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  • Published: 2 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781785046209
  • Imprint: Vermilion
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $26.99

Surrounded by Idiots

The Four Types of Human Behaviour and How to Effectively Communicate with Each in Business (and in Life)




The bestselling global phenomenon, now fully revised and updated

The funny and practical bestseller and global phenomenon that teaches you how to improve your communication skills in relation to four distinct personality types - now fully revised and updated.

THE NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
OVER 10 MILLION COPIES SOLD

Do you ever think you're the only one making any sense?
Have you ever tried to reason with your partner, and nothing went as planned?
Have you ever left a work meeting with the feeling that nobody understood your point?

You are not alone.

Communication expert Thomas Erikson has dedicated himself to understanding how people behave and why we often struggle to connect with certain types of people.

In his global bestseller, Erikson introduces four types of human personalities – red, yellow, green, and blue – using them to offer a simple but powerful way to understand people’s behaviour, communication style, and motivation.

By learning to recognise and work with these personality types, you’ll be able to:

  • Build stronger relationships at work and home
  • Improve teamwork and leadership skills
  • Boost empathy and self-awareness
  • Finally understand why people behave the way they do

This fully revised and expanded edition, shaped by questions and feedback from millions of readers worldwide, includes 30% more content, delivering even deeper insight than before.

Packed with humour and practical strategies, Surrounded by Idiots will help you understand and better communicate with those around you (even people you currently think are beyond all comprehension!).

Praise for Surrounded by Idiots and Thomas Erikson:

'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’ ? ? ? ? ?

‘Has enabled better communication with my peers and colleagues as well as my family.’ ? ? ? ? ?

‘Clear, insightful easy to read book with plenty [of] practical advice’ ? ? ? ? ?

‘A must-read to guide you on understanding yourself and others’ ? ? ? ? ?

  • Published: 2 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781785046209
  • Imprint: Vermilion
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $26.99

About the author

Thomas Erikson

Thomas Erikson is a Swedish behaviourist, internationally sought-after keynote speaker, mentor and author. For over 25 years, he has travelled the world delivering seminars and lectures, mentoring executives at companies such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, KIA Motors, Volvo and IKEA. His book Surrounded by Idiots is one of Sweden’s best-selling non-fiction titles of all time, with more than seven million copies sold in 70 languages. The whole Surrounded By series has so far sold twelve million copies worldwide. He lives in the Swedish countryside with his wife Christina, who is also an author.

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