Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Organization
Cain tells personal stories and the stories of other introverts to illustrate the perspective of the introverted mind. The stories (and research cited) are more narrative than outline format. The book covers topics of the current extroverted ideal in society, the introverted psychology, and recommended actions of how to co-exist.
Overall
As sometime who is quite introverted, I appreciated reading about the background of how we tick. It was mostly useful to read about the common misconceptions and the cited research.
Useful For
Everyone who is an introvert or works/lives with an introvert. This will increase the ability to understand background personality differences and what it means to really re-charge. The book is pretty information-dense; a feature (not a bug) of its comprehensiveness.
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I finished this book on the way to April’s course and LOVED it. I’ve tried to masquerade and hide my introverted nature really hard at times, and I feel this book is a step toward giving myself permission to be me. Sure, I can step out of my comfort zone sometimes, but afterwards I need to be kind to myself and allow time to recharge. Loved Susan’s TED talk too.
Yes! Susan’s TED talk was so good. My favorite chapter from the book was when she was talking about this professor who was a really engaging and dynamic speaker, but really, he was an introvert. It helps remind me that being introverted doesn’t automatically mean you’re afraid or bad at public speaking. You can be great at it, but it’s just draining to do it all the time. 🙂