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)

Interesting in parts

Would you be willing to try another book from Susan Cain? Why or why not?

Susan Cain's style is fluid and thoughtful. I found though the coverage didn't always flow and at times I wasn't quite sure where she was taking me.

What about Kathe Mazur’s performance did you like?

Kathe Mazur's performance did keep the subject a live and for that I am grateful.

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

I finished a little underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong it was enjoyable and very interesting in parts. I just some how felt it didn't fulfill all it had promised.

Great book for both introverts and extroverts.

Would you consider the audio edition of Quiet to be better than the print version?

I cannot comment I do not have the print version, albeit I would be glad to get the digital copy to my Kindle if your offering ;)

What other book might you compare Quiet to and why?

Her writing style is similar to Amanda Ripley. The book itself is like any well written book on physiology/sociology.

What about Kathe Mazur’s performance did you like?

Easy to read and accurate inflections.

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

Well laugh at parts, though this book is not what I would consider classically comical.

Any additional comments?

This book is worth the money.
*spoiler*
This book talked about races and how it compared in by the introversion (Asian) and extroversion (European/ Americans) but fails to mention the race we all came from... African. The idea she uses to state why Asians are introversion and Europeans are extroverted should mean Africans are exceeding introverted, but they are not as much as Asian so her idea on this one idea to me is flawed.

thought-provoking

I found that if I wasn't thinking about the book while listening I would get lost so I'd rewind a little but she has a good way of putting the information in a format that is drinkable

80% substantial

last 20% became a cliché of privileged parenting guidebooks

But the thesis is well considered and carefully presented, making it valuable overall, particularly in the leading 4/5 of the book. There is a certain cultural and geographic myopia of author perspective---yet it comes across as authentic much more than proscriptive. I really enjoyed most of the book's case for quiet power. The narrative presentation has a tension between cited research and the framing of journalism. I listened at 1.5x so the performance got tuned a bit toward urgency, and that emphasised the narrative tension and also made have made audio edits more noticeable.

Excellence

Loved the research and thoughtfulness on this subject. Gave me the insight that I needed to understand the minds of those closest to me. I hung on to every word. The narrarator made this easy to follow.

Deeply insightful - a must!

A must for those who have introverts in their lives - offers deep insight and practical guidance on how to appreciate and encourage introverts. A gem!

Insightful, honest, & intelligent.

A well constructed and supported work. Easy to listen to and lots of passages worth a bookmark.

Gets political at times

The information pertaining to being an introvert and how it can be a powerful tool is very beneficial. I was not, however, thrilled that the author brought politics into the mix at times. I think she could have gotten her point across without it. She honestly started losing me.

Everybody needs to read

Loved it. Great insight to something that effects all of us. I recommend to all

Quiet

It has changed my life! I'm 75 years old . Always thought I was different. Now I know I 'm an introvert!