Reading People by Anne Bogel

It seems we spend a great deal of our lives trying to understand ourselves and others. Bogel has written an informative and practical book to help us in those life long pursuits.

She takes readers through a number of personality indication structures. The first is the introvert extrovert difference. I hadn't realized that there were actual physiological differences in the brains. They are literally wired differently. She then writes about highly sensitive people and I found out why two people talking to me at the same time nearly drives me crazy.

Bogel also covers the five love languages, something I was familiar with from previous reading. Next was Keirsey's temperaments. I certainly spotted me there as well as a good friend. It suddenly made sense to me why she behaves as she does. The 16 types of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are next, clarifying the types with cognitive functions. Bogel then explores the Clifton StrengthsFinder, identifying our naturally occurring talents. The last personality framework Bogel investigates is the Enneagram.

I like how Bogel gives us a bit of history for each personality framework. She also clearly identifies how readers can access tests or otherwise identify the particular personality type. For me, the best part of this book is that it gave me a new appreciation and understanding for the personality types of other people.

Bogle is quick to note that she is not a scholar in this area of personality frameworks. She doesn't cover all of the frameworks that have been designed. She does do a good job of helping us identify our personality types and gives good suggestions for tending to and taking care of ourselves within our personality style. She gives plenty of examples from her own life so we see how these personalities function.

I do recommend this book to those who want to understand who you are and how to best take care of yourself, based on your personality type. You will also be able to better understand others and perhaps see life from their point of view too. I found the book to be very informative with good practical insights and suggestions.

Food for thought: “Self-discovery and self-formation are lifelong processes.” (202)

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Anne Bogel is the creator of the popular blog Modern Mrs. Darcy and the podcast What Should I Read Next? She lives in Louisville, Kentucky. You can follow her blog at https://modernmrsdarcy.com/.

Baker Books, 220 page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.