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Have you ever wondered what books might be perfect for your Myers-Briggs (MBTI) personality type? Do you need reading recommendations tailored specifically to your unique traits and preferences?
For every MBTI personality type, books are waiting to be read. From thought-provoking non-fiction to captivating novels, you’ll find books that resonate with your strengths, interests, and growth areas.
Keep reading to discover the MBTI books that await you on your reading journey.
INTJ – The Lucifer Effect
The Architect types, INTJ, are natural skeptics who question philosophy, science, and logic. INTJs should read MBTI books discussing humanity’s moral ambiguity, such as The Lucifer Effect.
Book Overview
In The Lucifer Effect, Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist famous for running the notorious Stanford Prison Experiment, argues that most of us drastically misunderstand human evil. According to Zimbardo, we underestimate the potential for the circumstances of a given time and place to transform ordinary people into heartless killers. Not only does this misunderstanding cause many unsuspecting people to participate in evil and abuse willingly, but it also prevents us from identifying and putting an end to true sources of evil.
INTP – The World Without Us
INTPs are the Logicians—people who challenge conventional thinking and are ready to embrace new ideas. For Logicians who want something new that makes them scratch their heads, they need to add The World Without Us to their bookshelves.
Book Overview
The human race has left a mark on our planet, sometimes through carelessness and sometimes by design, but how permanent are the changes we’ve made? In The World Without Us, science journalist Alan Weisman asks what would happen if the human race vanished overnight. What effects, positive or negative, would our disappearance have on the world? Weisman’s goal is to address humanity’s environmental impact by imagining a world in which nature is allowed to flourish. In many ways, the world that follows us would be significantly different than what came before.
ENTJ – Tribes
ENTJs lead their pack with confidence and assurance. As Commanders, they generally enjoy books about leadership. That’s why the official 16 Personalities organization recommends Tribes by Seth Godin for ENTJs.
Book Overview
Tribes is a self-help book about how to create and lead your own tribe—a group of people who are connected by a leader and an idea. Godin contends that thanks to the ability to connect easily via the internet, there’s never been a better time to build a tribe (or step up to lead an existing one). An entrepreneur and marketing guru, Godin is perhaps best known for his book Purple Cow, about how to succeed in business by standing out from the crowd. Much like Purple Cow, Tribes is about coming up with an exceptional idea, and then spreading it to the right people to make your vision a reality.
ENTP – Thank You For Arguing
ENTPs love to argue, which is why they’re called Debaters. They always want to be right and prove they have good knowledge of any subject. What better MBTI book to enhance their debate skills than Thank You For Arguing?
Book Overview
A solid grasp of rhetoric—the art of persuasion—is a leg up in every aspect of your life. Whether you’re trying to get out of doing the dishes, admit a mistake without getting into trouble, or understand the true meaning behind a politician’s words, Thank You For Arguing provides smarter ways to argue and weigh others’ arguments. Jay Heinrichs explains not only how to persuade people to do what you want, but also how to help opposing groups find common ground, get a bully to talk himself down, and spot the faulty logic others use to manipulate you.
INFJ – A Theory of Justice
INFJs search for meaning in justice. As leaders or followers, they advocate for equality and want to understand people on a personal level. John Rawls’ book A Theory of Justice, is perfect for INFJs who want to fight injustice.
Book Overview
What’s a definition of justice everyone can agree on? How should wealth and power be distributed in society? What obligations do citizens have to each other? These are some of the questions 20th-century American philosopher John Rawls confronts in his 1971 work, A Theory of Justice. Rawls tries to determine how government can distribute rights, opportunities, wealth, and power using only reason and logic. The result is a theory of “justice as fairness,” which merges liberalism’s emphasis on equal rights and individualism with economic equality and safety nets for the most vulnerable members of society.
INFP – The 8th Habit
INFPs value individuality and authenticity. It comes naturally to them as introverts. Although The 8th Habit is based on business principles to help leaders thrive, it acts as an MBTI book to help anyone find their unique voice and help others succeed.
Book Overview
Stephen R. Covey was a business and leadership consultant and the international bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, Covey adds a habit to the original seven: finding your voice and helping others do the same. This is the habit of leadership. The 8th Habit examines the uniqueness of the contributions we all make as human beings, arguing that the most important job of leaders is to nurture this individuality. Covey explains that most leaders fail to lead well because they’re trapped inside outdated paradigms, and he offers advice on how to escape.
ENFJ – Amplify Your Influence
ENFJs are some of the best people you’ll ever meet. They’re warm, kind, and outgoing. Almost immediately, ENFJs will make you feel comfortable enough to open your heart to them. If you’re an ENFJ, you’ll want to make sure that your communication skills are always in shape. You’ll benefit from the communication strategies René Rodriguez offers in Amplify Your Influence.
Book Overview
Rodriguez explores numerous ways you can connect with people, help them reach their goals, and help them change their behavior for the better. He argues that we’re all capable of guiding and shaping others’ actions, as long as we have the right tools. In this book, Rodriguez covers the basics of persuasion, including how to use four of Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals to connect with any audience and how to apply the author’s three essential steps for effective communication.
ENFP – Born a Crime
ENFPs are among the creatives of the 16 personalities. They strive to explore the world far beyond the box they were born into. Comedian Trevor Noah is an exemplary ENFP whose bold choices in life paid off, that’s why we recommend checking out his book, Born a Crime.
