quiet book review summary

Every print subscription comes with full digital access

Science News

Book review: quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by susan cain.

Review by Janet Raloff

Quiet: Book Summary & Review

In Quiet: The Power of Introverts author Susan Cain explains what it means to be an introvert, what are the advantages and disadvantages, and how society can win by getting the most out of both introverts and extroverts.

Bullet Summary

Western society favors extroverts, are you introvert or extrovert, quiet’s introversion quiz, shyness vs introversion, brain differences: high & low reactivity, nature or nurture, introverts learn better than extroverts, changing our personalities, introversion and sensitivity, introverts understand social dynamics better, agreeableness and intimacy, introversion and extroversion in leadership, introverts underrated powers, alone practice is best predictor of success, good ideas drown in extroverts/introverts mixed groups, brain storming doesn’t work: here’s what to do, internet empowers introverts, real-life applications, quiet review.

Introverts are better at analyzing and learning from mistakes
You can learn to be more extrovert
Introverts are generally more sensitive to stimuli and threats, are more sensitive and get overwhelmed more easily
It’s not true that extroverts are more socially skilled

Full Summary

About The Author : Susan Cain does not actually have a background in psychology or people-related fields. She studied law and she is a writer and lecturer. However, she did a good job here with some thorough research.

Susan Cain says that Western society has an extrovert bias and that extroverts’ traits are more likely to lead to personal and career success.

She mentions Tony Robbins as an example that our culture equates high-powered extroversion -and borderline narcissism – and as the pinnacle of leadership.

Harvard business school is also structured to make students more outspoken and extroverted. And organizations emphasize team works, bosses want “interpersonal skills”, and the entrepreneurs who get VC money have confident or overconfident personalities.

Even the authors who get published must convince publishers that they are “talk show ready”. Susan Cain says you wouldn’t be reading to Quiet if she hadn’t convinced her publisher.

And many introverts grow up believing “there must be something wrong with them”.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts challenges all of that.

Susan Cain says there is no standard description for introversion, but she gives a helpful list.

Introverts:

Are drawn to their inner world of thoughts and feelings;
Focus on the meaning of events;
Recharge batteries with lone time;
Feel good with little stimulation (ie.: quietly sipping wine);
Prefer one task at a time and can focus;
Are more immune to social status;
Listen more, dislike conflict, and think before they speak
Process information more deeply (think and ponder deeply)
Pay more attention to warning signals
Have more “muted” reactions to stimuli

Extroverts:

Are drawn to the external life of people and activities
Plunge in the events around them
Need to recharge with socialization
Prefer multitasking and jumping from one thing to another
Are more risk-taking
Tend to be more assertive , and dominant, speak more than talk, and are comfortable with conflict
React more quickly
Pay more attention to the reward (and can make mistakes rushing and taking risks)
Amplify positive emotions (which can lead more easily to addictions though)
Cheat more, exercise more, have more sex partners, and divorce more frequently
I prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities.
I often prefer to express myself in writing.
I enjoy solitude.
I seem to care about wealth, fame, and status less than my peers.
I dislike small talk, but I enjoy talking in-depth about topics that matter to me.
People tell me that I’m a good listener.
I’m not a big risk-taker.
I enjoy work that allows me to “dive in” with few interruptions.
I like to celebrate birthdays on a small scale, with only one or two close friends or family members.
People describe me as “soft-spoken” or “mellow.”
I prefer not to show or discuss my work with others until it’s finished.
I dislike conflict.
I do my best work on my own.
I tend to think before I speak.
I feel drained after being out and about, even if I’ve enjoyed myself.
I often let calls go through to voice mail.
If I had to choose, I’d prefer a weekend with absolutely nothing to do to one with things too many scheduled.
I don’t enjoy multi-tasking.
I can concentrate easily.
In classroom situations, I prefer lectures to seminars.

The more yeses you give, the more introverted you are. If you are split around the middle, then you might be an ambivert .

Susan Cain says there are no 100% pure introverts or extroverts.

And even if you are very introverted or very extroverted, that is not a predictor of your behavior in each situation. It would be like saying that all men like contact sports. A lot of men do, but not everyone.

People often confuse shyness with introversion. And that makes sense actually, because the two can look similar and overlap.

Susan Cain says that shyness is the fear of social disapproval and humiliation, while introversion is the preference for an environment that is not overstimulating. Shyness is painful for the shy individual, while introversion is not.

You can confuse them easily because the external behavior may look the same. The shy person in the business meeting does not speak because he’s afraid of speaking up. The introvert does not speak because he is observing, and processing data and information in his head. But to the external observer, the two look very similar.

Introverts have a more sensitive amygdala than extroverts.

The amygdala helps us detect changes in the environment, especially threats, and dangers.

Introverts are naturally more highly alert to changes (high reactivity), which makes them more prone to the release of cortisol and stress.

