Be present. Be real. Be kind. Successful relationships of all kinds begin with seeing through the other person’s eyes. It’s a simple practice but not that easy, especially with those close to us.

“A Field Guide to Humans: Enriching Relationships through the Enneagram” is a playful, pragmatic guide to understanding the people in your life and improving your relationships with them. Author and therapist Frank De Luca presents the Enneagram, a model of the human psyche presented as nine interrelated personality types, as a lens through which to see others—their strengths, their foibles, and what makes them tick.

The title, “A Field Guide to Humans,” is an invitation to regard people with the same wonder and openness that a wildlife biologist brings to his or her study of the natural world. It is possible to have the same objectivity, curiosity, and respect while looking at human beings. Seeing friends, family, coworkers, and others in this way invites curiosity and compassion rather than criticism—a reminder that whoever you are interacting with, they want the same basic things you do, but they go about it differently.