surrounded by fools

Thomas Erikson

The book "Surrounded by Idiots" was a huge success in Sweden and has sold over a million copies worldwide. This book offers a new and innovative way to understand those around you, one that will change the way you interact with everyone, from your coworkers to your spouse.

Author Thomas Erikson explains that there are four main behavioral styles that determine how we interact with and perceive those around us. Understanding a person's behavioral style is key to successful communication. Erikson breaks down four behavioral types—dominant and controlling red, sociable and optimistic yellow, calm and friendly green, and meticulous and analytical blue—and explains how to identify and interact with each type of person. Rather than getting bogged down in overly technical categorizations, this simple four-color system allows you to quickly identify a friend or coworker and adjust the way you speak and engage with them.

Surrounded by Idiots is packed with practical information for interacting with people based on their color, including the strengths and weaknesses of all profiles, how to give positive and negative feedback for each, and the best way to phrase an email when writing to someone with a different profile.