A review by rachelb36
Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
1.0
1.5 stars
Short version: Don't bother. Instead, go check out the MBTI, which is far more accurate and comprehensive. www.16personalities.com is my favorite website, and the test is free and takes less than 15 minutes to complete!
Longer version: I managed to find this book at a garage sale (with an intact code!) for only $1, so I snatched it up. (The regular price of nearly $30 is ridiculous, and even the online-only version is $15.)
I read the book before taking the test, and recognized a few "strengths" as my own. Then I took the test online, mostly to get the promised report explaining how my top-5 strengths work together.
For those who may not know, test-takers are given only 20 seconds to answer each question, to encourage them to go with their gut instincts and not over-think things. They say it takes about 35 minutes to complete the test. I finished it in 20 minutes, because I was feeling the pressure to answer quickly. (There was no timer, and I didn't want to leave answers blank, since I felt that would lead to a less-accurate result.)
However, my results were so grossly inaccurate that I just can't recommend this test. In addition, the report showing how each strength works together didn't really deliver what the book promised. It just explained each trait individually, repeating all the information in the book and other reports.
Also, while I enjoyed reading the brief profiles of real individuals with any given strength, the book stated that there was a wide range of people and professions represented. I was disappointed to see that many people had repeat opportunities. This especially doesn't make sense when you consider that their combination of strengths is influencing their opinions/experiences, and not just the one strength being described in that chapter.
I love the idea of strengths-based living, but this book just doesn't work. There were a couple of good tidbits here and there, but nothing I haven't seen elsewhere. The MBTI is just better, all-around. I'm so glad I only spent $1 on this. I do not recommend it to anyone.
Short version: Don't bother. Instead, go check out the MBTI, which is far more accurate and comprehensive. www.16personalities.com is my favorite website, and the test is free and takes less than 15 minutes to complete!
Longer version: I managed to find this book at a garage sale (with an intact code!) for only $1, so I snatched it up. (The regular price of nearly $30 is ridiculous, and even the online-only version is $15.)
I read the book before taking the test, and recognized a few "strengths" as my own. Then I took the test online, mostly to get the promised report explaining how my top-5 strengths work together.
For those who may not know, test-takers are given only 20 seconds to answer each question, to encourage them to go with their gut instincts and not over-think things. They say it takes about 35 minutes to complete the test. I finished it in 20 minutes, because I was feeling the pressure to answer quickly. (There was no timer, and I didn't want to leave answers blank, since I felt that would lead to a less-accurate result.)
However, my results were so grossly inaccurate that I just can't recommend this test. In addition, the report showing how each strength works together didn't really deliver what the book promised. It just explained each trait individually, repeating all the information in the book and other reports.
Also, while I enjoyed reading the brief profiles of real individuals with any given strength, the book stated that there was a wide range of people and professions represented. I was disappointed to see that many people had repeat opportunities. This especially doesn't make sense when you consider that their combination of strengths is influencing their opinions/experiences, and not just the one strength being described in that chapter.
I love the idea of strengths-based living, but this book just doesn't work. There were a couple of good tidbits here and there, but nothing I haven't seen elsewhere. The MBTI is just better, all-around. I'm so glad I only spent $1 on this. I do not recommend it to anyone.