Tag: Ian Morgan Cron

REVIEW: The Story of You Workbook by Ian Morgan Cron

REVIEW: The Story of You Workbook by Ian Morgan Cron

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperOne in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is a companion workbook for The Story of You, an Enneagram resource from Ian Morgan Cron that released last year. I thought the book was fantastic!

The purpose of the book and the workbook is to examine the stories we tell ourselves (related to Enneagram type) and correct the less functional ones. The author says learning your type is the “appetizer” while transformation is the “main course” and purpose of studying the Enneagram.

While the full book explains the SOAR process for all nine types, the workbook is designed to walk the reader through the process individually.  There are sections of the workbook that briefly address all 9 types alongside the journaling questions.

I appreciate the emphasis on self-awareness with the questions and with the examination of both positive and negative traits. The questions are challenging and made me want to sit down and start writing.

This is absolutely the sort of book where you will get out of it what you put in. If you want to explore the concepts and put the book on a shelf, go with the full book that released last year. But if you want to go toe to toe with yourself to actively pursue personal growth, you want to grab this workbook – and maybe your own journal or notebook – and a dive in.

Occasionally I will consider a workbook like this  and think I’ll read the book from the library and buy the workbook for my personal work. I feel like this approach to the Enneagram lends itself more to having the full book at hand. I think the concepts described and the examples in the book will help workbook users along the way.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read.

YEAR IN REVIEW - Best of 2021 for Adults

YEAR IN REVIEW – Best of 2021 for Adults

Posted on by Jaymie

2021 was a tough reading year for me. Between starting a new job, rediscovering an old hobby, and (waves vaguely at a world in chaos), I found it hard to stop doom scrolling and focus long enough to really engage with the sort of reading I usually do. But that doesn’t mean 2021 didn’t have some amazing books that I thoroughly enjoyed. Here are some of my favorites for adults from what I read in 2021:

Best of 2021 – Adult Fiction

Hunt the Stars (♥♥♥♥½)- These books aren’t necessarily in order, but if I had to pick a favorite adult fiction book from last year, I think Hunt the Stars would be the one. It helps that it was one of the last books I read in 2021. But I remember so clearly as I was reading being delighted by the whole story and the characters, and feeling such joy whenever I checked my progress and saw I had so much book still left to enjoy.  This one doesn’t release until this year, but the author is a favorite, so I prioritized this one over some others I probably should have read – and I was not disappointed. If you enjoyed The Consortium Rebellion series or you love romantic scifi, put this one on your list for February 2022. Stay tuned for my full review in February as well.
Capture the Crown – If you’ve read my coverage of the Crown of Shards series, my love of this spin off shouldn’t come as a surprise. You can read my full review here.
The List (♥♥♥♥♥)- My husband pulled me into the Orphan X series a couple summers ago. One of my favorite characters is Joey, who features as the main character in this short story. It was everything I wanted it to be. If the author would ever spin off a series starring Joey, I’d be first in line to pick it up.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It – This mystery was quirky and different, and I loved it. You can read my full review here. And stay tuned for my review of the sequel, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, which releases February 1st.
To Fetch a Felon – First in a new cozy series from late 2020 with a talking corgi, this was a delight from start to finish. (My blog was even quoted in the “praise for book one” section of the second book!) You can read my full review of book one here and book two here. Cozy fans should NOT miss this series!

Best of 2021 – Adult Nonfiction

All of the Marvels – Again, these aren’t listed in any particular order, but if I had to pick just one favorite nonfiction book from this year, it would be this one. I didn’t expect to love this like I did – the writing is fantastic, and the comics history and stories are fascinating. You can read my full review here.
Reading While Black (♥♥♥♥♥) – I read this one for me, rather than for a blog post, so there’s no review here on the blog. But I will tell you this was FANTASTIC. It was challenging in all the best ways. The writing is engaging and conversational. This is a resource I highly recommend.
The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up – I didn’t read much nonfiction in 2021, and the bulk of what I did read was Enneagram related. You can read my full review of this resource here.
The Enneagram Goes to Church – Another great Enneagram resource from 2021, you can read my full review here.
The Story of You – This was my final review of 2021, so this one might be more familiar to you. You can read the full review again here.

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperOne in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Ian Cron’s new book is a great second-tier Enneagram resource, and a perfect what-to-read-next for fans of The Road Back to You. In this book, Ian shares stories from his friends and podcast guests and shows how the stories we grow up telling ourselves about the ways we need to deal with the world to stay safe or feel loved can become dysfunctional. Then he helps each type see the way to a new story to embrace in a move toward more health and wholeness.

I don’t always want to read every number’s portion of a new Enneagram resource, but this one is so engaging and delightfully conversational, it’s almost like reading fiction. I was afraid to skip a number and miss out on a great story! There are fun, and insightful pop-culture and literary references that brilliantly illustrate points Ian is trying to make to each number. And the Typology podcast ends up being both a foundation and a follow up to this book. Many of the stories shared here came from the podcast, and readers have episode references so they can go back to those episodes for more content. It’s pretty clever organization!

The breezy tone and sense of sharing stories and coffee with a friend will make this a great resource for folks ready to go a little deeper in their Enneagram journey. The faith references in this felt genuine and natural and never overpowering or manipulative or intrusive. I was delighted by the whole book and highly recommend it for my friends doing personal work with the Enneagram. I am looking forward to holding my own copy soon and highlighting and underlining and making notes in this great new book

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Enneagram

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Enneagram

Posted on by Jaymie

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. ]

REVIEW: The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

An Introduction to the Enneagram. As a fan of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, I had heard about the Enneagram before. But its numbers instead of letters and star-like diagram made no sense to me. The MBTI was familiar and comfortable. I was content to stick with that.

Then The Road Back to You released last fall. I started to wonder if I was ready to tackle a new personality theory. A theory that would provide not only personal insights but a spiritual component as well.

This book introduces the general idea of the Enneagram, describing the 9 types in simple to understand terms.

Review

This is a fantastic book! The writing is conversational. There are some hilarious stories and examples. It’s a FUN, interesting read.

Originally, I was reading a copy from the library, but I got so drawn into the material, I knew I needed my own copy. It is full of underlining and highlighting now!

I feel like this book gave me enough information to start figuring out my “type.” But it also gives me insight into others. I loved the spiritual component. There’s also a strong emphasis on recognizing where my type can be detrimental and how to find grace and balance for myself.

I also bought the workbook. There are questions based on the three triads (8-9-1, 2-3-4, 5-6-7). The questions are geared toward helping you assess your type. There’s also information on a technique the authors recommend to help increase personal awareness and move to a more healthy expression of your type. There’s also an extensive list of recommendations for further reading. I’ll be digging into that list more this year, starting with Self to Lose Self to Find.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