Are you looking for books to get a deeper understanding of the Enneagram, or have you already done some exploration about the Enneagram and want to stay updated about the new book titles about the Enneagram? Then this article will help you find your way among some of the best sellers, classics “must-reads” and the new Enneagram books.
New and classical books about the Enneagram
Since the 1990’ies, many authors have published books about the Enneagram, and some of them have become real classics.
Several authors continue to publish new books, and especially Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson have gifted millions of readers with their many books.
(Download 50 selected pages from the book “The Enneagram and why your blind type matters)
I have read all the books mentioned in this article, and I recommend them all highly.
Initially, I also have to bring a disclaimer about my selection of books. When using different search- and ranking-methods different lists of books are produced, showing some books being more a “best-seller” than other books.
Amazon can show one part of the truth and search engines other part.
Also my selection of “bestselling Enneagram book” is biased by my Enneagram reading and training, which started back in 1995. The teachers and authors of the early books might be higher represented in this article, especially in the list of “Classical Enneagram Books”.
So if you have suggestions about other books for this article, please send me your comments, and I will review the books for this article.
Bestselling Books About The Enneagram
As mentioned I don’t know the exact number of sold copies of the best-selling books, but I have used sources like Amazon.com to get an indication of the best-selling book about the Enneagram through time.
- “The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery” by Ian Morgan Cro and Suzanne Stabile (10.797 ratings on Amazon)
- “The Wisdom of The Enneagram by Russ Hudson and Don Richard Riso” (2.892 ratings on Amazon)
- “The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide” by David Daniels and Virginia Price (1.348 ratings on Amazon)
- “The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective” by Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert (1.240 ratings on Amazon)
- “The Complete Guide to the Enneagram” by Beatrice Chestnut (1.091 ratings on Amazon)
Classical Books about the Enneagram
Several books have already become “Enneagram Classics”, and even if the list is based on my own experience, I hope you will get a few ideas for your reading.
- “The Wisdom of The Enneagram” by Russ Hudson and Don Richard Riso
- “The Path of The Enneagram: An Expert Guide To Balanced Inner Transformation” by Sandra Maitri
- “The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others In Your Life” by Helen Palmer
- “The Enneagram in Love and Work: Understanding Your Intimate and Business Relationships” by Helen Palmer
- “Essence with The Elixir of Enlightenment: The Diamond Approach to Inner Realization” by A. H. Almaas
- “Facets of Unity” by A. H. Almaas
- “Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
- “Understanding the Enneagram: The Practical Guide to Personality Types” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
When is an Enneagram book a classic?
I decided to call this list Classical Books about the Enneagram, even if there might be different understandings of the term Classical.
Classical for me is about:
1) Having a long-lasting value even if the writing belongs to earlier publications where the Enneagram was being formed in its understanding and use
2) A connection to a wisdom -liniage or -root
3) Written by the experts of the current era.
New Books About The Enneagram
In recent years, several new Enneagram books have been released that offer readers valuable insight into their own personalities and how best to use the system to achieve self-awareness and transformation.
Some authors include their connection to a wisdom-linage, and some are breaking off from the traditional path and guiding us into new territory of the Enneagram.
- “The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up” by Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes
- “Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type” by A. H. Almass
- “Transform Your Team with the Enneagram: Build Trust, Decrease Stress, and Increase Productivity” by Ginger Lapid-Bogda
- “Nine Sapiens: Biology and Evolution of Personality Types” by Claudia Nario
The Enneagram offers an invitation to walk a new path, to reinvent, to explore, and to uncover new truths about being and becoming a complete human being.
My contribution to this list would be “The Enneagram and why your blind type matters” and I will expect the arrival of new books about topics like diversity, health, technology, young adult and seniorship.
If you have any suggestions for a book to be added to this list, please let me know.
Must read Enneagram books
I also believe that there are some must-read Enneagram books that is not covering the traditional area of personality types but are valuable reading to understand the background of the Enneagram.
- Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: “All and Everything” by Ivanovich Gurdjieff
- Gurdjieff’s Early Talks 1914-1931 by Ivanovich Gurdjieff
- Meetings with Remarkable Men by Ivanovich Gurdjieff
- Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life — A Companion Journal by Richard Rohr
- Interviews With Oscar Ichazo by Oscar IChazo
- Brilliancy – The Essence of Intelligence by A. H. Almaas
- The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence by Russ Hudson
“The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence” by Russ Hudson
I also want to bring a special note about this audiobook by Russ Hudson as it is one of the overseen marvels in the “bookscene”.
It is only published as an audio book, but it should be regarded a “must read” as it it both a book for the beginners who want to explore the Enneagram and for the skilled Enneagram-enthusiasts who are looking for the deeper work that the Enneagram is pointing at.
