Enneagram Books and Resources

Enneagram Websites

For reliable web-based information on the Enneagram, its history and the Nine Types, visit:
Enneagram Worldwide Home of The Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition (Helen Palmer and David Daniels) tour of types, online test, history.
The Enneagram Institute Home of the Don Richard Riso & Russ Hudson School: comprehensive information, tour of types, tests, etc.
Karen Webb's website Enneagram information attuned to an English audience 🙂
David Daniels website - great articles and information
Peter O'Hanrahan's site - again, good resources, articles etc.

See also our Meetup Pages (in development):
The Enneagram for Personal Use
The Enneagram in Business and Community Settings

There are ever-more Enneagram resources online, on You-Tube and elsewhere. If anyone is tuned in to this and could do us a summary that would be great!

Enneagram Books and Resources

In the meantime, with more traditional media in mind, it's true to say that not long ago there were barely a dozen good books available on the Enneagram. It's dramatically different now! In my search earlier today on Amazon's UK site, using the key word ‘Enneagram’, over 90 books were listed. So where to start?

Here’s a personal selection of books and resources we find useful, recommend, or simply enjoy. If you’d like to add to the list or share your views, please use the Message Board or email one of the organisers.

‘The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test & Self-Discovery Guide’ by David Daniels & Virginia Price (2009). A slim paperback and one of the best places to start if you're keen to discover your type. Also contains very helpful development practices for each type. The same material and approach is used in the Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition: online test

‘Principles of The Enneagram’, by Karen Webb (2013, 2nd edition). A slim, concise, yet comprehensive volume. Karen’s profound insight combines with succinct explanation of all the core concepts. Her many years of Enneagram teaching experience and spiritual searching shine through. A great resource and often the first I recommend to clients and colleagues in the UK. See also Karen's website

'The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People' by Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele (2007). Fun, entertaining, illustrated and easy to read, this makes a great place to start. It was much enjoyed by participants on a recent Enneagram holiday in Greece, as a great starting point for newcomers.

‘The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and Others in Your Life’ by Helen Palmer (1988). We recommend any and all of Helen Palmer’s books, as a founding and inspirational teacher in the Narrative Tradition. You can return to them time and again to be struck by new insight and clarity.

‘The Enneagram in Love and Work’ by Helen Palmer,(1995).

‘The Complete Enneagram: 27 Paths to Greater Self Knowledge’, by Beatrice Chestnut (2013). A psychotherapist aware of the Enneagram since her teenage years and with years of professional Enneagram experience in therapy, consulting and training contexts, Beatrice’ new book is a fabulous addition to the Enneagram library. Not least because she’s the first person to provide ‘nuanced’ descriptions of the 27 Enneagram Sub-types primarily based on Naranjo’s teachings. When you’re thinking “this type fits 70% but NOT in these ways”… then the sub-types may well provide the answer. The full type descriptions are incredibly comprehensive and the Dante references inspiring.

‘What Type of Leader Are you? Using the Enneagram System to identify and grow your leadership strengths..' by Ginger Lapid-Bogda (2007)

‘Bringing out the Best in Everyone you Coach’ by Ginger Lapid-Bogda (2009)

‘The Enneagram Development Guide’, by Ginger Lapid-Bogda (2011). Ginger had been a successful Organisation Development Consultant for 20+ years when she first discovered the Enneagram and became a passionate advocate. Since then she has pioneered use of the Enneagram in organisational development, business, leadership, coaching and consulting work. See also Ginger's excellent website

‘The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues: finding the way home’ by Sandra Maitri (2005).

‘Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas’ by A.H. Almaas (2002)

‘The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective’ by Richard Rohr and Andreas Ebert (2008)

‘Enneagram Spirituality’ by Suzanne Zuercher (1992)

‘Roaming Free Inside the Cage: A Daoist Approach to the Enneagram and Spiritual Transformation’ by William Schafer (2009). A clinical psychologist with 40 years experience of working with infants, young children and their families it’s inspiring to hear Schafer say he’d never come across anything as useful as The Enneagram for understanding human nature in his work and personal life - and to credit it with enabling his happy marriage. Naturally of interest if you’re a Taoist, but still fascinating if you’re not. Particularly helpful: his distinction between the ‘structure’ and ‘content’ of type, the way in which type structure constricts the free-flow of life energy and his perspective on the triads.

HOT Leaders COOL Facilitators: Learning to Lead One Meeting at a Time by Bart Wendell (2013). In many years of organisation consulting I've been convinced that the quality of meetings (and conversation more generally) is a real litmus test for how well the organisation system and culture functions. It's also a great place to start when we're keen to enable change. Delighted to see this book apply Enneagram wisdom to the question of leadership and meeting facilitation.

‘In Search of Being: the Fourth Way to Consciousness’ (2012) G.I. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff’s early talks in Europe were published in the form of chronological fragments preserved by his close followers and published in many different volumes. This edition is a great place to discover Gurdjieff in his own words as well as biographical information about his life and companions. The book presents his teachings as a comprehensive whole, ‘covering in Gurdjieff’s own direct words on a variety of subjects including states of consciousness, methods of self-study, the work in groups, laws of the cosmos.' It includes a short chapter devoted to the Enneagram.