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  • Surrounded by Idiots

  • The Four Types of Human Behaviour (or, How to Understand Those Who Cannot Be Understood)
  • By: Thomas Erikson
  • Narrated by: David John
  • Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,200 ratings)

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Surrounded by Idiots

By: Thomas Erikson
Narrated by: David John
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin

Do you ever think you're the only one making any sense? Or tried to reason with your partner with disastrous results? Do long, rambling answers drive you crazy? Or does your colleague's abrasive manner get your back up?

You are not alone.

After a disastrous meeting with a highly successful entrepreneur, who was genuinely convinced he was 'surrounded by idiots', communication expert and bestselling author, Thomas Erikson dedicated himself to understanding how people function and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people.

Originally published in Swedish in 2014 as Omgiven Av Idioter, Erikon's Surrounded by Idiots is already an international phenomenon, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide, of which over 750,000 copies have been sold in Sweden alone. It offers a simple, yet ground-breaking method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with - in and out of the office - based on four personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow), and provides insights into how we can adjust the way(s) we speak and share information.

Narrated by David John, Erikson will help you understand yourself better, hone communication and social skills, handle conflict with confidence, improve dynamics with your boss and team, and get the best out of the people you deal with and manage. He also shares simple tricks on body language, improving written communication and advice on when to back away or when to push on, and when to speak up or indeed shut up. Packed with 'aha!' and 'oh no!' moments, Surrounded by Idiots will help you understand and influence those around you, even people you currently think are beyond all comprehension.

And with a bit of luck you can also be confident that the idiot out there isn't you!

©2019 Thomas Erikson (P)2019 Penguin Audio
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What listeners say about Surrounded by Idiots

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

very interesting

Think it would have been easier to read than to listen to as I kept having to rewind

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Game changer

A witty read which educates people on character differences and helps overcome prejudices towards others based on their behaviors.
Very well written guide on how to adapt to situations and not let other’s behaviors manipulate you into unnecessary reaction.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting and insightful

Enjoyed learning about different characters of people and has really help me understand people around me and how to deal with them.

However I did think the book went on a bit about the examples of the different people. Some of the chapters were not necessary and could have been left out and I still would have understood the research.
At the end there is quiz read out and then answers read out to each question number in separate chapter so you couldn’t remember the question it’s self, unless you were viewing the physical book! That quiz I felt was unhelpful!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Essential reading for communication and behaviour

Essential reading for learning about how people behave. very useful and informative and definiely read this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good book... odd narrator

Interesting book and concepts. The Americanisms sound very odd when narrated by someone that sounds like Bradley Walsh though - would have been less offputting with more trans-Atlantic accent. Say after me... "Goal orientated", not "Goal oriented". Grrrr... Yes, I'm a blue.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Awesome - recommend

This was a great listen. I’ve listened to it twice and think it’s one of those books I will reflect on and probably listen to at least one more time.

Audio: Narrator’s voice adds interesting tone and moves at just the right speed for you to take in what is being said. I’ve found some of these narrations too slow and it does impact on the enjoyment of the book. This was spot on for me and I hope you enjoy it too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enlighten to say the least

Fascinating insight into behaviours of those we interact with. Extremely useful for people in the corporate industry or for those looking to understand the people they spend most of their time with.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Insights into Behavioural Economics

Insightful, well structure and well written with great examples that ensure the theory is undeniably relatable to real world (professional) situations. Highly Recommended

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Titolo sbagliato ottimo libro

Questo tipo di titoli non mi emozionano, ma il contenuto è utilissimo.
Ho ascoltato il libro ed ho trovato i contenuti espressi molto utili per lavoro e nella vita quotidiana.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

It was interesting to learn about the differing qualities/traits etc of the colours. Very well read.

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