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Suggested Reading |
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The following list are books that have been recommended by various list members over time on the list. A few of these books may be out of print and they are getting hard to find.
Some books are only available through Davies Black publishing, which is the publishing arm of CPP, Inc., which owns the MBTI™. Their book catalog is here: http://www.mbti.com/catalog.asp
MBTI™ Theory Only or Primarily MBTI™ Books
- Gifts Differing by Isabel Briggs-Myers
One of the first type books ever written for the general public from one of the creators of the MBTI™ herself. It's an excellent general book on type and a pretty good starting point for exploring type, though the data cited in the book is from studies done in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of these studies have been repeated and newer information is available from other sources. - Let a Viking do it: Hagar and family illustrate the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator™ by Peter Malone
This is a humorous and "light" approach to type that uses Hagar the Horrible cartoons to illustrate points the book is trying to make. - Work Types by Jean Kummerow, Nancy Barger and Linda Kirby (1997)
- People Types and Tiger Stripes by Gordon Lawrence
This book was originally written to help teachers adjust their teaching style to help all the students in their classes. It's a good book on type and learning style regardless of your profession. - Navigating Midlife (Corlett)
- Was That Really Me? by Naomi Quenk
A more advanced book about the inferior function and the "Grip" (when the inferior takes over). One of the only books that explores this in any depth.
(2002) Note that the title of this book has changed from its previous title, Beside Ourselves
- Introduction to Type Dynamics and Development; Exploring the Next Level of Type by Myers & Kirby
A small book intended for people who have just taken the MBTI™ and are looking for more information to explore the subject in more depth. - Sixteen Men by Loren Pedersen
- I'm Not Crazy I'm Just Not You by Roger Pearman & Sarah Albritton
- Living With Paradox by Anne Singer Harris
- The Developing Child by Elizabeth Murphy
- Type Talkby Otto Kroeger and Janet Theusen
This is one of the least formal type books. It illustrates the descriptions with anecdotes from the authors' practice and personal lives. Some of the stories are quite funny. - Type Talk at Work by Otto Kroeger and Janet Theusen
Similar to Type Talk, but with more focus on the work place. - Sixteen Ways to Love Your Lover by Otto Kroeger and Janet Theusen
- True to Type by William C. Jefferies
A good reference, but not recommended reading. It's a thin book packed with information. Some of which is only available in books that focus on one dimension of type theory. - Jung's Typology in Perspective by Angelo Spoto
A bit dry, but does an excellent job of tying the MBTI™ back to Jung's original theories and talks a bit about other theories that have evolved parallel to the MBTI™. - Jung's Function-Attitudes Explained by Henry L. Thompson
Explains in detail the functional attitudes which are at the core of type theory, but not really addressed very much in books written for the general public. It also covers all the theories on type development as of the writing of the book (quite a few!). - Personality Type: An Owner's Manual by Lenore Thomson
"Has about 30 pages of in-depth study devoted to each of the eight Jungian dominant functions, with some interesting social commentary running through it. It reads a lot like a book on the Enneagram, in that it talks about defense mechanisms and what happens when you don't develop your auxiliary function, etc. It's one of the few books I've read that talks about the effect of the tertiary function on personality. It is also excellent for getting an intuitive grasp on the difference between Te and Ti, Fe and Fi, etc., although I would still have a hard time putting it into words."
-- Robbie (former list member and qualified type practitioner)
Mix of Type and Temperament Theory Books
- Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marylin Bates (1984)
For many people who discovered type between the early '80s and the mid-'90s, this was probably one of the first books they read. Dr. Keirsey actually is coming from a different core theory that he created himself called Temperament Theory, which has some surface correlation with the MBTI™ type theory. But if you dig deeper, you will find that the two theories quickly diverge. - Please Understand Me (the videotape)
- Nurture by Nature (Tieger & Baron)
- Do What You Are (Tieger & Baron)
- The Art of Speedreading People (Tieger & Baron)
- It Takes All Types by Alan Brownsword
Temperament Theory Only or Primarily Temperament Books
- Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey (1998)
A massive update of the original book. Very different in many ways. His theory's differences with MBTI™ theory are much clearer in this book. - Portraits of Temperament by David Keirsey
Written a few years after Please Understand Me (PUM). Keirsey explains temperament in more depth than in PUM. - Presidential Temperament by David Keirsey and Ray Choiniere
In this book, Keirsey makes speculations of about the temperament of US presidents. His conclusions are controversial and not universally accepted. He still claims that there has never been an Idealist (NF) president, even though former-President Bill Clinton has taken the MBTI™ and he claims to be an ENFP. - The Pygmalion Project Series by Stephen Montgomery
- The Four Temperaments by Xandria Williams <
- Survival Games Personalities Play by Eve Delunas
- Working Together by Linda Berens
Great book for work situations; very detailed profiles.
"I can tell you, honest friend, what to believe:
believe life; it teaches better than book or orator."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe