Surrounded by Narcissists cover art

Surrounded by Narcissists

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Surrounded by Narcissists

By: Thomas Erikson
Narrated by: David John
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.


The funny and practical guide on how to free yourself from the tyranny of narcissists, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots.

Do you know someone who constantly demands attention, always thinks they’re right and never admits fault? Chances are—you’re dealing with a narcissist.

In this thought-provoking, sanity-saving book, behavioural expert and bestselling author 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 helps you:

Understand what drives narcissists


  • Stay calm and assertive when they push your buttons

  • Communicate effectively without losing your cool

  • Build confidence and resilience in your relationships and at work


    Insightful, entertaining and empowering, Surrounded by Narcissists will help you free yourself from narcissistic agendas so you can pursue a happier, more fulfilling and successful life.

    '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

    © Thomas Erikson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

    ©2022 Thomas Erikson (P)2022 Penguin Audio     Career Success Communication & Social Skills Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Time Management & Productivity Mental Health Career Health
    All stars
    Most relevant
    This is the first book of this ‘series’ that I have listened to. Perhaps the other titles are more engaging, but this one did not really grab me at any point.

    I listened at 1.5x speed to move the text along. The narrator is otherwise a little slow at getting through the book, though it may just be the text that was slow going.

    It felt repetitive. It felt overly judgmental and though it had some interesting advice, it ultimately failed to live up to my expectations.

    Easy to comprehend and may offer some useful insights for those looking for advice. Not sure I will be looking for other books though.

    Lumbering look at narcissistic tendencies.

    Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
    I'm midway through reading this book... So far 99% of this book is accurate based on my own experience.
    I would like to know how Thomas Erikson has learned such accurate knowledge on narcissism. It is knowledge that imo could only be from a personal experience with a narcissist. This book is very good so far, although it may come across far fetched to someone who hasn't experienced a true narcissist, I can confirm that this book is not far fetched. I'll be honest, I haven't yet learned something I didn't already know, or hadn't already experienced. so for me, it has only helped knowing that at least 1 other person on the planet knows how terrible narcissism really is. The problem is getting everyone else to understand.
    Knowing where he gained the knowledge could help pave the way into getting others to understand.
    This knowledge needs to be seen as fact, especially within the family law system.

    I'd love to hear the authors view on Family law.

    Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
    Erikson explains everything brilliantly. He needs a position within the education establishment. So many significant differences to young people’s lives that we didn’t have to field. Strongly recommend this book.

    Fascinating.

    Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
    A great book antidote that we need to in this modern ME-attitude culture. Definitely worth reading. It also highlights all the red flags that we need to watch out for.

    Great Book for our culture

    Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
    I thought this was a fascinating read - really useful for understanding the types of characteristics of people I'd like to work, rest and play with

    Really insightful

    Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
    See more reviews