★ 08/08/2016
Cron (Chasing Francis), an Episcopal priest, brings his witty, energetic voice to this collaboration with Stabile, a retreat director and expert on the Enneagram—a system of personality typology with roots in Christian and Islamic mysticism. The beauty of the Enneagram is its charity: the system clearly names the flaws as well as the virtues of each personality type. The Enneagram also counsels humility and acknowledges its own limits (“ is not infallible or inerrant,” writes Cron and Stabile)—a welcome modesty in religious understanding today. As one of a number of ways of thinking about personality, it is a helpful spiritual analogue to Myers-Briggs typology. The authors counsel the use of the system, which includes nine distinct personality types, for self-knowledge: “The objective of it is self-understanding.” It is also a useful tool for ministers and managers and anyone who has to work with diverse personalities, which will make the book appropriate for seminary study. There isn’t much literature on the Enneagram, with little for curious evangelical Christians. Cron and Stabile’s approach is likely to appeal particularly to thoughtful younger Christians. (Oct.)

"The Enneagram has been a powerful tool for spiritual transformation in my life, so much so that I became a certified trainer. I've read many of the books available on the subject. This is a wonderfully thorough examination of the Enneagram and the best news is that it will speak to both newcomers and Enneagram veterans."

"Cron and Stabile walk through the Enneagram's nine different personality types and their distinct ways of seeing the world, showing how each one has a potentially infinite number of expressions, strengths, and weaknesses. Cron describes his own Enneagram experience as a feeling of waking up after having been asleep for a long time. He explains that in catching a glimpse of the person he was created to be, he began to see himself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees him, and to sense the immediacy of God's grace. 'In the spiritual life that's no small thing,' he writes."

"What would you give to crack the biggest mystery in the world: Yourself? Why do we act, think, feel, and believe the way we do? I know of no better tool than the Enneagram. And I know of no better teachers of this tool than my friends Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile. I use the Enneagram in my business and personal life every day. The Road Back to You will open your eyes to the depths of your heart."

"With The Road Back to You, the small number of books I recommend to absolutely everyone has increased by one. You couldn't ask for a better introduction to the Enneagram than what's found in this book and you couldn't ask for better guides than Cron and Stabile. If a modicum of self-awareness is needed to navigate life these days, let this book be your map."

"A true understanding of your Enneagram type will tell you more about your financial strengths and foibles than you can imagine. . . . I find The Road Back to You to be the most readable and applicable book I've read yet on the subject."

"An aid to those seeking to identify personality types, with a little bit of spirituality on the side."

"There is a special place in my heart for books that help me be a better me. In this book, Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile have delivered on their promise to provide a roadmap to self. The Road Back to You will help you find you—all over again and for the first time."

"The Road Back to You is a great read for anyone who wants to grow in their knowledge of themselves and how it affects all your relationships. I would also highly recommend it for anyone who works with other people. It has the potential to give you a whole new understanding of the people you interact with on a daily basis."

"The Enneagram has been a vital tool in my own personal journey of self-discovery, and The Road Back to You does a great job of making this ancient tool accessible for the modern Christian."

"Cron and Stabile walk through the Enneagram's nine different personality types and their distinct ways of seeing the world, showing how each one has a potentially infinite number of expressions, strengths, and weaknesses. Cron describes his own Enneagram experience as a feeling of waking up after having been asleep for a long time. He explains that in catching a glimpse of the person he was created to be, he began to see himself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees him, and to sense the immediacy of God's grace. 'In the spiritual life that's no small thing,' he writes."

"I'm so thrilled that this book exists. The Enneagram has absolutely changed my understanding of how to love the people in my life, deepened the quality of my marriage, and given me a vision for the person God designed me to be. This book makes the Enneagram easy to understand, with helpful stories, humor, warmth, and clear language. I'll need a case, at least."

"Armed with delightful but incisive wit, Cron and Stabile help us explore our inner life by making the mystery of the Enneagram accessible. If you want to better understand yourself and those in the world around you, this insightful and brilliant book is a perfect place to begin."

"Ian Morgan Cron, partnering with Suzanne Stabile, has gifted us with another timely and brilliantly written book. We've long needed a fresh, spiritually grounded approach to helping people grow in self-knowledge and compassion. This is a winsome and thoughtful primer!"

"A must-read for all and a companion guide for a lifelong journey to live generatively. A book full of wisdom, discernment, and humor, The Road Back to You creates a path toward home ever so gently and joyfully."

"As a newbie to the Enneagram, The Road Back to You offered a delightful and accessible way to honestly examine my own motivations and consider the best path toward growth and flourishing. This book is a must-read for those who seek to not only understand themselves better, but those closest to them, as well."

10/01/2016
Cron (Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale) and Stabile (cofounder, Life in the Trinity Ministry) find robust pastoral merit within the Enneagram, a personality modeling system with nine interconnected personality types. According to the authors, the Enneagram is the key to self-discovery, particularly for relationships: "The Enneagram shows us that we can't change the way other people see, but we can try to experience the world through their eyes and help them change what they do with what they see." Chapters go on to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each personality type, including the "wings," or characteristics of related personality types that may further impact the way one understands the world. These are then understood in terms of relationships and the path of spiritual transformation or healing. The goal of this self-help guide, conclude Cron and Stabile, is to encourage self-forgiveness and open ourselves to all of the characteristics within our God-given selves. VERDICT An aid to those seeking to identify personality types, with a little bit of spirituality on the side.—SC