Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$0.00
or $11.06 to buy

Audiobook
$0.99
with membership

Hardcover
$12.10

Paperback
$11.64

$12.10 with 55 percent savings

List Price: $27.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Monday, April 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, April 10. Order within 8 hrs 6 mins.

In Stock

$$12.10 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (60) from $4.29 + $3.99 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Elaine N. Aron

Follow

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You Hardcover – May 26, 2020

by Elaine N. Aron Ph.D. (Author)

10,165 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.10","priceAmount":12.10,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"10","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jkaxBROGrOus0%2FRkeENkMvgcZfHkxCtFe2cFjBf65Z33tSzECpkQoeN%2F4NOHUo0NS4Lce1tX7uOrtVp9NyEBgnrY2gFsGjTWdVb%2BWj2rH%2FdYcWqCVtYZy%2BHrz9sST%2FgTBejk4ySm0YkBGEs40JaV3g%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION of the original ground-breaking book on high sensitivity with over 500,000 copies sold.

ARE YOU A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON?

Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you noted for your empathy? Your conscientiousness? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you? If your answers are yes, you may be a highly sensitive person (HSP) and Dr. Elaine Aron’s The Highly Sensitive Person is the life-changing guide you’ll want in your toolbox.

Over twenty percent of people have this amazing, innate trait. Maybe you are one of them. A similar percentage is found in over 100 species, because high sensitivity is a survival strategy. It is also a way of life for HSPs.

In this 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking classic, Dr. Elaine Aron, a research and clinical psychologist as well as an HSP herself, helps you grasp the reality of your wonderful trait, understand your past in the light of it, and make the most of it in your future. Drawing on her many years of study and face-to-face time spent with thousands of HSPs, she explains the changes you will need to make in order to lead a fuller, richer life.

Along with a new Author’s Note, the latest scientific research, and a fresh discussion of anti-depressants, this edition of The Highly Sensitive Person is more essential than ever for creating the sense of self-worth and empowerment every HSP deserves and our planet needs.

“Elaine Aron has not only validated and scientifically corroborated high sensitivity as a trait—she has given a level of empowerment and understanding to a large group of the planet’s population. I thank Dr. Aron every day for her having brought this awareness to the world.”
—Alanis Morissette, artist, activist, teacher

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR DR. ELAINE ARON AND HER GROUNDBREAKING CLASSIC
THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON

“Elaine Aron’s perceptive analysis of this fundamental dimension of human nature is must reading. Her balanced presentation suggests new paths for making sensitivity a blessing, not a handicap.”
—Philip G. Zimbardo, author of Shyness

“Enlightening and empowering, this book is a wonderful gift to us all.”
—Riane Ensler, author of Nurturing Our Humanity

“Shy people fear being judged or rejected, whereas highly sensitive people have a keen awareness of their environment, frequently becoming overstimulated by it.”
—Self

“If you are easily overwhelmed by noise, chaos, and emotions; perform poorly when being observed; and require time alone each day, there is no need to worry; recent research shows your heightened sensitivity can do you more good than harm.”
—Counseling Today

“The first book that helps readers to identify their highly sensitive trait and to make the most of it.”
—Counseling and Human Development

“Aron combines self-tests with useful, unclichéd advice on stress control and provocative descriptions of research.”
—Fitness

“At book signings, people have come up to her [Elaine Aron] and said, ‘You've saved my life.’”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Aron's book is not a fly-by-night, self-help tome, but instead a serious effort to explore a subject on which little has been done.”
—Portland Oregonian

“This book is a valuable resource for the HSP, as well as those who are trying to understand the HSP.”
—The New Times

“This innovative psychologist has figured out that the extreme reactivity of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) can be a good thing. This comes as a relief to people like me—and probably you, too.”
—Pathways

About the Author

ELAINE N. ARON, Ph.D., obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific Graduate Institute and trained at the Jung Institute in San Francisco. She is widely published in academic journals on the subject of both sensory processing sensitivity and, along with her husband, Art Aron, the scientific study of close relationships. She is also the author of The Highly Sensitive Parent, The Highly Sensitive Child, The Highly Sensitive Person in Love, The Highly Sensitive Person Workbook, Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person, and The Undervalued Self. She conducts workshops for HSPs around the country and internationally, and maintains a newsletter for them at www.hsperson.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Citadel; 25th edition (May 26, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0806540575
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0806540573
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.72 x 1 x 8.51 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #8,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #36 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
- #63 in Emotional Self Help
- #288 in Personal Transformation Self-Help

Customer Reviews:
10,165 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Elaine N. Aron

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Elaine Aron, Ph.D., is recognized internationally as one of the leading scientists studying the psychology of love and close relationships. Dr. Aron’s research on love, conducted with her husband, Dr. Art Aron, has been featured in the New York Times, Time, and National Geographic. She is the author of The Highly Sensitive Person, The Highly Sensitive Person in Love, and The Highly Sensitive Child. She has lived in many places all over North America, from a geodesic dome on Cortes Island to an aging southern mansion on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, and now divides her time between New York and San Francisco.

