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

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

This is a fascinating look at what it means to be an introvert in the most extroverted nation in the world. I recognized myself on nearly every page -- often in ways I didn't expect. In some ways, all the little "A-ha!" moments I was having probably caused me to miss some interesting aspects of the book. I'll definitely benefit from reading it again.

As an interesting note, I was reading "Imagine: How Creativity Works" at the same time I was reading Quiet -- and the crossover between the two is fascinating.

I'm looking forward to reading this book again, to increase my understand of my own personality and learn ways to nurture myself and find my own power in our extroverted world.

silvertoez's review against another edition

5.0

Learning I am an introvert, completely changed my life. It helped me to better understand not only who I am, but how I function best. It also gave me permission to do things in my best interest that I wasn’t necessarily taught growing up or by our extrovert-driven society. Though filled with lots of research, I felt this book was engaging and not dry or boring. I highly recommend this one for everyone, especially parents.

wigstown's review against another edition

4.0

This book opened my eyes and my heart. In a world full of extroverts, I have learned to cope, manage, be something that I wasn't. I grew up with society's ominous warning, "it's always the quiet ones who...go crazy, shoot up a school, stab you in the back", so I tried not to be quiet. Go crazy? With the help of Cain, I see now clearly that it's okay to be introspective, to say no, to take space, to step back.

calabrag's review against another edition

5.0

This book gave me more insight into my own personality than I would have thought possible. I mean, I knew I was an introvert, but I never thought about why I am this way or how many of my day-to-day interactions are governed by my introverted tendencies. It also has made me think seriously about the expectations of our culture, what the author refers to as "the extrovert ideal." For example, as a student, I hated most kinds of group work, but I incorporate a group activity into almost all of my research instruction sessions because it seems like the prevailing wisdom is that doing group activities makes you a better teacher. Turns out, I'm probably doing a disservice to the students in the room who are the most like me!

Two quotes that stood out for me in the conclusion:
"Quit your job as a TV anchor and get a degree in library science." (Ha!)

"Figure out what you are meant to contribute to the world and make sure you contribute it."

madzreads94's review against another edition

5.0

This was a reread for me. I read it first and listened this time, both were great reading experiences. It was a little over a ten hour audiobook and engaging listen. I struggle with reader voices but I really liked this one! This is a very important read for anyone who considers themselves introverted or has a loved one who does. There can be so much guilt surrounding this personality trait and I am happy to see it broken down a bit. There is nothing wrong with needing/preferring time alone, but it can be hard to feel that way when we are constantly being told our value is equivalent to how many friends we have, how many posts we share, and how many likes we get. I liked how Cain goes into the habit of faking extroversion, and the contrast of lying to yourself vs awareness and consciously acting more extroverted in particular situations. I saw this in myself after reading this book. I go through periods of time being so extroverted and busy then crash and need to recharge for the extent of the interaction. This cycle can happen over years and is exhausting for myself and loved ones. Since reading this book I've been better able to plan and communicate what I need. This books goes over lots more such as highly reactive vs low reactive people, repercussions of our cultural norms, and my favorite- the effect of this culture on our schools. I will say, I think this could be an especially important read for parents. I will probably read it again in a couple years.

secreteeyore1's review against another edition

5.0

I couldn't put this book down. I am clearly introverted, and this book made me feel like less of a freak. Yes! There are people out there like me! Yes! I am not alone!