[.ca] Beneath the Mask: An Introduction to Theories of Personality (ISBN 0471724122)

an excellent and readable text:
This text is the most readable on this topic. It draws one in to a deeper understanding of the different theories. It is a real improvement on the earlier edition, which also was very good.

Absorbing and insightful:
This updated book contains some of the most absorbing and insightful summaries of personality theories I have read. The section on Erikson epitomizes his work in a way I have not seen elsewhere. The chapter on Maslow is a balanced view of the strengths and limitations of his theory. The chapter on evolutionary psychology is a clear summary and introduction to this field.

"All the world is a stage...":
I have likened most psychology and counseling texts as being about as exciting to read as a Chilton's car repair manual. Human beings are such wonderfully complex and fascinating of all of creation; so much so that one would think that the study thereof would be more engrossing and absorbing than what it actually is (in the classroom, that is). Enter "Behind The Mask," one of the most thorough, comprehensive and insightful books I have ever read on human nature. Unlike many of my other texts, this one is a "keeper." Scholarly without pedantry, entertaining at times, thought-provoking at others, this book should be required reading in any mental health related profession. This is the kind of book that one will refer back to repeatedly (this book is a lot like Yalom's in this regard)as there will always be something "to chew on."