Customer reviews

10,165 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book highly informative, helping them understand themselves better and explaining their traits since childhood. The book receives positive feedback for its readability, with one customer noting it's an eye-opener, and customers appreciate how it helps them show compassion and find inner peace. The writing quality and psychology aspects receive mixed reviews - while some find it well-written, others note it's not concise, and while the psychology content is appreciated, one customer finds it too focused on psychotherapy.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Information quality Readability Sensitivity Personality trait Compassion Acceptance Writing quality Psychology

525 customers mention "Information quality"464 positive61 negative

Customers find the book highly informative, describing it as a wonderful personal guide that helps untangle inner workings and explains aspects of personality since childhood.

"...Instead I found a smart, astute, science-based book which explained to me why I was slowly dying at my job, why I could not sleep at night, and why..." Read more

"...She takes on a tone of acceptance and empowerment throughout the book, which is radically different than what most of us are used to hearing as an..." Read more

"...and Anxiety: The techniques in the book help HSPs reduce stress, anxiety, and sensory overload, promoting a more balanced and fulfilling life. *..." Read more

"..."differences" in these two "categories" in a practical and easy way, further including information of "how to" live in a..." Read more

376 customers mention "Readability"376 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as invaluable and an eye-opener, with one customer noting it is particularly suitable for highly sensitive individuals.

"...Instead I found a smart, astute, science-based book which explained to me why I was slowly dying at my job, why I could not sleep at night, and why..." Read more

"...It is not a difficult read and it is not a long book. It will give you so much insight into this amazing personality trait...." Read more

"...I found it to be an enormously valuable book, addressing a subject which I had never found before...yet, one that proved to be one of the most..." Read more

"This work is generally a good read in helping one understand the highly sensitive person (HSP)...." Read more

112 customers mention "Sensitivity"89 positive23 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights into highly sensitive people, noting that it well describes their characteristics and helps readers understand their sensitivities.

"Reading this book felt like coming home. It explained why I cry so easily (especially even during happy moments), why I crave nature and..." Read more

"...: The book offers a wealth of practical tips and techniques for HSPs to manage their sensitivity, cope with stress, and create a more fulfilling..." Read more

"...Sensitivity involves physical, psychological, and spiritual awareness on a deeper level than the majority of non-sensitive persons experience...." Read more

"...Both clearly have an important role. The Highly Sensitive Person defines the traits (with a self-assessment); asks you to accept yourself and..." Read more

29 customers mention "Personality trait"26 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's exploration of the highly sensitive personality trait, noting how it adds depth to our understanding of human variety.

"...It will give you so much insight into this amazing personality trait. Empaths/HSPs are not weird, they're not "wrong" or broken...." Read more

"...* Increased Self-Awareness: HSPs gain a deeper understanding of their unique trait and how it affects their lives. *..." Read more

"...that highly sensitive people are both "normal" and have many valuable traits...." Read more

"...or shame you for being different, it says that your differences are what make you unique and that they give you unique opportunities to contribute..." Read more

24 customers mention "Compassion"24 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's compassionate approach, helping them show self-compassion and embrace their spiritual nature, leading to incredible inner peace.

"...relationships, work, love and sex, medicine and medication, and spirituality, with advice on how to avoid overarousal, especially unhealthy..." Read more

"...It's given me understanding, and so: acceptance and peace." Read more

"...up the tightly sewn area of my belly but she has helped me with the emotional scars and healing as well...." Read more

"...It's not a religious book, it's a book about finding peace and about managing the stresses of life...." Read more

16 customers mention "Acceptance"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's approach to self-acceptance and validation.

"...Support and Validation: The book provides a sense of validation and support for HSPs, helping them understand that their sensitivity is not a flaw..." Read more

"...scientific backing to how you feel, as well as emotional support and validation for how being an HSP affects you in many aspects of life...." Read more

"...It's given me understanding, and so: acceptance and peace." Read more

"This book gave me an incredible comfort, I felt seen, validated and profoundly understood myself, after I was diagnosed with HSP...." Read more

152 customers mention "Writing quality"98 positive54 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it exceedingly well written and pleasant to read, while others note that it is not concise and not an easy read.

