Customer Reviews

Enneagram Movie and Video Guide : How To See Personality Types In The Movies, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are learning the Enneagram or have a keen interest in it, this book is useful in that it provides example Enneagram personalities as they appear in various movies. It also includes relationships between various ennea-types in particular movies and goes to the level of wing type in most cases! This is useful for observing the dynamics of the types in action and in personal interactions. So... if you've been learning about the Enneagram through such books as the WISDOM OF THE ENNEAGRAM by Riso and Hudson, you will find this a fun and fascinating way to reinforce the concepts.

My understanding is that at one time there was a trend to use Enneagram information for plotting character development. I have watched many of these movies and based on my knowledge of the Enneagram this appears like it could be true. I have studied the Enneagram as part of a Masters program in Integral Psychology and I use it as a psychological tool in my personal growth coach practice. In other words, I think I'm in a good postition to assess the merits of this book and whether or not it's just a bunch of hype.

With all of the positive feedback out of the way, I would also like to mention that this book primarily contains older movies. This may be a drawback for some people, but unfortunately it hasn't been updated recently. I would absolutely love to see a new edition of this with more movies and newer movies. However, the movies that are written up here are done in-depth and by the time you get through some of the better ones they may have a new edition out.

This is a must own for fans of the Enneagram. It is well worth the cost and you won't regret buying it and having it handy while your watching movies. Like me, you may also end up watching some good movies that normally you wouldn't have thought of just because of the interesting character dynamics.

No praise is strong enough for this book. Just the book I was dreaming about, fodder to my hobby horse. Condon's style is easy read, quirky and funny at points and yet digs deep into Enneagram. I like the idea that he is analyzing classics as well as second or third rate flicks if the characterization is relevant. One might argue with his classification in some cases but that's the fun of Enneagram: it's more art than science, there are no cut and dry rules. He often labels the characters tentatively with an -ish suffix (like sevenish, oneish) -- I quite like that, it keeps reminding us how fluid this system is.
Most useful is the explanation for the movement or shift of characters within the system along the 142857 and 369 sequences. I always found it a but complicated to figure out why and how stress and lax points work but for the first time it seems pretty obvious.
Strongly recommended for Enneagram nuts and movie buffs alike.

Do you wonder why you can't get along with your father-in-law? Are you puzzled by the intimidation tactics of your boss? Are there certain types of people you're drawn to? Everyone wants to know what makes people tick. Read this book and learn the subtleties of nine personality styles in a very enjoyable way. Condon covers the basics of the Enneagram thoroughly by teaching about personalities through brilliant analysis of characters in movies.

I found this book to be disappointing. Some of the film examples were old or, perhaps, personal preferences, not examples most people would be familiar with. I do not think I'd purchase this if I had been able to skim more than a few pages.