#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Experience the book that started the Quiet Movement and revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves—by offering validation, inclusion, and inspiration
“Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read, Quiet is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the gifts of the introverted half of the population.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People,O: The Oprah Magazine,Christian Science Monitor,Inc.,Library Journal,Kirkus Reviews
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also 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. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
I thought this was a really interesting and insightful read, whether you consider yourself an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between.
The book is split into 4 parts. In the first part, the table is set and we learn the difference between extroverts and introverts and how society favors extroverts, as well as some of the historical and cultural implications of this. The second part focused on how our extroversion or introversion can be determined by our biology, and how it affects our decision-making and other aspects of our life. This section felt sort of business-centered, and I got bogged down and bored with it a little.
The third section and fourth sections were my favorites. The third section dealt with culture, and how different cultures value introversion. And the fourth was all about communication, particularly between two partners who are at different points in the spectrum as well as how to approach and understand introverted children in a beneficial way.
I think everyone will recognize themselves at some point of this book, no matter how introverted or extroverted you are. I think it can be especially useful for parents or teachers who have introverted children/students and aren't sure how to work with them.
I listened to the audio version, and give it a thumbs up!
