more about yourself and others.
Solid overview, well organized, and easy to read. This is great for someone looking for a simple way to learn the basics about enneagram personality types without having to read a lot of different or overly- detailed materials. You can read this and know a lot more about yourself and others.
June 21, 2022
Loved the simplicity of this book. If you're just getting into Enneagrams, this book provides a well-thought-out, yet easy-to-understand starting point and going back and using it as a reference guide is straightforward as well. This isn't a book to read and give away; rather keep coming back to as you continue learning about Enneagrams.
October 19, 2022
Very well-organized and easy to read.
The author gives an overview of the Enneagram and where it comes from. Then he takes each personality type separately, explains what makes that type tick, how each can grow, and how each type relates to each of the other types. Really well done.
The author gives an overview of the Enneagram and where it comes from. Then he takes each personality type separately, explains what makes that type tick, how each can grow, and how each type relates to each of the other types. Really well done.
April 18, 2023
Good intro to the enneagram and each of the types. I thought the explanations of wings and stress and security points was more clear than other information I’ve read. I did feel that most of this is available online though so not sure it was necessary for me to get a book but it was nice to see it all in one place and I enjoyed the exercises as well.
June 9, 2023
Absolutely love this intro to Enneagram! It is broken down into each type and really makes you think! It has how each type acts, their motivations/fears, stress/security points and so much more! At the end of each type, you have a list of mantras and a little exercise! Super helpful for character building! Highly recommend!
October 3, 2022
It feels nice to have someone else speak the words I feel inside. To validate myself so I don't feel "crazy." She explains the different numbers so easily. Take a listen/ read and learn why people do what they do.
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December 31, 2022Good entry point to enneagrams - short and easy to read. I like that it did not make me take a quiz and I’m interested in digging in more which feels like the purpose of this book. My only complaint was the celebrity examples even with the disclaimer on being observational vs. motivational.
April 25, 2023
This book really explained the basics of the enneagram to me. I’m still a tiny bit unsure if I’m a 6 or a 9 but I’m pretty confident based on this book that I’m a 9 who
Leans 6 when I’m stressed. Recommend for anyone beginning this journey.
Leans 6 when I’m stressed. Recommend for anyone beginning this journey.
February 1, 2022
Great beginner book on the Enneagram.
March 25, 2022
Interesting book
This book did exactly what it was supposed to, it simplified the Enneagram making it understandable and interesting. I enjoyed reading it.
This book did exactly what it was supposed to, it simplified the Enneagram making it understandable and interesting. I enjoyed reading it.
Read
April 17, 2022So interesting!!
April 24, 2022
4 and 1/2 stars
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April 25, 2022The title says it all. This book is very short and merely skims the surface. I'm glad I didn't pay for it, as it's on KU. I'm not even going to give it a star rating, in was that insubstantial.
May 2, 2022
A great introduction and guide to understanding the enneagram.
June 15, 2022
This was one of my favorite enneagram books yet…user friendly and easy to understand.
June 16, 2022
Definitely lives up to the “no nonsense” subtitle. I think I would’ve preferred a little nonsense, to be honest. This was dry—but informative and fast moving. Good introductory book
November 10, 2022
It was fascinating to figure out what number I am, and I look forward to learning more!
January 19, 2023
I used this book as the basis for a Sunday School intro to the Enneagram. I found it relatable and easy to navigate. The descriptions and info for each type was easy to understand and helpful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews