Susan Cain

The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Quiet

Quiet by Susan Cain will change how you think about introverts forever A Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller Our lives are driven by a fact that most of us can't name and don't understand. It defines who our friends and lovers are, which careers we choose, and whether we blush when we're embarrassed. That fact is whether we're an introvert or an extrovert. The introvert/extrovert divide is the most fundamental dimension of personality. And at least a third of us are on the introverted side. Some of the world's most talented people are introverts. Without them we wouldn't have the Apple computer, the theory of relativity and Van Gogh's sunflowers. Yet extroverts have taken over. Shyness, sensitivity and seriousness are often seen as being negative. Introverts feel reproached for being the way they are. In Quiet, Susan Cain shows how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs, and how society misunderstands and undervalues introverts. She gives introverts the tools to better understand themselves and take full advantage of their strengths. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with real stories, Quiet will permanently change how we see introverts - and how you see yourself. 'I can't get Quiet out of my head. It is an important book - so persuasive and timely and heartfelt it should inevitably effect change in schools and offices' Jon Ronson, The Guardian 'Susan Cain's Quiet has sparked a quiet revolution. In our booming culture, hers is a still, small voice that punches above its weight. Perhaps rather than sitting back and asking people to speak up, managers and company leaders might lean forward and listen' Megan Walsh, The Times 'Quiet is a very timely book, and Cain's central thesis is fresh and important. Maybe the extrovert ideal is no longer as powerful as it was; perhaps it is time we all stopped to listen to the still, small voice of calm' Daisy Goodwin, The Sunday Times Susan Cain is the owner of The Negotiation Company, a firm that trains people in negotiation and communication skills. Her clients include Merrill Lynch, Standard & Poor, University of Chicago Business School and many of the US's most powerful law firms. She previously practiced corporate law for seven years with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons.

Julie Wagner

A former Wall Street attorney, business coach and creator of ThePowerofIntroverts.com demonstrates how introverted people are misunderstood and undervalued in today's culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal examples to counsel readers on how to use introvert talents to adapt to various situations and empower introverted children.

The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking

Amy Buckle

The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking

Benedict Neo

Growing up as a quiet and shy person, I had a hard time being sociable in high school, due to my tendency to repel from overstimulation. I always thought that I was different and kept telling myself to talk more and be more normal. This book helped me to accept who I am and be proud of being an introvert.

Ryan Haber

Good for helping an extrovert like me "get" introverts and, for that matter, that part of each of us that needs quiet aloneness.

The author tries hard not to indict extroversion as a lesser sort of existence but tips her hand with numerous word choices and examples. After a while, the cumulative effect makes the book a bit wearing.

rumbledethumps

Let me start by saying that I probably fall toward the introverted side of the spectrum, and am at most an ambivert. What Cain has to say is important, and I am glad I read this book.

However, something to keep in mind while reading it: she is making a lawyer's argument, not a scientist's.

She rarely, if ever, presents arguments that undermine her position. She gives her interpretation of a clinical study, then follows it up with words like "suggests" and "speculates." In other words, she presents a study, then interprets and extends it for the reader in a way that bolsters only her case. It is not an impartial examination of the issue. She is trying to persuade us.

What makes this noteworthy is that she frequently makes value judgments on introversion vs extroversion. She often presents introversion as a virtue, and extroversion, at best, as something we all just need to put up with. 

This book can help people realize that introversion is not a personality flaw, and that's an important point to make. But when she extends her argument to imply that introversion is *better* than extroversion, she loses me.

Overall, I'd recommend this book as an important book of our time, and for parents, teachers, and managers who'd like to better understand the introverts in their lives. But, it is an opinion piece, not a science book.

Ayesha ahmed

This book is a great read for both introverts and extroverts. The way that everything is presented is very straighforward - loved it!

Rosamund Mather

Firstly, I need to say that this is physically a very beautiful book. The cover of the UK Penguin edition is white, smooth and matt (is that an oxymoron? I don't know the proper name for that texture sorry), with the lettering embossed. Whenever I picked it up, it felt like sanctuary.

I had been wanting to read this for a while, as I'm an introvert (INFP to be specific). I'm even nervous about writing that out loud, lest I come off as a special snowflake. And occasionally, this book was what I wanted. It affirmed why I felt or acted how I did in certain situations and that I wasn't necessarily a freak. It was cool to read about actual scientific reasons for that, too. I especially identified with the person in the last chapter whose two gears when dealing with interpersonal conflict were "overwhelming feelings" or "detached self-possession".

However, I feel like there was also something a little... impersonal about it. There was too much focus on famous entrepreneurial introverts, and not really about your average everyday introvert who struggles to deal with telling people WHY they'd rather not go for drinks after work (and feeling awful about that) or WHY they're not miserable and lonely living on their own. I also thought it was unintentionally a bit anti-extrovert. The author seems to recognise that both extroverts and introverts might read this, but I can't really imagine an extrovert reading this and feeling not slightly resentful of introverts because of the self-righteous way introverts tend to be described in this. This book relies a little too much on essentialism as well, which distanced me from it sometimes.

Colleen

Throughout college, I had to take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test several times. After one such time, the professor compiled our results and said that the class spread was in line with the normal distribution for this test. She then proceeded to talk about how those of us who were classified as "Introverts" had not yet matured or evolved into "Extroverts" - that all mankind was moving towards the ideal personality type of ESTJ. Never mind that almost all scientific discoveries, technological advancements, and artistic masterpieces were done by introverts. Society still constantly pushes us to become extroverts.

This is what Susan Cain calls the "Extrovert Ideal." Quiet explores this phenomenon in depth. The book is marvelously researched. It has a wonderful balance of psychological studies, historical examples, interviews, and personal antidotes. It was never too lofty or dry. I was hooked from the first page when Cain tells the story of Rosa Parks, a quiet introvert who sparked one of the biggest civil rights disputes in this country's history. I probably would have plowed through this book a lot quicker if I wasn't so intrigued with each new case study or example. Every page or so made me think of some personal experience or some study that I'd read. Or I would stop to look up a book or study that was referenced. 

It did at times feel a little like a self-help book for introverts. (Introvert have power! Go Introverts!) The earlier chapters in particular made a point of reaffirming the power of introverts. But it was still a fascinating read. My only other critique is that I wish the book was framed to appeal more to extroverts. Although the last two or three chapters do address extroverts as well, the majority of the book is clearly directed towards introverts. 

I am so glad I read this, and I will most likely reread it in the future!

Lynn

4.5 stars. What a fantastic, informative, and applicable read. I identify as an extrovert and picked up this book to better understand my relationships and further dissect them over this axis. This was the perfect guide for that. Cain does a superb job at balancing theory, advice, and actionable insights. Tackling everything from romantic relationships to friendships and parenthood - there is a little for everyone. There was a small part in the middle that dragged a little, so no full 5 stars for me. But this book has incredibly important lessons which I will take with me for years to come. Incredibly relevant and highly sticky for the brain.

Cristian Garcia

Absolutely a must for everyone. A loving book, crafted with a lot of valuable and actionable insights. Useful, well written and overall, important.

Keven Wang

1st reread. Still got lots of nuggets from it.

Lynette Pedersen

Finally finished this one, which the library will be pleased about since I renewed my loan umpteen-million times. I have mixed feelings about it. At first, I was reluctant to read it because of all the hype it got when it came out and because, as a massive introvert, I was doubtful that it would really tell me much about myself that I didn't already know. However, I gave in. At the beginning I was extremely enthusiastic about it and even recommended it to several people before I was even done. Much of the information is thoroughly liberating. The book made me realize that I'm not so weird and dysfunctional after all, and it also made me realize that I am not alone in the world. It made me feel much less guilty about the times I feel like withdrawing completely from my wonderful children and husband--it wasn't them, it really was me and it was a perfectly natural reaction to the pressures of the external world that I clearly don't cope well with in abundance. It has a few little coping strategies, but mostly it is largely just validation for those of us who feel like utter weirdos on a daily basis. 

On the flip side, I do have a couple criticisms. First, I feel like Cain's sense of audience is muddled. In some places she's talking to me, the introvert dealing with an extroverted American culture. In other places she's talking to those other extroverted Americans who have to deal with me. What's the likelihood of those extroverts picking up this book? Sure, maybe their introverted spouse or friend may put it in their hands, but I think it's a pretty small number who make the thoughtful decision to read about how the rest of the world functions, especially since Cain proves time and time again that the general, uninformed extroverted world thinks that we're just plain weird at best and wrong at worst. It makes me wonder if Cain's time might have been better spent focusing on a little more of the "pep talk" parts for the "wilting violets" of the world, which brings me to my second criticism: One of the final chapters discusses individual cases of an extroverted parent raising an introverted child. I am not denying that this is valuable to those in that kind of situation, but, well, see my previous argument about the number of extroverts who might actually get through the book to that point without being directed to do so by, say, a psychologist who has figured out that the introversion in an extroverted house is the issue. However, where is the help for the introverted parents raising extroverted children? It is just as confusing and painful for an introverted parent who just wants to get through the store to what she needs and then out swiftly and with as little interaction with others as possible to have a bright, outgoing child who wants to talk to everyone they pass and, worse yet, is so ridiculously adorable that people just want to continue to engage the hilarious and utterly tweet-able conversation with this small human. How does the introverted parent balance that utter misery and frustration with the overflowing pride that their kid is so awesome? I think that's a valid question and concern, and considering that Cain's primary (though obviously not only) audience is the introverted individual why on earth was this not explored? 

It is unfortunate that this is where I was left with the book since it was the last chapter before the conclusion. Don't let my nit-picking get to you though, especially if you aren't a parent and can mostly just skip over that second-to-last chapter anyway. I think that there is a lot to learn and whole lot to think about with this book.

