Kroeger and Thuesen write in-depth about the practical applications of the Myers-Briggs type indicator, which is based on Jungian personality types. Basically, they take a complex, philosophical subject and break it down in ways that help people apply it to their own lives and relationships. They discuss the implications of personality type in all aspects of life: work, marriage, parenting, school, etc.

For my graduate school leadership class I took the officially-facilitated test and came out with the personality type: INFJ. The first thing I did was read the profile in chapter 10 of this book, and it's accuracy in 95% of what it said nearly reduced me to tears.

Reading the rest of the book gave me a lot of insight into interpersonal dynamics I see and experience at work and at school. It also put into clearer form many of the ways that my husband and I have worked out to understand each other's different needs and goals. I was excited to see that much of what the two of us have discovered about each other and compromised on over the years of our relationship falls right in line with Kroeger and Thuesen's suggestions.

What really made me think more than anything else in the book was the little bit of information tacked on the end in Appendix 2: that extroverts show their best/dominant quality to the world and introverts actually keep their best/dominant quality to themselves and show their secondary quality to the world. This has definitely shifted somewhat the way I work on being a more socially engaged person. I have definitely been going at it using my F trait (my secondary trait) and keeping my N trait to myself until I really, really feel comfortable.

Themes: psychology, Jung, leadership, relationships, communication, practical self-help