I first learned about the enneagram several years ago, but it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve grown more and more fascinated with this ancient personality system.
If you don’t know much about the enneagram, I’m sure experts can explain it much better than I can, but essentially it is a personality typing system with nine types (each type is given a number), and it is based on your inner motivation for why you do the things you do. I am an enneagram one, also known as a “Reformer” or sometimes “Perfectionist.”
If you’re interested in learning more about the enneagram, or diving in deeper, books are a great place to start. Here are a few books about the enneagram–most of which I’ve read, but a few still on my TBR.
{recommendations}
You’re new to the enneagram and want a straightforward overview: The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele. Brief and to the point, with helpful lists and bullet points, The Enneagram Made Easy is a great starting point if you’re new to the enneagram. This is perfect if you want to get a feel for all the different types, especially if you’re trying to figure out your type, but you don’t want to do a deep dive into each one.
You think you know your type but want to be sure, and also understand what it means to be your type: The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile. Reading this, which dives a little deeper into each type, helped me confirm that I am a one and also helped me understand what that means beyond the surface level. One thing to note: the authors do speak from a Christian perspective, although I don’t think it is at all necessary to be a Christian to apply the concepts of the enneagram to your life.
You want to use the enneagram to strengthen your spiritual life: The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher L. Heuertz. In this book, Heuertz dives into how the nine types may struggle spiritually, but also the unique ways they can find their way back to God. This is also from a Christian perspective, but again, the principles discussed could be applied to any religious or spiritual practice.
You want to use the enneagram to strengthen your marriage: Becoming Us by Beth and Jeff McCord. Another from a Christian perspective, Becoming Us helps the reader understand how the enneagram can play a role in strengthening a marriage. Mixing information with anecdotes, this is very readable and doesn’t get too in the weeds, so it’s not overwhelming for someone still fairly new to the concept of the enneagram.
{on my TBR}
The Honest Enneagram by Sara Jane Case. This is also a more general overview-type book, but where many of the others I’ve read are rooted in seriousness and spirituality, this one sounds more fun.
The Path Between Us by Suzanne Stabile. This explores how different enneagram types engage and communicate in relationships (of all kinds, not just the romantic variety).
{other resources}
Sorta Awesome Episode 279: The Enneagram Explains Your Reading Life – This was such a fun take on reading habits and the enneagram.
Sorta Awesome Episode 194: Enneagram Q & A – another great episode about the enneagram–they talk about it a lot on this podcast, which I love.
Reading People by Anne Bogel – This book doesn’t focus solely on the enneagram, but instead it is about how different personality frameworks help us see the world, and ourselves, more clearly.
Enneagram test from Your Enneagram Coach – This is one of the free tests available online. I recommend you take a test but also read descriptions from a few different sources, as sometimes the tests alone can’t tell the complete story.
I hope this list of books about the enneagram was helpful! I’d love to hear if you have any additional books or resources you’d recommend, and I’d also love to hear your type if you know it!
