Quiet By Susan Cain

Susan Cain has done a really impressive job in arguing how important it is for introverts to value themselves even though American culture is so skewed towards the extrovert ideal. She lists all the things we would not have in our world were it not for an introvert: the Internet, Apple, or even (perhaps) the Civil Rights movement. So passionate is Susan Cain about the power o introversion that sometimes she seems to be almost apologizing to that half of the world (and presumably her readers) who are extroverts. That, I admit, made me (a self-confessed introvert) smile. After all, most of the time, I read books that say there is nothing (much) wrong with being an introvert (which those books equate with being shy). It was therefore quite nice to read a book that so systematically demolished the many myths about introverts, beginning with the definition.

Introverts are not shy people; they are people who prefer low levels of stimulation. They draw their energy from quiet me-time whereas extroverts draw their energy from other people. Introverts are the leaders you need when you're trying to create something new because they allow (indeed encourage) everyone to have their own idea while the extrovert is the leader you need to keep something routine going because extroverts are the cheerleaders who can be counted on to make a routine task more fun.

And if, like me, you're an introvert who has been criticized for not liking small talk or socializing activities or been told that you think too much, this book will come as a great relief. Reading it is almost an affirmation; a kind of I am not alone moment. It really is great to know that my introversion is inherited and that it is wholly normal. That it's OK to not be able to think in groups (that, in fact, most people don't think well in groups), that innovation really does happen when you work alone, and that many of the most famous people (from Warren Buffet to Rosa Parks to Darwin) are or were introverts.

Quiet has little good to say about our culture's extrovert ideal which has created a world where introverts must struggle so hard to carve out a niche for themselves. In our world, even the office space (with its open floor plan) is tailor made for the extrovert. And that's not even counting the frequent presentations and meetings people are expected to give and attend. In our world, there doesn't seem to be room for thought; only for talking. And yet, the introvert's power lies in solitary thought and quiet persuasion.

That's the first part of the book, anyway. The second half reads a lot like many of the other self-help manuals out there. The advice to identify our core passions (which Susan Cain provides in the second half of the book) for example, is advice that's good for anyone--and advice I at least have heard many times before. So, my personal advice is to read the first half of the book several times. It can really change the way you see the world and yourself and maybe skim over the second part.