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In Review
The Personality Code
by Travis Bradberry
Reviewed By Gina Griffin

A Little Typing Never Hurt Anyone: A Review of The Personality Code by Travis Bradberry

The Personality Code by Travis Bradberry is fluffy psychology. However, it's interesting and potentially useful fluffy psychology. The Personality Code is a take on the DISC personality assessment that is used to help companies to find the right person for the right job. DISC assumes that people fall somewhere between being active or reactive in most situations, and that they are either task-oriented or people-oriented.

Bradberry has broken this down further by using a tool called the IDISC that will help individuals to become more self-aware of their responses. The idea is that knowing yourself can help you to predict your own patterns of behavior, and this can help you to become more successful. He offers 14 personality types, which are helpful in categorizing these responses. One of the most interesting things about the book is that there is also a section on how to manage various personality types, which could be invaluable. If you're a manager who struggles with this sort of emotional insight, this could be a really useful tool.

So, how does all of this help you as a knitter or a crafter? Well, self-awareness is useful no matter what you're doing. And whether you're a casual, weekend knitter or you're driven to make fiber arts a full-time career, this book might help you to sort out what would really work for you. For example, I'm an "Innovator." I'm easily bored and I don't like working on a team. I constantly look for new ways to do things, and I challenge the status quo. That describes me to a tee. While I like the idea of running a yarn store of my own, I really don't like working with people on a day-to-day basis, so that job might be better for another Type. And while I'm very good at sorting out facts and figuring out processes, I need a constant creative challenge to keep me from boredom. So that explains why I always prefer to write my own patterns rather than follow someone else's. It also explains the reason I'm bored with writing about or trying out other people's patterns and techniques rather than trying to come up with something that hasn't yet been tried.

Bradberry's book has a lot of interest for a wide range of people. It's most useful for managers, and might even be useful for parents, coaches, and anyone who has to manage any sort of team. Of course, you'd probably have to get everyone on the team to take the test, although you might be able to sort out who's who simply by reading the profiles carefully. This book would also prove interesting to anyone who has even a passing interest in psychology, emotional intelligence and personality typing. It's written in clear, accessible language, and it might simply prove to be a fun read.

Gina Griffin is a Production Artist who constantly has to think on her feet, and has worked in
Corporate America for more than 20 years. She is also a tantalizing handful of credits away from
a degree in Organizational Studies, and will probably go on to find out why monks' brains do what they do
when they meditate -- which means 5 years of studying neuroplasticity with people half her age.