The enneagram is an old and very complex system of personality typing and self-growth. In just 175 pages, Webb gives the reader a brief overview of how the system works, and then provides concise thumbnail sketches of each of the nine enneagram psychological types. The type descriptions are followed by two especially useful sections: One on ways to distinguish between "lookalikes" across the nine types; and another on communication, both from the perspective of being a listener and a speaker, belonging to each type. The book concludes with a short opinion on "what to do next," along with a (somewhat UK-centric) resource directory.
Whereas Karen Webb leaves us with little doubt that she's a big fan of Helen Palmer-- Palmer even wrote the foreword-- "Thorsons Principles of The Enneagram" is really an excellent introduction to a very complex subject, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who's curious enough to want to learn the "basics." Webb's style follows the "oral tradition" of the enneagram-- which also means that there is no "quiz" to determine your type; instead, you would need to read about each type and make your determination based on the descriptions.
Final thoughts: Highly recommended (9.5 out of a possible 10 bookmarks). I own more than 50 books on this subject, and this is possibly the best "concise introduction" available.
For example, do you want to know why 3's are often mistaken for 7's? Or counterphobic 6's for 8's? Webb takes the time to explain why certain Types look similar to one another, and even has mini-tests if you're torn between 2 Types.
This book even has numerous Enneagram graphs showing Variants for each Type (Social, Sexual, Self-Preseveration), as well as Head, Belly, and Heart Center for each type.
I highly recommend this book, for those new to the Enneagram, as well as those who've been studying it for years.