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  • The Highly Sensitive Person

  • Written by: Elaine N. Aron
  • Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
  • Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (133 ratings)

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The Highly Sensitive Person

Written by: Elaine N. Aron
Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
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Publisher's Summary

Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D., is a world-renowned psychologist and speaker. The Highly Sensitive Person is an in-depth look at characteristics that define sensitivity. Through self-assessment tests and techniques, Aron shows listeners how to identify their own personality traits. This exceptional book can lead to remarkable results for many who suffer from constant stress and anxiety.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1996 Elaine N. Aron (P)2004 Recorded Books,LLC

What listeners say about The Highly Sensitive Person

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Lost me at the end. narrated like a story.

The content was interesting and insightful for the most part. However, the last chapter became rather esoteric. The narrator has a voice well-suited to reading fiction, but at times was too expressive for the material.

4 people found this helpful

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Life-Changing Read

Listening to Dr. Aron’s audio book and learning about Highly Sensitive People has made a profound impact in my life. I have always felt that I didn’t fit in, that lots of noise was distressing to me, and that I handle my emotional experiences much differently than the “norm“. This book has provided me with a connection to part of myself that I had always thought was “broken”.

I highly recommend this audio book for anyone wanting to learn more about HSP’s; spouses or loved ones of HSP’s wishing to better understand both the challenges and the benefits of this trait, ALL therapists who want to better connect with and understand this group; and for people who may not yet realize that they are an HSP.

Highly informative book!

2 people found this helpful

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So much valuable info and insight

What I loved about this book is how often I felt understood (for the first time) with regards to my sensitivity. Things that I always thought were wrong or confusing were explained so clearly.
I would not say that I’m really high on the HSP scale, but I definitely resonate with many aspects. The value of understanding my HSP aspects causes me to give this book 4 stars.
For someone who is even higher on the scale of HSP, potentially referred to as shy or other such terms, there’s a lot of really specific advice and tools to use. There’s so much information and I do highly recommend this book to other sensitives out there.

1 person found this helpful

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A nice introduction to the sensitive person

I feel that this book was a great work for its time. It seems well researched. I has a lot of truth to my personal life. I feel that this book is genuine.

However, I couldn't help feeling that it was dated information. I feel that this book is a great introduction to the Sensitive Person. It is a gateway to the topic and an important piece of literature towards understanding the Highly Sensitive Person.

1 person found this helpful

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The One Book that Asperger’s Individuals Should Read

As a lost soul, bumbling around in the jungles of life, this book helped me find direction and make sense of the mess that was my life even a couple of years back. Not only did I find myself in the pages of this book, I found most of my family members as well, although the intensity of the issues varies from member to member. This book is a must read for those who have ASD/ADHD in their family and feel the sting of neurodivergence and rejection from the world very strongly. I am now reading the book for the second time and plan to purchase this book and the accompanying Sensitive People in Love. Going through the book was a transformative and perspective-shifting experience. One just needs to ignore the references to shamans, occult and mystical practices towards the end. If you can cut out all the woo woo stuff, it’s a fantastic and very beneficial guide for teachers, parents, lay person or anybody who can’t really afford therapy or feel misunderstood/not understood by incompetent therapists.
I wish I had access to this book and the strategies mentioned at the end when I was younger and struggling badly.

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Thank you for permission to exist exactly as I am.

Knowledge is power. We don’t know what we don’t know, so we must remain open to knowledge in all forms if we are to succeed in this harsh world. 27/27 Highly sensitive person here, dubbing this my new bible. I feel seen and validated. I feel like I have a right to exist on this planet. I feel more secure in what it means to be me. I feel less alien. I wish I could have been interviewed for this book. I wish this was mandatory reading for all children, for all involved in education and employment, for health care practitioners and family and friends, and everyone on this planet. I will suggest this book to literally anyone who will listen and I’ll never stop speaking highly about it. My life is forever changed because of the work in this book. I will be dedicating my life to helping other sensitive people feel seen and heard, validated, and encouraging everyone else to rethink the way they see and treat sensitive people. This information is vital and must be shared extensively and universally. Thank you Dr. Aron.

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Dry

The choice of narrator for this book is a poor one. I found it very dry and difficult to concentrate on. The narrator sounds pretentious and like she's from 1940. I couldn't even finish it. I might try just reading the actual book hoping the information is not as outdated as it seems.

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Excellent resource for HSPs & people who know them.

