Scan barcode
qmbow's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
smateer73's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It gave me fantastic insight into why I am the way I am, and how I can best cultivate my unique skills instead of always feeling I need to be someone I’m not.
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
5.0
As an extrovert married to an introvert, I approached this book as an anthropological experience: what is this species? how do they operate? I've known pretty early on in our relationship that we are, in fact, vastly different in our communication styles and this was definitely borne out by the book.
I was blown away by how readable it was, especially given the vast array of scientific data. It was such a wonderfully written book that I actually had pangs of sadness that I wasn't an introvert. They are so amazing, deep and misunderstood while we extroverts are just loud, brash and obnoxious!
Alas, I fell into the extrovert trap of constantly reading aloud passages of the book to my introvert, which he made sure to call me out on. Oh well, count me in the segment of the population that can't stop talking.
I was blown away by how readable it was, especially given the vast array of scientific data. It was such a wonderfully written book that I actually had pangs of sadness that I wasn't an introvert. They are so amazing, deep and misunderstood while we extroverts are just loud, brash and obnoxious!
Alas, I fell into the extrovert trap of constantly reading aloud passages of the book to my introvert, which he made sure to call me out on. Oh well, count me in the segment of the population that can't stop talking.
yoggi01's review against another edition
informative
reflective
5.0
I resonated deeply with this book. I think I already knew a lot of the things that were mentioned but it was eye opening to have someone compile it and present it in this format. I think it helped me accept who I am as a person and be comfortable with living my life as I want it and not as I think society expects from me. Introverts have certain strengths which I should play to and be grateful that I have. It's also important for me to think about extroversion being very useful and that sometimes I need to channel it in order to live the fulfilling life I want to live.
tombennett72's review against another edition
5.0
This is a brilliant book - both for introverts, and for extroverts. Genuinely interesting, and very useful for adding to the understanding of how the two types interact.
The section on Harvard Business School confirms the view I’ve formed over many years that all an MBA teaches someone is how to make a lot of noise about yourself and how to kiss arse (sorry, manage upwards). I’ve witnessed a generation of ‘highly qualified’ youngsters dropped into plum roles who clearly value speaking, and PowerPoint presentations, over thinking.
I think that the book makes the mistake of conflating ‘western’ with ‘American’ - which misses some quite big cultural differences: have you ever witnessed a small group of Americans anywhere in Europe? They are SO much louder than Europeans... but this is a minor grumble.
It’s particularly interesting at the start of 2021 to consider the section on home working and introverts - home working removes the stifling effect of teamwork. And the over-stimulation that comes from open plan office space - as an introvert myself, it makes perfect sense that open plan offices lead to stressed, less creative, workers.
I was fascinated by the premise that teamwork kills creativity - and how long ‘groups’ and ‘teams’ have been held up as some sort of ideal.
The much-touted post-COVID “end of the 5 day week in the office” could revolutionise employee effectiveness and happiness - an unlooked-for benefit but all such gains have to be good.
Also interesting was the idea that Introverted leaders are better for proactive people.
So, overall; useful, informative and thought-provoking.
The section on Harvard Business School confirms the view I’ve formed over many years that all an MBA teaches someone is how to make a lot of noise about yourself and how to kiss arse (sorry, manage upwards). I’ve witnessed a generation of ‘highly qualified’ youngsters dropped into plum roles who clearly value speaking, and PowerPoint presentations, over thinking.
I think that the book makes the mistake of conflating ‘western’ with ‘American’ - which misses some quite big cultural differences: have you ever witnessed a small group of Americans anywhere in Europe? They are SO much louder than Europeans... but this is a minor grumble.
It’s particularly interesting at the start of 2021 to consider the section on home working and introverts - home working removes the stifling effect of teamwork. And the over-stimulation that comes from open plan office space - as an introvert myself, it makes perfect sense that open plan offices lead to stressed, less creative, workers.
I was fascinated by the premise that teamwork kills creativity - and how long ‘groups’ and ‘teams’ have been held up as some sort of ideal.
The much-touted post-COVID “end of the 5 day week in the office” could revolutionise employee effectiveness and happiness - an unlooked-for benefit but all such gains have to be good.
Also interesting was the idea that Introverted leaders are better for proactive people.
So, overall; useful, informative and thought-provoking.
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.0
This has been sitting on my shelf for many years and I’ve intended to read it even longer. I am glad I finally got to it, but even after pulling it from the bookcase, it still took a long time to read, nearly 5 months!
I appreciated so much of the content. I consider myself an introvert, but after reading this I’m questioning whether or not I lean more toward the center of a spectrum between introvert and extrovert than I realized. I found myself relating to both personalities at different moments.
I had not thought very much about how much of business and workplaces in the West are oriented around extroversion. Speaking up is rewarded. Working in groups is mandatory. (I’ve always hated group projects!) Cain’s interviews and research is well-presented and makes a strong case that individual work often results in greater creativity, open offices without barriers decreases concentration, etc. I liked her look at other cultures and countries as well and thought that section could have been expanded. Her applications toward the end of the book about communicating across the introvert-extrovert lines, pushing oneself outside of a comfort zone when necessary (but only for work that matters deeply, otherwise it won’t be worth it), and finding ways to refresh and come back to equilibrium after stepping out of one’s personality were great.
So why 4 stars? It may be due to my false expectations of what this book was. I thought it would be more accessible to everyday readers and introverts in general. It was, to an extent; however, it seemed much more relevant as a business book over a psychology book. Sometimes I also found the language and descriptions to be a bit densely phrased and difficult.
The bottom line: I am glad I read this book and gained a greater understanding of the way introversion and extroversion intersects with daily life, business, work, relationships, and culture.
— NOTES —
Genres: general nonfiction, psychology
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Levity/Humility: 4
Information: 5
Transformation: 3
Gut: 4
Total: 4
I appreciated so much of the content. I consider myself an introvert, but after reading this I’m questioning whether or not I lean more toward the center of a spectrum between introvert and extrovert than I realized. I found myself relating to both personalities at different moments.
I had not thought very much about how much of business and workplaces in the West are oriented around extroversion. Speaking up is rewarded. Working in groups is mandatory. (I’ve always hated group projects!) Cain’s interviews and research is well-presented and makes a strong case that individual work often results in greater creativity, open offices without barriers decreases concentration, etc. I liked her look at other cultures and countries as well and thought that section could have been expanded. Her applications toward the end of the book about communicating across the introvert-extrovert lines, pushing oneself outside of a comfort zone when necessary (but only for work that matters deeply, otherwise it won’t be worth it), and finding ways to refresh and come back to equilibrium after stepping out of one’s personality were great.
So why 4 stars? It may be due to my false expectations of what this book was. I thought it would be more accessible to everyday readers and introverts in general. It was, to an extent; however, it seemed much more relevant as a business book over a psychology book. Sometimes I also found the language and descriptions to be a bit densely phrased and difficult.
The bottom line: I am glad I read this book and gained a greater understanding of the way introversion and extroversion intersects with daily life, business, work, relationships, and culture.
— NOTES —
Genres: general nonfiction, psychology
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Levity/Humility: 4
Information: 5
Transformation: 3
Gut: 4
Total: 4
curiouslyjade's review against another edition
3.0
Very much an introvert power-up book. I thought parts of it were very illuminating and interesting, and parts of it were a little obvious. Still, an enjoyable read.