The People Code: It's All About Your Innate Motive

If you're familiar with the Hippocratic or medieval model for typing personalities (choleric, melancholy, phlegmatic, and sanguine), then Taylor Hartman's The Color Code will be a short refresher course for you.

This "original" personality paradigm divides us into (surprise!) four colors-- red, blue, white, and yellow--that define the characteristics of our fundamental natures. Reds are the annoying bossy types; blues are moody artists; whites are unmotivated layabouts; and yellows are--you guessed it--party animals. Well, maybe it's not that extreme, but according to Hartman, who reads the text himself, each person has one true color that explains the motivations behind his or her behavior. For example, if you are a red, you are probably a natural-born leader and have a high need for control. While this characteristic may do marvelous things for your career, it could have a devastating effect on interpersonal relationships.

In a simple, easy-to-follow, chime-filled format, Hartman suggests ways to capitalize on each color's positive attributes and offers advice on how to downplay its weaknesses. Did we mention the package also includes a personality test? (Running time: two hours; two cassettes)