Author: Susan Cain
File Size (Pages): 2099 KB (352)
Published: 2012
Genre: Non-fiction, Pop Psychology
Challenges: Support Your Local Library
Edition: E-book
Source: Library
Description: At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.
Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.
Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."
This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves. (via Goodreads.com)
Thoughts: I quite liked the book and felt that the most important part of the book was the last half of the book. There were things in the first couple of chapters that didn't sit well with me and I disagreed with, but as I went through the book, there were more and more things that I could easily identify with. I suppose as a bookworm I should have expected that, but I didn't realize how much I was able to identify with what the author was writing about. Since I was reading this in e-book format through my phone and through my Kobo Vox, I was unable to write the amount of notes that would have wanted to as a result, but I did like the fact that Ms. Cain used a number of examples of different types of introversion and how people who are introverts are able to exist in a extrovert world.
Bottom line: I would recommend this book probably for most people, because whether we know it or not we interact with introverts, whether through our families or our work places or just about going about our daily lives.
Rating: 4/5
Pages for 2012: 18414
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