View source for The Test Book: 64 Tools to Lead You to Success by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler

{{infobox1
|title=The Test Book: 64 Tools to Lead You to Success
|sort=Test Book: 64 Tools to Lead You to Success
|author=Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Lifestyle
|summary=Sixty four tests to gie you self knowledge.  They're interesting and the results are informative.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=208
|publisher=Profile Books
|date=December 2014
|isbn=978-1781253205
|cover=178125320X
|aznuk=178125320X
|aznus=B00NNT1QAI
}}

The title of the book intrigued me: ''The Test Book'' and the offer of sixty four tools which would lead me to success.  I'm happy with where my life is but it struck me that only a fool doesn't see room for improvement - and besides, it's a slim book, ideal for popping into a bag or pocket for those waiting room moments.  It was only the reputation of the authors - and the value of their earlier books - which made me realise that this wasn't going to be a light-hearted series of 'tests' such as those favoured by some magazines and newspapers.  For the most part these are serious, well-established tests used by professionals.

From cradle (or even before) to grave we are subjected to tests, some more intrusive than others.  Krogerus and Tschäppeler have gathered together the (physically) less-intrusive tests, some famous, some more obscure, some which are long standing and others which are only recently developed as tools to help us understand our lives - our strengths and weaknesses and how we are using them.  All the tests relate to YOU, the reader and for the most part they're fun and quick to do.  I read the book straight through, but you could equally well just dip in and out and test yourself, or encourage other people to do the same.

So, what did I investigate and what did I learn?  I ''knew'' that I drink slightly more than is good for me (in so far as I am within the permitted units of alcohol per week, but without the number of alcohol-free days which are preferred) but I had the same result - 'problematic consumption' as someone who drinks ten units a day, every day.  I guess I wanted to feel good about being only a little bit bad...  Fortunately I am not depressed - in fact I'm self confident - and I know how to respond to questions in an ink-blot test.  I was a little surprised to find that I ''am'' clever, but a closer study of the test made me wonder if it wasn't that I was ''clever'' but that I was ingenious and rather crafty.  I've discovered that I'm rich.

I know where I stand politically - although the graph differentiates between Liberal/Conservative on the vertical axis and Left and Right on the vertical.  What I would have appreciated knowing is how to vote when you realise that the politicians involved seem to be a set of numpties whom you wouldn't trust to run the tea club raffle, much less the country - but then that might be beyond the scope of such a slim book.  Most fascinating for me was the Turing Test, whereby you can establish if you are talking to a robot.  It explained a lot.  And there are still a lot of tests left for me to work through.  The book is a relatively quick read but it will occupy you for hours longer.

There's humour in the book (the ''Good to Know'' points on each test are gems) and although there's serious content it doesn't take itself too seriously.  I enjoyed it.  And learned a few things along the way.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

We've also enjoyed [[The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler|The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking]] and [[The Question Book by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschappeler|The Question Book]] from Krogerus and Tschäppeler.

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[[Category:Mikael Krogerus]]
[[Category:Roman Tschappeler]]