"...; in these two "categories" in a practical and easy way, further including information of "how to" live in a world that is, generally..." Read more

"...I just didn't give it a five star because the writing could indeed use some help, a few typos here and there but overall it's easy to understand." Read more

"...While the first half of the text is well written and useful, in my opinion, the latter half is a slide downhill into not only strategies intended to..." Read more

"What I like about this book: It gives a lot of descriptions and ideas for how to live life as a sensitive person...." Read more

35 customers mention "Psychology"17 positive18 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's psychological content, with some finding it relatable and insightful, while others find it too focused on psychotherapy.

"...and throwing in political stereotypes and even some religious new-agey stuff...." Read more

"...Yes, there are real-life situations documented, but even those felt sterile and distant at times." Read more

"...Some of them are very spiritual in an odd way...." Read more

"...It makes me feel a little less freakish and a little less alone. I'm grateful to have found it." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

A. Biggs
This may be the best book I have read in years
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2017
Verified Purchase

This may be the best book I have read in years. Maybe a decade. I was a year and a half into a very stressful job with a bully boss when I found this book -- I'd heard about it for years but thought the title sounded girlie and wimpy so I hesitated to read it. I don't like gooey, emotional, sappy stuff. Well guess what... no sap here. Or at least so little sap that a person who doesn't like sappy didn't really notice. Instead I found a smart, astute, science-based book which explained to me why I was slowly dying at my job, why I could not sleep at night, and why I was so stressed at work that I literally could not stomach my sandwich at lunch but would almost throw it up every day (but I could eat at home) -- I was operating at a level of physical stress which was impossible for a highly sensitive person to sustain, and yet I was somehow sustaining it. (I am very stubborn.) Once I actually looked at myself, looked at my actual situation, stopped blaming myself for being "weak" and "broken" and "not tough enough" and stopped trying to be what I am not, I saw clearly that I was ignoring my physical body's symptoms of extreme stress and hurting myself bad. Reading this was a wake up call at a time in my life when I really needed it, and gave me enough confidence to finally stand up to my impossible to please, bullying, manipulative boss and just quit. I am going back to school and retraining to become a software developer so that I can work in an environment that won't kill me. Not everyone is the same; everyone has different physical tolerances. If you find yourself "too sensitive" etc, give yourself a break. You are not a clone of the extrovert next to you. Pay attention to your body and read this book. IF YOU ARE AN EXTROVERT, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. If you are NOT highly sensitive, please read this book!!! I wish to God every human being would read this book so people could finally start understanding each other, and society in general would stop hurting those among them who are not built with the same nervous system that the 80% majority of humanity has!!!! This has nothing to do with race boundaries, religion, nationality... this is all about pure genetics and how our species (in fact how over 100 species on this planet) function. It's ground breaking work.

Read more

1,404 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Michael & Ashley
You're not weird. You're not alone.
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
Reading this book felt like coming home.

It explained why I cry so easily (especially even during happy moments), why I crave nature and quiet, why I'm the type to "go with my gut" (and am usually right), why I cannot watch stressful, violent or disturbing shows or movies, why music moves me so powerfully, why I feel like I constantly have to take time for myself, why I feel like I live at a much slower pace than everyone else around me, why I have always had digestive issues, and so much more.

Elaine is also an HSP so she writes not only from professional experience, but personal as well. She takes on a tone of acceptance and empowerment throughout the book, which is radically different than what most of us are used to hearing as an HSP.

I wish I would have known about this personality trait and read this book as an adolescent. It would have saved me from so much grief and struggling to try and be something I was not. My husband has read it too and it has made a night and day difference almost in our marriage. He suddenly gets things that I have struggled for the past ten years to put into words. And he's also discovered that while he may not be an HSP, he is still at least moderately sensitive, so the book has helped him a lot too.

To quote Frida Kahlo (who was probably an HSP too): “I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it's true I'm here, and I'm just as strange as you.”

If you even suspect you are an empath or highly sensitive person, or you think a loved one might be --- please, please, please read this book. It is not a difficult read and it is not a long book. It will give you so much insight into this amazing personality trait. Empaths/HSPs are not weird, they're not "wrong" or broken. They just have a different set of needs because of how they are made.