This book and others by Elaine Aron have completely reframed how I view my self and my childhood. I would suggest it to anyone who thinks they are flawed because of their sensitive trait.. you are anything but. In so many ways it is a valuable piece of my personality.

The reading was very natural and the narrator had an engaging voice. Also highly recommend the HSP im love and the HSP workbook.

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Loved it!

I recently found out that I am an HSP, I also experienced trauma as a child and this book has helped me understand myself.

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Finally!

listening to this book I feel less alone in the world. Great content for HSPs.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Steph
  • 2010-01-07

Highly Scientific

This is an extremely heavy scientific based presentation regarding intuitives. Most intuitives or highly sensitive people don't need to be presented with information validating who or what they are - for they know what they're experiencing. The tone of the book appears to be addressed to all the writers peers, family members or friends that didn't understand her way of Being - other than that she was different and this was perceived as a negative. It's that negative judgement and perception I feel the writer is specifically addressing in this book. She does a very thorough job of defending, explaining and validating the empathic person. She does this by documenting and sharing research regarding the evidence of various empathic animals within the animal kingdom while tracing the way to the physiology of humans and how scientific evidence does support the existence of highly sensitive people. She then briefly describes the traits, possible challenges and common characteristics of a highly sensitive person. All this information is helpful for the non-sensitives, for the non-intuitives. People who have no direct experience as a highly sensitive person would benefit from this book. People who are in the psychology world or living with a highly sensitive person and seeking understanding as to the why of " you're so sensitive" will benefit from this book.

However, if you are a highly sensitive person or intuitive I suggest this book isn't for you (being one myself). If you are interested in developing, managing, accepting and empowering yourself and sensitivity I suggest books by Russ Hass. Rue Hass isn't interested in making a case that sensitive people exist and validating this through science, her voice is one that addresses some of the challenges and opportunities that exist as a highly sensitive person. She is more hands on with coping and integrating this skill into a fulfilling life.

118 people found this helpful

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  • Katie M
  • 2014-10-31

This HSP loved the book AND the narrator.

As a HSP, I desperately wanted this book (and I highly recommend getting the print version as well - there's just too much in here that you'll miss with having the Audible version alone). The awful reviews of the narrator almost scared me away, but my stubborn nature let me plunge ahead and put the book in my cart. I'm so glad I did. I don't know why the other reviewers found the narrator so awful. I quite liked her and found her tone soothing and just right for the book. I won't extol her virtues. Try the sample and make up your own mind. She sounds in the rest of the book just as she does in the sample. You can find plenty about this book elsewhere on the web and on Dr. Aron's own site, so I won't take up space here reviewing it, but if you're an HSP or have an HSP in your life, it's essential reading/listening and will help you understand the HSP nature. As for the narrator, I gave her full marks. I loved her and found she added to the book's content, and was certainly not as others have stated, a distraction, but that is my opinion. Try the sample for yourself. At any rate, don't let the others make up your mind for you. It's a great book and certainly worth a listen.

95 people found this helpful

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  • S. Atkins
  • 2016-10-11

I've Learned So Much About Myself

They wrote a book about me. No, it's not a biography. It's “The Highly Sensitive Person”, which are the hyper emotional, empathetic, detail oriented, easily over-stimulated, and introspective 15% of the population in a world where this trait is heavily undervalued and misunderstood, even by ourselves. Every person who might be a qualified HSP should be handed this book when they reach an age where they could make use of the information in it and their families well beforehand. I've known that I've been an 'HSP' for years, but didn't pick up the book until recently. During a very busy afternoon I felt 'anxiety' settling in, but realized that from this book that it was simply overstimulation. I retired to a dark bedroom for an hour, away from light, people and noise and was rejuvenated. If I had known this simple trick from this book I might have saved myself from years of anxiety attacks and lost sleep. That's just one example of the great advice and reflections in this book that completely make sense to me.

There are plenty of anecdotes of self care, how to heal from childhood traumas, interacting with a work environment, interacting in various life phases, making friends, falling in love and why and what makes us fall in love, and even why we stay with our parents well into our twenties. This is one of the best books I have ever read for gaining knowledge on myself. It's very inspiring for taking charge of the aspects of our trait that don't quite correlate with the norm or that trap us into pitfalls that I've discovered from this book are just what HSP's go through, due to the way we perceive the world.