Russ Hudson is one of the most innovative experts in the Enneagram, and you can find his website here (click here)
The term “must read” is naturally based on my experience with the Enneagram, and I would love suggestions for this list. So please send me your recommendations for this section about “must read Enneagram books”.
Hear Russ Hudson talk more about the audiobook “Nine Gateways to presence” and why presence and the Enneagram is a great fit in my podcast “Enneagram Insights – On Awareness, Presence and Relationships.”
Best book to find your Enneagram type
When discovering your Enneagram type, then books can be very helpful.
As the Enneagram is mainly based on self-awareness and self-discovery, then books can be combine with Enneagram training, podcasts about the Enneagram, videoes etc.
- “Discovering your Personality Type” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
- “The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up” by Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes
- “Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
“Discovering your Personality Type” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
In this book, you will find a test designed to help you find your type.
Because you can read the structure of the test itself, you can also get an idea about how different types stand out from each other and have a sense of where some of the types look like each other.
“The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up” by Beatrice Chestnut and Uranio Paes
The design of the book is to help you find your type, so the whole structure and content are very much guiding you to understand the types better while also getting closer to finding your own Enneagram type.
“Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery” by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
In this book, you will have a complete structure of the nine types for each of their nine levels.
This is very helpful when understanding how types shift behavior and attitudes.
If you know of other books that can be a help in the process of finding one’s type, then send me a note about it.
Book Club about the Enneagram
Have you ever thought about creating a book club about the Enneagram?
A book club is a gathering of readers who read the same book and then discuss it together to deepen their understanding of the topic.
In my experience, a book club is a valuable way to learn together as sharing of experiences and opinions can help illuminate the learning and open up new perspectives on the topic.
When preparing my latest book, someone suggested to me that I should prepare my book for book clubs by including questions and conversation topics in the book.
I found the idea so brilliant that I invested some time in formulating the best possible questions for learning. These are now included in the book, and I know about teachers who offer to send suggestions for topics to discuss in book clubs when requested for.
IEA Denmark (the Danish affiliate of the International Enneagram Association) is hosting book clubs for their members, and I can only suggest that other affiliates of IEA would also offer book clubs.
If you have any experiences with book clubs about the Enneagram around the world, please send me a comment, and I will include them in this article.
FAQs
What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a model, structure, or system that points to a life with more freedom and a deeper sense of meaning and purpose.
That freedom can be used both in our private and professional life, as it will help us to respond instead of react, to act on what matters most, build healthy relationships, and to return to balance when it is lost.
A deeper sense of meaning and purpose can be used when communicating with people of different ages, beliefs, and sexual orientations, as it is the understanding of diversity and inclusion most healthy families, organizations, countries, and alliances are fostered and supported.
Article: Do we need more books about the Enneagram?
Do we need more books about the Enneagram?
Yes absolutely. The Enneagram guides us to understand the ever-evolving dynamics of human beings and of ourselves in our life.
The inner dynamics and connection to laws of growth, evolution, revolution, birth, and death shown by the symbol of the Enneagram is a standing invitation to explore new depths and dimensions of what the Enneagram has to offer.
Gurdjieff and Ichazo were especially creative, experimental, and innovative as when Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson presented their Levels of Development the Enneagram community was gifted with groundbreaking insights about the Enneagram that has been hidden or neglected.
How do you find your Enneagram type?
The Enneagram is based on self-awarenes and neutral self-observation. Understanding how you repeat the patterns of your personality is the path to finding your Enneagram type.
You can be supported in spotting those patterns by books, tests, workshops, podcasts, videos etc. But at the end of the day, it is your capacity to see yourself clearly, that will direct you more accurately to discover your Enneagram type.
What is the difference between primary and blind type?
Your primary Enneagram type is considered the type to which you can relate the most. We have all nine personal qualities from each type as part of our personality and essential self, but one of the types has served you psychologically best growing up.
When discovering your primary Enneagram type, you will have an opportunity to practice how to balance your type, return to presence and understand how you are attached or identified with your personality.
Your blind type is considered the type representing personal qualities to which you have no or very little connection. You might even believe that those qualities are unuseful, foolish, naïve, ridiculous, mechanic, cold, disconnected etc.
When discovering your blind Enneagram type, you will have an opportunity to practice neglected and hidden skills that might also help you grow in your primary Enneagram type.
Is the Enneagram for personal or professional use?
The Enneagram is used both for personal and professional use.
In my perspective, the Enneagram can be used both in the process of “Growing up” and “Waking up” and especially when using the Enneagram in organizations, you need to master the deeper insights of the Enneagram more, as it will be your own capacity for presence that will be modeled by the client.
