Book Bearings
Quiet
- 368 pages · about 6 hours
- First published 2012
- 12 editions
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1 About this book
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, published in 2012, is Susan Cain's case that modern Western culture misunderstands and undervalues introverted people. She traces how, early in the twentieth century, America moved from a culture of character to a culture of personality, in which the outgoing extrovert became the ideal in schools, offices and public life. Drawing on research in psychology and neuroscience, she describes introversion as a preference for less stimulation, sets out the strengths and weaknesses of each temperament, and questions the pressure to work constantly in groups. Later chapters offer advice on work, relationships and bringing up quiet children.
- Personal growth
- Relationships
- Personality
2 What to expect
A defense of introverts in a culture that rewards talkers: part reporting, part psychology and part advice. Cain visits business schools and seminars, explains the research on temperament and stimulation, and argues that solitude and quiet thinking are undervalued at work and at school. It is warm, clear and reassuring, written from an introvert's side, and at times it draws the line between the two types more sharply than the research does.
Good for readers who want: understanding introversion, psychology for everyday life, and a reassuring read.
3 About Susan Cain
Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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