What if you could exploit the plasticity of personality to change yourself in specific ways?

Would you choose to become less neurotic? More self-disciplined? Less shy? Until now, a common belief is that we're stuck with what we've been given: the leopard can't change its spots, the introvert will forever hide in shadows, and the narcissist will forever tweet about his brilliance. In Be Who You Want, Dr Christian Jarrett takes readers on a thrilling journey as he explains not only how to anticipate the ways that life events leave their mark, but that we can deliberately shape our personalities to influence the course of our lives.

Dr Jarrett draws on the latest research to provide evidence-based ways to change each of the main five personality traits, including how to become more emotionally stable, extraverted and open-minded. He features compelling stories of people who have achieved profound personality change such as a gang leader turned youth role model, a drug addict turned ultra-runner, and a cripplingly shy teenager turned Hollywood megastar. He also delves into the so-called Dark Triad of personality traits - narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy - and how we might exploit their advantages without ourselves going over to the dark side.

But you don't have to make such dramatic changes to your traits in order to enjoy meaningful benefits in your life. Even modest changes can pay dividends and set up an accumulating cascade of real-life consequences.

Filled with quizzes and interactive exercises to help you better understand the various aspects of your personality, your life story and your passions, Be Who You Want will appeal to anyone who has ever felt constrained by how they've been characterised and wants to pursue lasting change.

Dr Christian Jarrett is Deputy Editor of Psyche, a new digital magazine that illuminates the human condition, from the founders of Aeon. He is an award-winning science writer, the author of several critically acclaimed books including The Rough Guide to Psychology and Great Myths of the Brain, and he was editor and lead contributor for the bestselling 30-Second Psychology.