Happy Independence Day to my US readers! It’s the first Saturday in July which means my annual Enneagram resource post. You can read my post from last year here and all of my Enneagram-related posts here.
As the Enneagram has grown in popularity, there are a lot of books and podcasts and Instagram accounts where folks can learn about this ancient tool. Here are some of the resources I have checked out in the last year:
The Road Back to You – Yep, I read this again. This is my go to recommendation for beginners, and I wanted to read it again. It’s a good thing I did, because when I picked it up it was obvious I read this back before I had fully drilled down to my Enneagram number, so there were lots of fresh insights here. This is still my foundational resource and recommendation, although I have started recommending Millenneagram to younger readers who don’t mind the profanity in that one. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Becoming Us – When I wrote my post last July, this was the book I was most looking forward to reading. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. It’s definitely a book for beginners, so there was always going to be an element of disappointment for me because I want to go deeper, further, and I am struggling to find resources that do that. But this was also disappointing for me because it felt more like a marriage book than an Enneagram book. Again, that could just be a matter of my expectations. Also, though, I found the faith pieces of the book felt heavy handed. In one review I likened it to petting a cat the wrong way. It should be soothing, but it grated against me instead. Other readers have found this to be a delightful and inspiring read, so be sure to read other reviews before you decide on this one. It might have just not been a great fit for me. I still follow their posts on IG, but not as avidly as I did before. Rating: ♥♥♥
The Enneagram Collection – These are journals from the author of Becoming Us and the Instagram account Your Enneagram Coach. There is one book for each Enneagram type. There are 21 days of material (a few pages) and journalling questions (3-5) over stress and security numbers, wings, childhood messages, core longings, etc. Again, for me, this was pretty basic. Two or three years ago, I would have loved this. By the time this released, I didn’t find it as useful as I might have awhile back. Beginners who are trying to get a handle on their type, or professionals who might be learning about all the types, might find this a good tool.
Enneagram Journal for Self-Growth – I stumbled across this on Amazon, and since it is free to read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers (at least at the time I read it and at the time of this writing), I checked it out. It’s literally a list of journalling prompts by type. I loved it. Since I already know my type, I love the idea of digging into these questions for personal growth and insight. I don’t think this would be a good resource for beginners – or non-writers for that matter. If you don’t want to journal, I’m not sure this would be a fruitful resource. Apparently the physical copy actually has space to write your responses. I’m happy to use the questions in my personal writing spaces instead. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
The Honest Enneagram – You can read my full review here. I liked the H.O.N.E.S.T growth system described in the book. It was a great, practical resource because the author explains the system and then applies it to each type in turn so the reader doesn’t have to guess. I felt this was another beginning level resource, but it would be great for beginners who are pursuing the Enneagram specifically for personal growth. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
The Enneagram and You – You can read my full review here. My favorite part of this resource is that it digs into various triads involved with the Enneagram – stances, Harmonic triads, Object Relations triads, etc. This is exactly the sort of second or third level Enneagram information I am looking for. The rest didn’t wow me, though. There’s a quiz, and quizzes are notoriously bad for the Enneagram. They are wrong more often than they are right, and they can send people down the wrong path for a long time. This might be a good resource for folks who want to dig into the triads, or for those who are solid in their Enneagram knowledge but want to explore the relationship pieces which is another area of emphasis in this book. Rating: ♥♥♥½
Coming Soon!
What’s Your Enneatype? – This book will release in early August, and it’s fantastic! I’ll be posting a full review when it releases, but for now I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this resource. The writing is conversational, and the visuals and graphics, including a rationale for the color scheme for every number, are excellent. I believe this has something for both beginners and those who have been digging into the Enneagram for awhile. I am adding this book to my core books to recommend for newcomers. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
The Gospel for Achievers – I was approached by the author of this book to give a full review of this 40-day devotional for Enneagram 3s. I am just barely getting started in my read-through, but I have been impressed so far with the introductory information as well as the author’s resource on his website for Christians who have questions about using the Enneagram. I’ll post a full review once I have gotten through the whole book. I don’t even have a rating yet, it’s just too new to me – but if you identify as an Enneagram 3, you should look for this devotional this August. My only complaint so far is having to wait for the release of the book for my number.
Forty Days on Being a Two – This resource won’t release until October, 2020, along with Forty Days on Being a Three. And I have not seen a review copy or any sample pages, yet. But if you identify as an Enneagram 2 or 3, you might want to keep these on your radar for fall.
Non-Book resources
Other resources I have enjoyed this year:
Jen Hatmaker’s podcast For the Love has been exploring the Enneagram this spring/summer. There’s an introductory episode with Suzanne Stabile, my absolute favorite Enneagram instructor. Then each episode after that explores one type. It’s similar to the format Annie F. Downs used last year except she brought in both a male and a female of the number.
During our quarantine at home I discovered a local Enneagram teacher at Enneagram Insight. You can check out their website here. I have participated in several of the Monday evening Facebook live sessions as well as completing a couple webinars, online versions of the in-person sessions they usually do. It was a blessing in disguise because I likely would not have driven to the in-person sessions, and the in-person ones were also more expensive. I was able to participate in some live training for the first time, and I have gained so much from it.
The Complete Enneagram – I have started this one but I haven’t gotten too far yet. I picked this up because I want to learn about the subtypes. There are three subtypes for every Enneagram type. And in a teaching I heard recently, the instructor pointed out that it can be hard to zero into your type because of the variations within the subtypes – one might be the stereotypical description, but the other two might be nuanced and different enough that you can’t find yourself within the type if you fit one of those. So I am going to dig into this more this summer/fall. I recently heard a teaching from the author, and I enjoyed it.
The Enneagram of Eating – I have started this one, too, this year, but haven’t finished yet. I like the idea of these books that take each of the types and show how the type – in health and in some of the lower places – can interact with this topic. This author will have a book about the Enneagram and sex later this year.
Millenneagram – I recently discovered Hannah Paasch on Twitter, and I had to pick up her book! She has a sassy, irreverent style, and I wanted to see how that impacted her take on the Enneagram. I’m going to do a full review of this soon, but for now I will say this is both a fresh and a foul take on the Enneagram. There is a LOT of swearing in this book, so if that will bother you, skip this one. But if you can get past that, don’t miss out on this fresh look at the 9 types. I loved this! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram – The three resources I have finished this year have all been spectacular, but this one rises to the top of the list for me. Each type is covered in probably 20 pages of material. Each chapter is laid out in the same order so if you want to check something for every type, it is easy to find. This focuses not only on understanding the type but also spiritual practices to be the healthiest you can be. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on triads – each type is a mix of 3 types that make up a triangle on the map. And we can learn to use the other two parts of our triad to be more balanced. The whole thing was brilliant, and it is a resource I will go back to over and over and over again! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
The Art of Typing – This is a gorgeous resource! I love the layout of this. But it is a niche resource. This is what I would recommend to someone who either can’t distinguish their type because they are vacillating between a few or for professionals who work with people on the Enneagram a lot. This gives a set of three questions (different questions for each pairing) to each of two numbers and shows how the numbers would answer those questions differently. It’s brilliant for learning differentiation and the nuances between types. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
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 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).
