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Features

How to get the most out of your colleagues, depending on their personality type

Or, How to Slay the Time, Energy and Soul Suckers in Your Life

Surrounded by Vampires

'With his trademark humor and practical insights, Erikson will help you vanquish the 'energy vampires' in your life-even when it turns out you're the villain! Using his wildly successful behavior-based system, you'll learn how self-awareness is the key to preserving your time, energy, and sanity-no matter what comes your way.'

Gay Hendricks, bestselling author of THE BIG LEAP

'Thomas Erikson just gets it-this book is equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny. His observations are studied in a way that don't come across as either snarky or preachy-he's one of us and sees what we have always known-vampires are real! This book gives you tools to ward off those who would try to suck out your joy. Buy it!'

Jim McPartlin, author of THE ENNEAGRAM AT WORK

From the Sunday Times and international bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots 
 
Do you often feel exhausted by conversations? 
Are there people in your life with belittle you through words or actions? 
Or, do you have colleagues who take up your time and don't actually do much? 
 
You could be surrounded by vampires! International bestselling author and behavioural expert Thomas Erikson will help you recognise and deal with the four most common vampires. 
 
Be it time, energy, attention or habit vampires, these ubiquitous social villains can leave you feeling drained and depleted. Whether they're lurking in your office, hiding amongst friends and family, or invading your thoughts, vampires can be found all around you. 
 
Fortunately, no human or habit Vampire can survive when the sun shines on them. With the help of the behavioural model made famous in Surrounded by Idiots, Thomas Erikson will help you spot the vampires around you and find your light to vanish their influence for good.

Or, How to Stop Other People's Egos Ruining Your Life

Surrounded by Narcissists

'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining, and readers will appreciate the insightful guidance. This is another home run from Erikson.'

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots 
 
Are you overshadowed by the narcissists in your life? Are you worn out by their constant demands for attention, their absolute belief they are right (even when clearly they are not), their determination to do what they want (regardless of impact), and their baffling need to control everyone and everything around them? 
 
In this thought-provoking, sanity-saving book, Thomas Erikson helps you understand what makes narcissists tick and, crucially, how to handle them without wearing yourself out in the process. With the help of the behavioural model made famous in Surrounded by Idiots, Erikson provides all the tools you need to manage not just the narcissists around you but everyday narcissism as well - itself becoming more widespread in this age of social media. Engaging and practical, Surrounded by Narcissists will help you free yourself from narcissistic agendas so you can pursue a happier, more fulfilling and successful life.

Or, How to Succeed When Everything's Gone Bad

Surrounded by Setbacks

How to handle everything (and everyone) around you when all hell breaks loose, from the international bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots. 
 
Not everything goes the way we want it to - the world or people around us sometimes just spin out of control. Just consider the Covid pandemic for starters. Or how about that mad neighbour you have living next-door to you? Or when work seems to be going down the toilet when the competition keep outsmarting you? So how do you handle everything life throws your way when you'd really prefer to tell everyone to get stuffed? 
 
Thomas Erikson will help you turn adversity into success with the help of the behavioural model made famous in Surrounded by Idiots. Starting by reminding us that life is as it is, Erikson helps you see that it is in fact useless to try to control everything happening around you. Instead of protesting when life throws you curveballs, focus instead on how to handle them. Just as you keep the weeds away from the garden to provide space and amazing flowers, you need to find an approach to adversity that works for you and will give you the chance to turn everything into success. Surrounded by Setbacks will help you pinpoint the approach that works for you and will entertain and empower you in equal measure.

or, How to Deal with Idiots at Work

Surrounded by Bad Bosses and Lazy Employees

Surrounded by idiots at work? Fed up with a bad boss or lazy colleagues? Thomas Erikson, author of the runaway international bestseller Surrounded by Idiots, will help you handle them and get things done, the right way

'[An] encouraging treatise . . . The dual focus on both employee and manager separates this from the pack.'