Book Overview
Born a Crime is the story of a strong-willed black mother and her mixed-race child as they traverse life in South Africa during apartheid. When Noah was born in the mid-1980s, his birth was a crime under the laws of apartheid, which forbade whites and blacks from mixing and procreating. Growing up during and after apartheid, Noah struggled to understand where he belonged in this racially divided environment. Through anecdotes from Noah and his mother’s life and details regarding the elements and consequences of apartheid, Noah provides an insider’s perspective of racism, survival, abuse, love, and the importance of heritage in a society built on difference and oppression.
ISTJ – Quiet
ISTJs are quiet introverts, but they prove their reserved nature isn’t a bad thing. If someone has ever made you feel bad about your personality, then Susan Cain’s Quiet is a reassuring MBTI book to read.
Book Overview
A third to a half of Americans are introverts, according to author Susan Cain, but they’re often marginalized. In Quiet, Cain contends that Western society is designed around an “extrovert ideal” that celebrates those who are bold and charismatic. However, unbridled extroversion can lead to disasters, such as the fall of Enron and the 2008 financial crisis. By overvaluing extroverts and treating introverts as misfits, society loses out on introverts’ unique strengths—for instance, they’re highly creative, astute observers, and adept at solving complex problems. Cain argues for a balance in society, school, and work that lets introverts be true to themselves and where the two personality types complement each other.
ISFJ – The Mental Toughness Handbook
Similar to ISTJs, ISFJs enjoy their own company. They work in the background to make sure their loved ones are happy and don’t expect anything in return. However, because they’re so shy, they can be a little sensitive to confrontation. The Mental Toughness Handbook helps with that.
Book Overview
In The Mental Toughness Handbook, Damon Zahariades provides a step-by-step guide to building mental fortitude and resilience so you can confront challenges and navigate adversity. Mental toughness is a state of mind that you learn and earn through hard work, persistence, and patience. You build it by controlling negative emotions, cultivating your self-confidence, and reframing failures and setbacks as opportunities.
ESTJ – Who Moved My Cheese?
ESTJs keep things organized and on track. Titled the Executives, they aren’t afraid to step in to get things done. Given this, they’re not the biggest fans of change. This book can help them with that.
Book Overview
We all experience change in our lives. It can be distressing or rewarding, depending on our approach. Who Moved My Cheese is a parable that demonstrates in practical terms how to handle change better and avoid pitfalls, by practicing a few key principles: anticipate and prepare for change, overcome fears, envision success, and enjoy change. By depicting simple, memorable characters and scenarios, the parable gives you a framework for responding to change successfully.
ESFJ – That Little Voice in Your Head
When a conflict arises, ESFJs are the ones who solve the problems. They like things to be harmonious between their friends, coworkers, and families. A downside of that is that when they don’t achieve this or they receive criticism, they can be very hard on themselves. This book will help them escape their negative thoughts.
Book Overview
Like many people, Mo Gawdat was trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions until, after the death of his beloved son, he devised a formula to escape. His background as a software engineer helped Gawdat realize that our brain functions like a computer—so if we want it to produce happiness, all we need to do is program it with the right code. In That Little Voice In Your Head, Gawdat explains how to understand and program your brain so you can experience the world in ways that produce positive actions and emotions.
ISTP – Daring Greatly
ISTPs will get the job done in their own time and like to solve problems. Because they’re so analytical about everything, they often forget to live fulfilling lives. Brené Brown can help with that with Daring Greatly, a highly recommended MBTI book for ISTPs.
Book Overview
Most of us want Wholehearted, meaningful lives. What stops us? In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown suggests that what holds us back the most is the widespread belief that vulnerability is a weakness. If you can embrace your vulnerability, you’ll find that it’s actually your greatest strength. In Daring Greatly, you’ll learn how to live a Wholehearted life and become a better leader, parent, and spouse in the process.
ISFP – Steal Like an Artist
ISFPs are the Adventurers who want to live in the moment. For the ISFPs who are stuck in a creative rut, they need to read Steal Like an Artist.
Book Overview
In Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon (a self-described “writer who draws”) shares his tips for maximizing your creativity, finding inspiration, breaking out of a creative rut, and connecting with other people doing exciting work. His advice applies to anyone who uses creative thinking in their work, not just to artists in the traditional sense.
ESTP – Getting Things Done
ESTPs are adventurous people who like to take risks and sometimes engage in impulsive behavior. There are simply not enough hours in the day for ESTPs. David Allen’s Getting Things Done will help them stick to their to-do list to fit as much as they can in a day.
Book Overview
The Getting Things Done (GTD) program is designed to help you do the things you have to do with less time, energy, and effort so you can do more of the things you want to do. It takes every task and reminder out of your head and into an external system of lists and files so that you can focus all your mental energy on the task at hand. You’ll identify the next action step for every item on your to-do list so that when you have time available you don’t have to think—just do. By gaining command of your day-to-day obligations, you’ll create more time and energy to work toward your long-term goals.
ESFP – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
ESFPs love hanging out with their friends and taking in every moment of their lives. Because they want to try everything around them, they can easily get distracted. Thankfully, they can stay principled with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Book Overview
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People reveals seven lifelong practices for being more principled, collaborative, and focused on building the life you want. Encouraging readers to take initiative, collaborate, and practice self-care, this self-help classic has become a staple on the bookshelves of executives, presidents, and everyday people because of its potential to accelerate both personal and professional growth.
Wrapping Up
Reading MBTI books tailored to your unique personality type can be an enlightening and enriching experience. You may gain valuable insights into yourself, others, and the world around you. Let the power of the written word guide you on your journey of transformation and self-improvement.
Do you have any MBTI book recommendations for your personality type? Let us know in the comments below!
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