Completely pointless
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This book is so awful I felt compelled to write a review. There is nothing of worth in here unless you are completely lacking in imagination and insight into even the slightest variance of human nature.
I would recommend researching the 16 personality types as defined by the Myers-Briggs test - Google this and you will find a lot of useful info on personality types, which will help you write convincing characters with believable motives far better than this book ever could.
This isn't even a good 'writers' book for inspiring or informing writers! The examples of each personality type (written as typical life histories) are patronising and pointless. I've read quite a few writers books (the Elements of Writing Fiction and Writer's Digest guides are really good) but this has to be the worst I've ever read.
Save your money.
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Useful reference on human nature
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This is a big book crammed with a wide range of information about human nature and character traits. It's all based on recent psychological and psychiatric research, so is as trustworthy as any writing on human nature can ever be.
The fact that it's research-based is also its biggest problem. It contains heaps of information on the sort of things psychologists research, and nothing on what they don't. This makes the material biased towards extreme and unusual behaviour rather than what normal people do. (Of course, you probably know enough normal people to do your own research into what they do.)
As an editor, I also have a quibble with the standard of editing. The various sections are thrown together with no overall style, and even the layout and type style fall down in places. This is annoying to read, but doesn't damage the information itself.
All in all, I'm glad I have this book on my shelf. If I need a handy guide to (for instance) childhood development, the effects of divorce, stages of mourning, or types of personality disturbance, this is the first place I'd look. By all means follow it up by talking to real live people if you can, but this is a good place to start.
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conceptually flawed?
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The idea that people in certain roles have common charateristics is beyond doubt, the whole of business recruitment is based on that fact. The problem with the book is it tells us that we can write convincing characters who are tycoons, artists, addicts and hooligans just by reading the book. Does the writer ever need to go out and meet these people and observe them for themselves? Do they ever need to form fresh insights? Or is recycling psychological data enough? I think that writers should stick to writing what they know, rather than trying to take other people's opinions to extend into unknown territory. You want to write a football hooligan? Go out and meet one.
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An interesting book that's sure to have its uses.
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However, I don't feel it's as easy to reference as it could be and some of the listings seem a little terse. If you took this too seriously you'd be tempted to look up everyone you know, or worry yourself sick over the clothes you happen to wear. As a writer I feel you have to temper these traits with other aspects of life. If I choose to wear loose clothing it may be because I need ease of movement for some reason and not because I wish to appear invisible, so I think it's best to approach this from the other direction and think of the character you wish to portray - look up aspects pertaining to that type of person and decide what you wish to use to give your character more life, make him or her more plausible. I haven't seen a book like it elsewhere in the market though and like I say I'm sure if you feel the need for it, it will have its uses.
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Extremely helpful & interesting
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I dont know why I am the first to review this book? Surely it cant be because it is not any use & no one is buying this book!! I found its an excellent reference point to start the creation of credible & therefore believable characters in my soon to be first dramatic novel. I can thoroughly recommend this book.
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