Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality

This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

Leading neuroscientist Samuel Barondes shares scientific frameworks and tools for improving your intuitions about people, and sizing them up more consciously, systematically, and successfully. He shows how to use the latest research about personality and character to get along better, choose great friends, decide whom to trust, and avoid narcissists and sociopaths.

Introduction     1

 

Part I: Describing Personality Differences

1          Personality Traits     7

2          Troublesome Patterns     29

 

Part II: Explaining Personality Differences

3          How Genes Make Us Different     57

4          Building a Personal Brain     77

 

Part III: Whole Persons, Whole Lives

5          What’s a Good Character?     99

6          Identity: Creating a Personal Story     123

7          Putting It All Together     139

 

Endnotes     151

References     177

About the Author     217

Index     219