Type and Reintegration
Review by Jack SpeerBooks
Introduction to Type and Reintegration, by Elizabeth Hirsh, Katherine W. Hirsh, and James Peak. CPP, Mountain View, California, 2011, 60 pages.
Introduction to Type® and Reintegration reflects the tides of history in the 21st Century, men and women coming home from multiple wars from alien cultures and environments.
A 21st Century Application of Type
It seeks practical problem solving for members of the armed forces that have been separated from family and friends, suddenly coping with the fast pace of technological advances. It helps returning service people deal with the new challenges of the grinding down of employment opportunities and economic stagnation.
A Great Read and a Good Reference, with Effective Organization
It is written by a trio of authorities on type, and although it travels well-worn pathways, and is published by CPP. Elizabeth Hirsh (INFP) and Katherine W. Hirsh (INTP) are well known authorities in personality type, and James Peak has experience as a professional engineer with the Army Corp of Engineers.
The book is superbly organized and well-written, describing each type at their best and in the process of reintegration. It will serve as a means to learn the nuances of type better through an interesting concise read and as a very effective reference where information can be quickly found.
Reintegration is too Narrowly Focused and Applied
This book has value far beyond military reintegration, and will be valuable for anyone having the experience of an extended stay outside of their own culture, whether that be in the U.S. or any other part of the globe where type is used as a tool.
The only disappointing aspect of the book is its narrow application to the military, hugely important in our time, but limiting the myriad ways the book can be applied. One would hope that in a revision of the book, the authors might broaden the application.
CPP’s Book Layouts are Boring and Predictable
Apparently consistency of a publication’s appearance trumps anything else for CPP, because the layout of book is as predictable as a dull National Public Radio article such as those lampooned on Saturday Night Live. CPP layouts are slick and well done, and remind a person of the static kinds of layouts used by large national religious ministries. Authoritarian and well researched does not have to be portrayed in a mind-numbing format.
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Mon, November 14, 2011 at 9:55:03
Nina Coil says:
One wonders if CPP has plans to donate copies of their book to various organizations serving returning vets…
Mon, November 14, 2011 at 7:30:45
Danielle Tremblay says:
I have counselled a few paramilitary and military personnel and I agree that the applications of this book should be widened to include all cultures and organizations that are “military” in their structures, codes of conduct, hierarchy and chain of command,not just based on their association with a corps… As for the boring layout….I guess it is fitting of the “homogeneity” and lack of individualistic features purposely found in these types of cultures…
Wed, December 07, 2011 at 7:27:37
Margaret Mcintyre says:
Since a dear friend of mine joined the Army as a Chaplain, I’ve been thinking about the importance of using Myers Briggs Type to help Veterans. I read one paper on PTSD and type (back in 2006) when I still lived in Chicago. Fate has since moved me to Norfolk Virginia, the largest joint military base in the world and I have gained a daughter in law who is a Naval Aviator. The time is now—and I will start my focus on military personnel, by reading this timely addition to the wonderful addition to the CPP library. Thank you Jack for the informative review!
Fri, December 30, 2011 at 8:10:28
Margaret McIntyre says:
Since my first child went off to college and I lived through the college application process circa 2007 (and served on our local school board during the transition to a ‘curriculum differentiation culture”, I’ve been thinking that colleges should allow applicants to take the MBTI and submit a “work” (essay or what ever) in their own Myers Briggs Style. If colleges are truly interested in diversity, diversity of type would be a great applications process ‘factor of admission”. For example, why is it a well known secret that the ACT favors sensing students and the SAT favors intuitive students?
Fri, January 06, 2012 at 10:52:25
Margaret J. McIntyre says:
It seems Custom Term Papers is advertising (inappropriately) on this site.
We don’t endorse academic dishonesty here, which I believe the sale of term papers, submitted as one’s own, is academic dishonesty.
Mon, April 02, 2012 at 9:25:40
Margaret J. McIntyre says:
Danielle, I live in a huge military community and these folks are ‘anything” but homogeneous. Granted, there is a predominance of ISTJ, ESTJ—but just about every type if found. My daughter-in-law is a Navy Aviation Officer (co-pilot who plans and navigates the flight—as well as drops the bombs-is an ENFP! Her spouse, my son, is an INFP and aspires to be a NAVY SEAL. The military community is hugely interesting and so much deserves more individualized treatment during transition—because one of the major sacrifices they have made is to put mission and team about ‘individuality”.
Tue, April 03, 2012 at 5:04:58
Margaret J. McIntyre says:
The military community is hugely interesting and so much deserves more individualized treatment (than they usually get with the TAP program) during transition—because one of the major sacrifices they have made is to put mission and team above ‘individuality”.