A review by scotchyeti
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

4.0

This is an unusual book. In our loud world where everyone wants to be a star it looks at the introverts and how they fit in. Personally I could take a lot out of it for myself and for the education of my kids. As a parent it's difficult how to deal with a quiet child. You don't want that she misses all the fun and you know that our society demands an open attitude and self confidence. You have to be able to sell yourself.

What I learnt from the book and can prove from my experiences is that pushing someone to "train" this trait is completely wrong. Introverts have other strengths (observation, reflection, they are more emphatic) and perform better in small teams or alone. The book provides many examples of successful people who are respected despite being shy and proves that you can make your luck without giving up your nature.

A larger part deals with partnerships between extro- and introverts that I didn't find so interesting. I also had the feeling that the balance is not kept well between both sides with many examples that put extroverts into a worse light. A more objective look revealing the strengths, weaknesses and different life strategies would have made the book even better.

Highly recommended for all introverts (this probably covers most of us bookworms).