Read more

78 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

sweeeetone
There's no place like home...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2012
Verified Purchase

This is an amazing book. It explains me in a comprehensive way that no other book on my self-help journey has quite been able to. Not only am I highly sensitive, I am also score highly on sensation seeker traits. This explains a lot. I found the book to be so on the mark and insightful it was at times uncomfortable. Like many highly sensitive people, I have attempted to deny my sensitivity due to being told off for it as a child and people trying to correct it out of me or put me down for it like I was doing it on purpose and like it was something I was able to change. This book is very supportive and gives practical tips on how to handle the prejudice people like me have and do face in a non-highly sensitive culture. The only trouble for me with it was that even though the author promotes the good qualities inherent in the trait, I did find it hard to deal with the fact that I cannot ever change this about myself. I know it's all about self acceptance... but having pretended not to be so sensitive all my life, felt like it was something to deny if 'accused' of being that way... and being brought up to believe I could change this about myself... well it's made me feel a bit bleak in spite of the author's positivity about the specialness of the trait. On the one hand it's good to know that there is nothing wrong with me. But on the other hand I think I preferred thinking there was something wrong with me because that gave me hope that I could be fixed. Anyway, I thought others should be aware of that possibility in reading the book, not to put them off reading it, but instead to prepare them that they may need good support from loving caring people around them while coming to terms with certain key ideas in the book. Having said all that, I think it was essential reading in my case. I also found it so useful and good to read that I immediately bought the author's other book The Highly Sensitive Person In Love. I feel like these books are giving me what I kept trying to get from my mother, who loves me very much but is not highly sensitive herself and has been baffled by my troubles through life and despite her desire to help has not been able to offer me advice that works for me or relates to my experience of life. This book has been a Godsend from that point of view. I wish I had been told that I was hyper-sensitive, etc by people who didn't tell me off for it or always mention it as a negative thing. I wish I had read these books when I was 18 and starting to feel a bit alienated from people, I think it would have saved me from a lot of heartache and also from a breakdown I had at that time due to living as if I wasn't highly sensitive. It would have helped me have confidence in refusing to do things that are easy for non-highly sensitive people but traumatic to someone like me. This book heals all the times when I suffered and was told by people around me that I was over-reacting or exaggerating and not helped at times when I needed it the most as a result, simply because my experience differed from theirs in similar situations.

If anyone has ever called you hyper-sensitive (*and especially if they have ever called you 'too-sensitive' which is even more critical and rejecting) then you need to read this book. Think of it this way, it's as if you are a cat who has been raised by dogs right now. You need to know that you are a cat, not a loser-dog. It's time to start rewarding our own strengths and appreciating ourselves and to stop trying to pretend we are the same as non-sensitive types despite all the pressure on us to conform to that ideal... or we can all just move to Sweden :-)

Read more
Report
Mrs.O
Great Book and price but super delayed shipping
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on May 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very delayed shipping over a month. I almost cancelled this book. Lucky to them I really needed it.
Seller replies so late on shipping follow up. Book material was so thin papercopy it is!
I am happy with the content of the book though. Price is reasonable same as other books i bought. Lots of information and knowledge learned about HSP.

Read more
Report
BeeKind
Revealing
Reviewed in Australia on April 10, 2022
Verified Purchase
Wow, this book really helps to understand the highly sensitive traits we may have in ourselves and those around us. If you think you have such traits, this book can help with the healing from a society filled with less than sensitive people who have purposely or inadvertently caused pain in your life and the world at large.

Read more
Report
Amazon Customer
Very informative for all
Reviewed in Canada on September 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great read for HSP’s or not. Better understanding one another is always a positive :)

Read more
Report
Petra Nicolini
The Highly Sensitive Person / Elaine Aron
Reviewed in Italy on August 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
E' un testo che apre nuovi orizzonti in ambito psico-emozionale. Coraggioso, scritto da chi ha sofferto e per chi sta soffrendo a sentire questa frase ripetuta più volte nel corso della sua vita: "Troppo sensibile, che brutta vita che fa!" Scritto per aiutare chi si isola a causa della sua alta sensibilità, vivendola come un handicap e non come una grande opportunità.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English

See more reviews

Amazon Prime includes:

Follow the author

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You Hardcover – May 26, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

More items to explore

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Elaine N. Aron

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Reviews with images

Amazing info

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars This may be the best book I have read in years

5.0 out of 5 stars You're not weird. You're not alone.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars There's no place like home...

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book and price but super delayed shipping

5.0 out of 5 stars Revealing

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative for all

5.0 out of 5 stars The Highly Sensitive Person / Elaine Aron

This may be the best book I have read in years

You're not weird. You're not alone.

There's no place like home...

Great Book and price but super delayed shipping

Revealing

Very informative for all

The Highly Sensitive Person / Elaine Aron