Surrounded by
Surrounded by Liars
The funny and practical guide on how to handle the liars in your life, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots.
Studies suggest two people who have never met before will tell three lies within the first five minutes. Astonishing, yes. But why do people lie? And how can you spot deception before it hurts you?
In Surrounded by Liars, behavioural expert and bestselling author Thomas Erikson unpacks the psychology of lying and how dishonesty affects our relationships, confidence and decision-making.
Using his signature four-colour model, he explains how different personality types lie—and how you can detect their tactics. You’ll learn how to:
Recognise subtle cues and half-truths
Understand the motives behind common lies
Confront dishonesty with calm and clarity
Protect yourself from emotional manipulation
Insightful, entertaining and empowering, Surrounded by Liars will help you to detect the liars in your life and shatter their deception for good!
Praise for Surrounded by Liars and Thomas Erikson:
'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining' Publishers Weekly
‘A good resource for understanding how different personalities communicate and deal with feedback…Everyone should read [it]' Business Insider
‘Equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny…Buy it!' Jim McPartlin, author of The Enneagram at Work
‘Everyone can benefit from this book’ Booklist
‘Life changing’ 5-star reader review
‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ 5-star reader review
‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ 5-star reader review
‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ 5-star reader review
Surrounded by Vampires
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.
Surrounded by Narcissists
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.
Surrounded by Setbacks
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.
Surrounded by Bad Bosses and Lazy Employees
The funny and practical guide on how to deal with difficult managers, colleagues, and teams, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots.
Being driven crazy by a micro-manager? Frequently drowning under your boss's unreasonable expectations? Struggling with being handed out responsibilities but no authority?
Behavioural expert and bestselling author Thomas Erikson is here to help.
In his inspiring – and, at times, funny – guide, Erikson shows how understanding your boss's behavioural tendencies, as well as your own, will lead to a more harmonious and productive workplace. Using his famous four-colour model, he shows you how to:
Decode your boss’s or team’s behaviour
Manage up and handle tricky feedback
Boost motivation and productivity across different personalities
Communicate effectively in even the most frustrating environments
Written with Erikson's signature humour and warmth, Surrounded by Bad Bosses (and Lazy Employees) will help you deal with hopeless managers and employees to build better relationships at work – and stay sane in the process.
Praise for Thomas Erikson:
'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining' Publishers Weekly
‘A good resource for understanding how different personalities communicate and deal with feedback…Everyone should read [it]' Business Insider
‘Equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny…Buy it!' Jim McPartlin, author of The Enneagram at Work
‘Everyone can benefit from this book’ Booklist
‘Life changing’ 5-star reader review
‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ 5-star reader review
‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ 5-star reader review
‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ 5-star reader review
Surrounded by Psychopaths
The funny and practical guide on how to handle life’s manipulators and avoid being exploited by them, 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.
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.
In his inspiring – and, at times, funny – guide, bestselling behavioural expert Thomas Erikson explains how manipulative people exploit our weaknesses and personality traits - and how to protect yourself. Using his famous four-colour model, Erikson shows you how to:
Identify the signs of manipulation early
Set healthy boundaries and stand your ground
Stay calm and confident in toxic situations
Reclaim your emotional energy and peace of mind
Insightful, entertaining and empowering, Surrounded by Psychopaths will give you everything you need to handle life’s most skilled manipulators, identify the psychopaths in your life, and free yourself from their control.
Praise for Surrounded by Psychopaths and Thomas Erikson:
'Outstanding . . . Erikson impresses with his trademark facility for making research-based discussions accessible and entertaining' Publishers Weekly
‘A good resource for understanding how different personalities communicate and deal with feedback…Everyone should read [it] Business Insider
‘Equal parts logical, emotionally astute, and gut-wrenchingly funny…Buy it!' Jim McPartlin, author of The Enneagram at Work
‘Everyone can benefit from this book’ Booklist
‘Life changing’ 5-star reader review
‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ 5-star reader review
‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ 5-star reader review
‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ 5-star reader review
Surrounded by Idiots
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