The narrator sounds like a calm, gentle British grandmother who is handing down timeless wisdom. I've seen some other reviews really critique her voice, but it just shows me that the reviewers are a bit biased and don't really hear a variety of British accents and lean on their xenophobic associations via television media in the US. It's very eloquently narrated and her mood always fits what she is reading.

Overall, I suggest this book to anyone who has been told or feels that they are 'overly emotional', 'too deep', or are constantly searching for meaning in every detail. No, you aren't 'weird', you can't 'fix' it, and you won't grow out of it, you might just be a Highly Sensitive Person and you can use this trait advantageously.

62 people found this helpful

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  • Allan
  • 2011-09-29

Pioneer in the Field

The review stating this is highly scientific is correct... Ms Aron was responsible for pioneering research in this area. This work was originally published in 1996 as a summary of her years of investigation... 13 years before Ms Hass publication... so her work stands squarely on the shoulders of Elaine Aron. Before Elaine Aron's groundbreaking treatise it was assumed "sensitive" persons were weak, whining people (to use the reviewers phrase), who just needed to buck up and get with the program. I have no doubt Ms Hass' book is a good example of self help for HSP's... but let's give credit where it due. THIS is the definitive work on the subject. Not available in audiobook... but Elaine Aron's books on raising an HSP child, and HSP's in love relationships along with a companion workbook are solid reads as well.

46 people found this helpful

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  • Alice
  • 2013-12-21

Long overdue explanation of the sensitive person

What made the experience of listening to The Highly Sensitive Person the most enjoyable?

Upon conclusion of The Highly Sensitive Person I’m left with a feeling of peace and better understanding of my natural temperament. I’ve always felt like a stranger in a strange land of extroverts who all seem to flourish in social situations, whereas I’ve always craved more intimate low key social interactions. This book is a magnificent tool for anyone who feels marginalized due to their natural inclination towards the quiet life, and is seeking ways to adapt their personality into a fast paced society while still being true to who they really are.

Any additional comments?

The reader of an audio book can make or break the experience. Barbara Caruso did a fabulous job of conveying a nonjudgmental, & almost motherly tone throughout the book, you could feel the tenderness in her voice, and this made the book all the more pleasant to listen to.

34 people found this helpful

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  • Catabus
  • 2013-11-09

Good Book but Irritating Narrator!

Would you try another book from Elaine N. Aron and/or Barbara Caruso?

I hate to offend anyone, but while this book has some good content, it was hard to get past the irritating voice of the narrator. I tried very hard to listen but I couldn't focus on what was being said because of the 'proper tone' and 'voice fluctuations' of the narrator. I ended up actually reading instead of listening. This narrator might be good for historical books or fiction books(although I don't think I could listen), but not for a serious informational book.

27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Sierra Nevada Homesteader
  • 2015-01-27

Wow I'm not alone anymore!

The most important book in all my 50 years. There is nothing wrong with me I'm an HSP! Struggle no more!

25 people found this helpful

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  • A.H.
  • 2014-01-25

Don't get the Audible version!!

What did you like best about The Highly Sensitive Person? What did you like least?

Oh my goodness, I honestly can't listen to this book anymore. I'm only 3 hours in, but I just can't get past the narrator's tone of voice. It's so distracting & almost patronizing. I'm sure she'd be fantastic narrating plays or dramatic fiction, but not this. At all. I'm an HSP and I love the premise of this book, but I just can't listen anymore. I'd love to finish this, so I'm gonna buy the actual book.

18 people found this helpful

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  • Sara
  • 2012-12-18

This book is awesome

What made the experience of listening to The Highly Sensitive Person the most enjoyable?

This book was so informative. I had never heard of this label before. So glad to know now why so often I would be upset for no reason. Now I know what was making me feel this way and why I wasn't like all the other people.

How could the performance have been better?

I felt the reader's voice was highly irritating to me and not calming. Wish the author had read her own book because her voice is mellow.

18 people found this helpful

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  • Mag
  • 2016-07-26

Good stuff

I was concerned about the narrator voice, but I got used to it and later even enjoyed it. Do not be discouraged by other reviewers in this matter. Of course it is individual stuff, but aiming for more flexibility is a good thing you might catch while learning about this treat. The book helped me to understand many things from my past, the decisions and interactions and make a shift in perceiving myself as an individual and in social structure. Interesting approaches and empowering knowledge make this book an essential step on the path of self development. Really glad I have found it. I will be listening again.

15 people found this helpful