Savindi Jinasena

I really enjoyed this book. It was a relief to read about introverts in a world which favours extroverts. Susan Cain has put a lot of thought and research into this book and it was interesting to read about the studies that have been conducted to focus on introverts. What's important to remember is that this book does not pit extroverts and introverts against each other, but rather it focuses on understanding what it means to be introvert. I wish I knew what being introverted meant growing up and as a University student because I feel like I would have been understood better and may have understood myself better at that time. But it's never too late I guess!

I would definitely recommend this book to both introverts and extroverts :).

Fabio Bracht

Um mapa para entender e apreciar os introvertidos (seja você mesmo ou alguém próximo)

Os introvertidos representam representam entre terço e metade da população mundial, portanto, mesmo que você não seja um, certamente conhece alguém que seja.

Em Quiet (lançado em português como O Poder dos Quietos), Susan Cain fala sobre como as pessoas com esse traço de personalidade podem se posicionar de maneira mais saudável em uma sociedade que valoriza tanto o “Ideal da Extroversão” — e também sobre como as pessoas extrovertidas podem melhor se relacionar com os introvertidos ao seu redor, o que nem sempre é fácil ou natural em se tratando de convivência e relacionamentos entre pessoas que podem ter preferências, hábitos e modos de agir completamente opostos.

Além de ter muitas dicas valiosas para pais, professores e empresários (ou encarregados do setor de RH), Quiet é um verdadeiro mapa para quem precisa se encontrar, ou encontrar alguém, dentro do espectro introversão/extroversão.

Achei digno de observação como o estilo de escrita de Cain parece refletir a sua personalidade introvertida e detalhista: talvez por querer ter certeza de passar sistematicamente por todos os pontos que considera importante, às vezes acaba se alongando um pouco demais para chegar ao ponto de cada ideia ou de cada capítulo. Não tem as muitas frases de efeito ou trechos facilmente destacáveis de escritores superstars como Malcolm Gladwell (que deve ser extrovertido).

Mesmo assim, recomendo enfaticamente para pais, educadores e pessoal que trabalha com Recursos Humanos. Especialmente, claro, para aqueles que se consideram meio chatos por preferirem trabalho individual em vez de grupos, meio antissociais por preferirem ler um livro tomando chá em vez de ir pra balada, ou os que (como eu) já se sentiram culpados e auto-excluídos por não terem o ímpeto de socializar com os colegas no café depois do almoço no trabalho.

Arturo Hernández

I haven’t thought about the repercussions of being an introvert or an extrovert, how to best raise a child if they are one or the other, how to move through life and best take advantage of those qualities. This book is a must for managers, parents and anyone interested in psychology really.

Ary Dias 

Demonstrates how introverted people are misunderstood and undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal examples of how to use introvert talents to adapt to various situations.

The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Speaking

Chris G

The final third of the book is research focused and provides some great insights into personality types and behaviour. The first 2 thirds were more like character studies to prove that quiet people could be successful and that was not my jam.

Wenny

Lots of good points, however I reckon it could've been told in a more succinct manner.

Stephanie Honour

So disappointing for a much anticipated book! My head hurts from attempting to digest the onslaught of scientific terminology, not to mention the complete overload of social dynamic analysis. Even for a self proclaimed introvert, this was more than I was prepared for.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. Very very academic and thoughtful BUT very repetitive and made me feel like we could have shaved off 100 pages of vignette’s that contributed little to the cornerstone points of the book. I learned a lot! But struggled to follow along 

Grace E Erving

linda

really insightful; changed the way I perceive and interact with people, and gave me the confidence to succeed in an increasingly extroverted world

Daniel Lauzon

Neverland ✨

As an Introvert, I’m really grateful to get the chance to read it

Hatem Abdelmowgoud 

Once again, I fall into the trap of self help books. The book is not entirely bad and unlike similar books that fall into the same category, this one is actually a little bit more scientific-ish. There's some cited stats and papers at least (hence the 2nd star).

I initially wanted to read this book to explore the famous notion of introvert/extrovert personalities, as I personally fall under the introvert typical description.
Also, I wanted to find out whether this whole idea is based on science or is it just pop psychology.

Between the author hyping up introverts and the love-your-self bullshit, you can actually find some science behind the idea. Some people are subconsciously more inclined into isolation and find themselves more comfortable and productive in absence of social interactions while others are the opposite. But the archetype is not cast to stone. There're lots of variables in motion.

My problem is that like all psychology studies, most of the evidence is 1 anectodal 2. on American subjects.
I can't really relate the studies outcomes to my case or see myself benefitting from it.

Informative and thoughtfully written. I gained a better understanding of myself through this book

Jacqui Spears

Kuba Milcarz

Quick refresh reread. I though that after over 2 years I would learn something new and for sure I did! I highlighted much more and I believe I understood more as well. It will take me a while to go through the book again and get some useful notes from the book, tho.

When I first read Quiet, let's say, I lacked experience in life. Now I'm in college and I feel like I can relate to more examples. That's why I give again 5 stars! I guess, after I graduate and again later I will come back and re-read the book. The older you get the more you learn. Simple as that.

For now, tho, let's focus on present and use these lessons in real life.

Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

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