One of my goals for 2018 is to learn about the Enneagram. I started reading books about this personality system last year, but this year I really wanted to dig into and understand it. I have read a TON of great books on the subject and found some other terrific resources and wanted to share them here for anyone else who is diving into this system of personal discovery and growth.
Books
The Road Back to You – This was one of the first resources I read and what I would recommend folks start with if you are just getting started. This is written in a conversational, comfortable way that I really enjoyed. You can read my full review here. ♥♥♥♥♥
The Path Between Us – Suzanne Stabile has become my favorite Enneagram expert . She was a co-author on The Road Back to You, but this book is completely on her own and focuses on the Enneagram as a tool in relationships. If someone new to Enneagram asked me where to start, these first two books would be my recommendation. ♥♥♥♥♥
Self to Lose Self to Find – This was a good resource. This gave me my first introduction into some methods for using your self-knowledge through the Enneagram to start changing your thinking and behavior and moving toward health. ♥♥♥♥
The Essential Enneagram – A small quick-to-read resource if you want an overview. Outlines for each type follow a pattern so it is easy to flip from type to type and compare. There’s a quick assessment in this as well. My favorite feature is a set of practices recommended for each type. ♥♥♥♥½
The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective – Before I started digging into the Enneagram, the only thing I knew about it was that Richard Rohr was really into it. So I had to read his book on the subject. This is a longer, more detailed exploration. I enjoyed reading about all 9 types in this one, not just the ones I thought might be my own. ♥♥♥♥♥
Personality Types – This may be my least favorite of the resources I have read through so far. While it is still good, it is extremely detailed. At times that level of detail was too much for me. ♥♥♥♥
The Sacred Enneagram*** – I really enjoyed this, but I am glad I didn’t start my research here. To me this is a good 3rd or 4th resource as it moves beyond “What is my number?” to “What do I do to pursue health and wholeness now that I know my number?” ♥♥♥♥
Understanding the Enneagram – This was an excellent resource for me for a “next level” book with information on the Centers and psychological categories with the Enneagram. ♥♥♥♥♥
The Wisdom of the Enneagram – I am working through this resource right now. It is HUGE and detailed. I can’t say yet how it stands up to the others. It does include a set of questions to rate on a 5 point scale for each number to help you narrow down what your type might be. If you are looking for that sort of information, this book might help (although experts often say that tests aren’t the best indicator of type – but it might help you narrow down the search a little).
Non-book resources
I am not much of a podcast person, but these two are changing that for me – The Enneagram Journey and Typology. Frankly, I would rather read than try to listen to a podcast, but Ian and Suzanne have such a lovely style in their interactions with folks, they hooked me right away. I adored Suzanne’s two part podcast with three ladies who work in eating disorders treatment. I was inspired to hear how the Enneagram helped them not only in their work relationships with one another but also their work with clients and families. [I recently bought her MP3 teaching called Know Your Number. I am hoping to listen through those (6+ hours of material) yet this summer. ] If you are more of an auditory processor, consider checking out these two podcasts to learn more about the various Enneagram types.
Suzanne Stabile is quickly becoming my favorite Enneagram teacher. I recently bought her Know Your Number teaching on MP3 (You can get the whole set or just certain numbers). I am just starting to work through this, but I adore it already. The first session is an introduction to the Enneagram as a whole and a discussion of 8s. The session was outstanding! Now I am saving my pennies because I would love to get more of her teachings and eventually have their DVD curriculum that could be used with groups of folks. I think that would be a lot of fun! You can take a look at her website here.
***[EDIT – June 2020: Sadly, some new about the author came out after this post. Readers can decide for themselves how this will impact them. You can read the article here. ]