"Your Social World Explained" is back in a fully revised second edition. A few of you asked what's actually different, so here's the honest answer.
Why a second edition at all?
The first edition came out years ago and then sat quietly on Amazon. When I reopened it this year, I did what I'd do with any old analysis: I checked it against its own rules.
The diagrams in socionics aren't decoration. They follow from the model, so I regenerated every one of them from the type data rather than redrawing them by eye. That turned up a few things I'm not proud of:
- The Benefit ring ran in the wrong direction.
- Two of the "square" relationship groups had the wrong types in them.
- Some of the dates for the people behind the theory didn't match the sources.
All three are fixed. If you learnt any of those from the first edition, sorry. This is exactly why I check.
What else changed
- A restored chapter. A chapter had dropped out of the Kindle edition at some point. It's back.
- Every graphic rebuilt. Over 80 diagrams are now consistent, accurate and readable, with the four quadras in fixed colours throughout.
- New material. There's a diagram for the Phonetics small group, an expanded conclusion and a longer list of recommended resources, with the details checked.
- A hardcover. The book is now available on Kindle, in paperback and, for the first time, in hardcover, with the hardcover in full colour.
- A clearer subtitle. It now says what the book is: a complete guide to socionics, the 16 personality types and relationship compatibility.
What's not in it yet
Small groups. There are 35 in total, and the book covers only some of them. All 35 are already on this site, and they'll go into a third edition next year.
Not sure of your type?
There's a free sample chapter for each of the 16 types, covering your type's chapter and the chapter on duality. Start there.
Thanks for reading, and for the reviews so far. They make a real difference to a book like this.
Spencer