Quiet

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

By: Susan Cain

Narrated by: Kathe Mazur

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Experience the book that started the Quiet Movement and revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves—by offering validation, inclusion, and inspiration

“Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read, Quiet is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to understand the gifts of the introverted half of the population.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People, O: The Oprah Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Inc., Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

©2012 Susan Cain (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

2013, Carnegie Medal, Long-listed

2012, Goodreads.com Readers Choice Award for Best Debut Author and Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, Winner

“As an introvert often called upon to behave like an extrovert, I found the information in this book revealing and helpful. Drawing on neuroscientific research and many case reports, Susan Cain explains the advantages and potentials of introversion and of being quiet in a noisy world.” (Andrew Weil, author of Healthy Aging and Spontaneous Happiness)

“Susan Cain has done a superb job of sifting through decades of complex research on introversion, extroversion, and sensitivity—this book will be a boon for the many highly sensitive people who are also introverts.” (Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person)

very solid

great book overall. I appreciated it a lot, helps people into the mindset of how to deal with not only introverts, but extroverts as well

mind opening

never have i read something that i can say WOW!
i can relate so much to this, and It made me understand better why it's so hard for me to navigate through a constant moving world. I always want to slow down things so I can get comfortable enough to handle the situation, while also feeling like I need to rush because everyone is doing it before me.

empowering

I loved this book. It definitely empowered me to be comfortable in my introvertness. It definitely made me think about being an introvert in management and created some good conversation between me and my husband about being in an extrovert and introvert relationship.

Excellent resource!

This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of different temperaments and personalities. Whether for personal curiosity, to learn how to be a better leader by creating an environment that will allow employees to do their best work, or helping children learn in a way that makes sense for them, this book is the answer. Introverts unite! (Separately, in our own homes of course)

This book gets better and better the more you read/listen.

I admit that about 25% of the way in, I considered moving on to my next book selection. I felt that what I had heard was valuable, but that I’d gotten the message. I’m so glad I kept listening.

I feel that this book has caused a paradigm shift in the way I see my own personality. I’m an introvert that loves succeeding in extroverted ways. Most of my clients are extroverts. The qualities I admire in others are extroverted.

Now I see my inherent abilities and gifts more strongly, and for the great attributes they are. I also see the extroverted attributes I long for more clearly, and have narrowed down the list.

I have permission to a deep thinker, and not be ashamed of it.

I love the stories and examples. I loved the in depth explanations. The way this book ended summed everything up in a way that was really helpful to me as a parent.

I highly recommend this book.

Great read.

Great insight on introverts. The book was very interesting and it captured my attention. I will use the book as a reference for continuous improvement.

Wish I Read this Book 30 Years Ago!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Great information and a logical, scientific, presentation. I learned so much about family members I didn't understand at all. Anyone who is quiet and/or introverted or who has a friend or family member with those qualities will benefit from this book.

What did you like best about this story?

The new perspective I gained that helps me to understand my husband and my son.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me angry that I didn't have this information 30 years ago when I was a young wife and mother. It could have made everyone's lives a lot easier.

Any additional comments?

After reading Quiet, I'm much less worried about my family. As an extrovert, from a large family of extroverts, I kept looking for ways to "mainstream" my quiet family members by putting them into loud group situations where I hoped they would gain a comfort level. Now I know that their natures are hard wired and normal. Explains why sending my son to his room never worked as a punishment. Wish I read this book in 1982!

generally good, well performed

I enjoyed the book. There was a ton of interesting information and studies although the examples used tended to become repetitive and somewhat boring as the book went on. the production and reading was very good.

A book to be read by pure Extroverts

This book is a great insight to teach when to be listening. I like the part of comparing eastern world with western. Book did get little boring in the end. Overall it is must read book for pure extrovert, reason it teaches you why we need to be listening when we need to and how we can get energy from inside.

Valuable topic on many levels

As an introvert I found this book extremely helpful. It describes the energetics and qualities of an introvert in a way that resonated with me very well. It also describes the pressure and impact of living in a extremely over extroverted American culture. I have fled the United States for many years to be in other cultures where it’s easy to be seen as opposed to the very loud endless extroversion that we think implies more intelligence and better leadership in the US, which it does not.