The 16 Personality Types: Descriptions for Self-Discovery Paperback – July 18, 1999

I have most of the books probably published on the Myers Briggs Persoanlity Types and explanations. But, the book by Linda Berens, while each type is covered in a short space and not as in depth as many, did an excellent job of giving the salient points for each type. It is probably the best organized book on the 16 types, and the best general description and discussion of each. I found it an easy read and for people new to this process, the very best overview I have read. It is an excellent book to recommend to 'beginners' in unstanding the "Types", and the reader can go to other books for more in depth discussions if they choose. But, this book is the best one for new readers in the subject. It is now one of my favorites on Types and I have already recommended it to several people. Jim Stitley 8/9/2005

I’ve read dozens of books on MBTI and this is by far the best. I first read this book almost 20 years ago and have referred to it countless times since and bought copies frequently for friends who want to learn more about type. In particular, the first person points of view on each type are an excellent way to really understand each personality. I’ll often hear friends and colleagues of each type say the exact sentences from the descriptions of their type without knowing it.

The classification of temperament is as at least two millenia old. Some of this effort falls decidely in the the half-baked side of the pan. Yet much of it is decidely helpful in understanding 'the way we are wired' and 'the way we process things', to use two very modern metaphors of personality typing.Maybe you've never thought of it like that.Linda Berens and Dario Nardi want you to think again, and to discover yourself in the profiles they've developed and invited you to try on. Their paradigm is the well-known Myers-Briggs assignment of four letters to a temperament, each of them a choice between two options. If you run the math, you'll quickly discover that there are sixteen possibilities, thus the title of this book. (Full disclosure: I'm an INTJ, so I'm really enjoying systematically reporting on this book, gentle reader.)Berens and Nardi have made this guide user friendly and it is not necessary to have taken the Myers-Briggs 'test' in order to use it. In my opinion, the reader will greatly benefit from having done so. There are so many 'hooks' that one finds to hang one's temperament on in just about any prose description, that I find the M-B system is almost necessary in order to inject some element of objectivity into the process.The great value of Berens' and Nardi's work is their trademarked (yes) two-word description of each of the sixteen types (INTJ: 'Conceptualizer Director') *and* the one-page 'Self-Portrait: What's it like to be you?'.The latter is distilled from interviews with individuals belonging to each personality type. I have checked this against a number of friends in the presence of family and peers and found an extraordinary degree of confirmation that this is how the typed individuals actually feel about the world and their selves in it.This book could serve as good introduction to the modern practice of temperament/personality classification. I also find it helpful in a business/organization context, where mutual understanding (without the touchy-feely excesses that lead so predictably to the gag reflex) is often essential to accomplishing shared goals and avoiding hallway assassinations.

This book condenses Myers-Briggs and Jung theory in 52 pages with elegant, easy to follow visual presentation and charts for self analysis. Included is both information on the needs and drives behind a personality type and also how they handle interpersonal relationships. One of the most memorable sections is where individuals of each type talk about their own personal experiences and identify as that type.For those interested in personality type that either want a reference book or an overview plus a little extra, this is an excellent piece.

Reads a little narrowly but my clients all seem to identify well with the material. Many good books dealing with the MBTI available. I would make this the 10th I would buy if I were researching subject.

Good condition, informative book 👌🏾

What a great book! It incorporates multiples lenses to give a fuller view. I use this for clarifying type with clients. Highly recommend

While not including as much pictorial content as other books in this series, this book of descriptions nonetheless provides a good guide for each of the 16 types broken down in a way intended for person reflection.