Surrounded by idiots at work? Fed up with a bad boss or lazy colleagues? Thomas Erikson, author of the runaway international bestseller Surrounded by Idiots, will help you handle them and get things done, the right way 
 
Why is good leadership so rare? Everyone has to manage up to some extent but frankly some bosses are worse than others. If you're being driven crazy by a micro-manager, frequently drown under your boss's unreasonable expectations or struggle with being handed out responsibilities but no authority international behavioural expert Thomas Erikson is here to help. 
 
Drawing on the simple four-colour system that made Surrounded by Idiots a global bestseller, Erikson shows how understanding your boss's behavioural tendencies as well as your own will lead to a more harmonious and productive workplace. He also sets out what characterises an exemplary leader type and how you can adapt your behaviour to model it. Because there are two sides to every coin, Erikson also looks at employees themselves and why some colleagues frequently underachieve and what you can do to change this. 
 
Written with Erikson's signature humour and warmth, Surrounded by Bad Bosses (and Lazy Employees) will help you deal with the most hopeless managers and employees you can imagine - and keep you entertained along the way.

or, How to Stop Being Exploited by Others

Surrounded by Psychopaths

How to handle life’s manipulators and avoid being exploited by them, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots

'A guidebook for deflecting psychological manipulators . . . Bluntly cautionary and applicable advice on the importance of vigilance.'

'This easy-to-read guide will calm fears by arming readers with practical tactics for thwarting a psychopath's strategies. Adults in the workplace and at home would benefit from Erikson's advice on how to recognize and understand different behaviors, as well as how to recognize red flags in all types of relationships.'

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots. 
 
Some people are exceptionally manipulative. They can convince anyone about anything and lure them with their charm. They enjoy controlling others and will do anything to get what they want. 
 
Sound familiar? 
 
The bad news is that you can’t really escape them. But here comes the good news: you can beat them at their own game. 
 
After going through the highs and lows of different personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow) in his international bestseller Surrounded by Idiots, Swedish behavioural expert Thomas Erikson will now show you how your weaknesses and personality traits can be exploited by other people and how you can stop them in their tracks. 
 
By learning more about your personality type and how you work, you’ll be able to see through any psychopath's manipulative behaviours and fend off their attempts to wreak havoc into your life. 
 
Witty, engaging and informative, this book will give you everything you need to handle life’s most skilled manipulators and identify the psychopaths in your life… before it’s too late!

The Four Types of Human Behaviour (or, How to Understand Those Who Cannot Be Understood)

Surrounded by Idiots

How to handle anyone life throws at you

'Anyone who does not read this book is actually an idiot.'

'A useful guide to communicating with the uncommunicable . . . clearly, dynamically presented and easy to grasp.'

'Readers will be delighted. Most everyone can benefit from this book, especially those in the workplace. In addition, parents, educators, and students will find these insights valuable.'

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
Do you ever think you're the only one making any sense? 
Have you ever tried to reason with your partner with disastrous results? 
Do long, rambling answers drive you crazy? 
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 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. 
 
Now, ten years later Surrounded by Idiots is an international phenomenon and has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. 
 
In this simple yet groundbreaking book, Thomas Erikson reveals his method for assessing the personalities of people we communicate with and teaches us how to communicate better. Based on four core personality types (Red, Yellow, Green and Blue), in Surrounded by Idiots, you will begin to 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. 
 
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! 
 
The no.1 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023

Thomas Erikson

How to Stop Lies and Half-truths Ruining Your Life

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the international phenomenon Surrounded by Idiots. 
 
Studies suggest two people who have never met before will tell three lies within the first five minutes. Astounding. But why? 
 
Why do we choose to lie even when we know it's wrong? To protect the people we love? To paint ourselves in a better light? To win short-lived praise? Or, are there simply far more obscure reasons behind why we lie? 
 
In Surrounded by Liars, international bestselling author and behavioural expert Thomas Erikson unpacks the psychological reasons behind why we lie, and reveals the impact lying has on our relationships. 
 
With the help of the behavioural model made famous in Surrounded by Idiots, discover how to detect the liars in your life and shatter their deception for good!

Thomas Erikson

Surrounded by Liars

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