In Pathways to Individuality, Arnold H. Buss examines the personality traits we share with other animals and the traits that set us apart and make us distinctly human. Buss explains that within those general traits there is much variability, and those traits become distinct during the crucial periods of human development. This is what makes us individuals. Compared with other species, humans enjoy an extended period of childhood, during which personality traits become ingrained and differentiated: Our early interactions with our social environment influence and sharpen the behavioral pathways that distinguish our individuality. In turn, we seek to manipulate those environments we are drawn to and that help shape our individuality.

Drawing from over a half-century of teaching and writing on personality, Buss masterfully summarizes key theories and recent advances in the study of temperament, the self, and abnormal behavior and style, which are critical dimensions in understanding personality and individual differences.