That makes introverts more reactive and sensitive in general. Indeed, following this train of thought, it’s not just that introverts get more easily flooded during social interactions: they are more easily flooded in any new environment.

Seeking or Avoiding Stimuli

Introverts prefer less stimulation. Fewer people, lower volume music, and a quieter, less chaotic environment -and less coffee, too-. Extroverts, are the opposite.

An experiment showed indeed that introverts perform better with a lower level of noise while extroverts perform better with higher levels of noise. Introverts also perform better when sleep deprived because sleep deprivation makes us less alert.

Introversion and extroversion, like all other major personality traits like agreeableness and conscientiousness, are about 40-50% heritable.

What about the other half? Well, one theory is that when you are born with a certain tendency, you tend to seek out experiences that push you further along your natural tendency.

Risks & Opportunities of Nurture

So low reactive, extrovert children, climb more trees, jump more fences, and naturally grow more comfortable with the challenges and fears around them.

The risk if they grow up in a bad neighborhood is that they are more likely to end up in gang crime. If they grow up in good families that channel them, say the author, they are more likely to become driven overachievers (Oprah and Richard Branson). Taking it to an extreme, sociopaths have an extremely low level of reactivity. Lykken has controversially called psychopaths and heroes “twigs on the same genetic branch”. Also, read:

Signs of a Sociopath
Is Donald Trump a Sociopath?
Do Good and Evil Overlap?

The risk for introvert children is that they have too little experience and grow up too afraid. And they are more sensitive to both good and bad environments around them. If that’s the case, they are more likely to slip into depression, anxiety, and social anxiety . The upshot is that introverted kids also enjoy a bigger boost from stable home environments and good parenting. If they get such positive nurturing, they tend to have fewer emotional problems and more social skills.

A study shows that introverts tend to make fewer mistakes because they are less impulsive and think more.

But the most interesting aspect is what happens after the mistake. After the mistake introverts slow down. Extroverts instead speed up. And don’t learn as much from their mistakes.

Reward and Treat Orientation

This is because extroverts seek the win and the buzz and don’t focus on the threats. Any roadblock along the way is something they want to smash as quickly as possible.

Introverts instead are programmed to analyze the environment and look for threats and pitfalls.

We can certainly change our personalities.

But up to a certain point (rubber band theory). For example, when we engage in positive self talk the amount of activity in our amygdala goes down and activity in the prefrontal cortex goes up.

But it’s not powerful enough to switch off the amygdala altogether. The unlearning indeed is not total. The prefrontal cortex can suppress the amygdala, but during times of stress, when the prefrontal cortex is too weak to soothe the amygdala, the fears can resurface again.

Self Monitoring

Introverts who were better at learning to act as extroverts score very high at a trait that psychology calls “self-monitoring”.

Self-monitors are very good at scanning social environments and looking for social cues. Then they are very able to act and behave in ways that conform to the environment.

These are the ultimate social chameleons.

Introverts are more likely to be highly sensitive and to have a strong conscience. They are more likely to be moved by a serenade or a kind act.

We don’t know exactly how many introverts are also sensitive, but we do know that 70% of sensitive people are introverts. And even the other 30% need a lot of “downtime”.

This seems to say that there is an overlap between introvert qualities and sensitivity.

Also, read:

The Highly Sensitive Person

A study showed that extroverts were better at gauging whether their conversation partner was glad to be talking to them.

And that seemed to confirm the obvious: extroverts are better at social skills .

But that was because the study measured the understanding while the conversation happened, and extroverts are better at multitasking.

When it comes to observation, studies showed either no difference or that introverts were better at picking social cues.

Communication Style

Introverts tend to be conflict-avoiders while extroverts easily engage in conflict and speak more directly.

Extroverts tend to talk about lots of topics, while introverts pick a few and dig deeper into them.

But the funny thing is that they can get along very well with each other . Introverts feel extroverts are a breath of fresh air, while extroverts feel they can relax with introverts.

Introversion is not correlated with agreeableness and enjoyment of intimacy.

Introverts are just as likely to search for the company of others. Just in smaller doses.

We all have a tendency to equate charisma and extroversion with competence. And to follow the more outspoken leader, the one who seems to have a quick answer to problems.

But we are wrong:

Why The Super Extrovert Leader Myth is Wrong

The more extroverted and charismatic leaders have higher salaries, but not better performances. Jim Collins research set out to study what made corporations outperform the market and didn’t want to touch upon leadership. However, it turned out that leadership was instrumental to outperformance. And the best leaders, as exemplified by Adam Smith , were all unassuming, quiet, reserved, and mild-mannered. Some people even described them as shy.

Basically, the myth of the highly extroverted charismatic leader as the effective man at the helm of the organization does not hold true in the research.

Susan Cain says:

We need leaders who build not their egos, but the institutions they run.

Now the question: are introverts better leaders?

Introverts Are Better Leaders of Great Workforces

Extroverts manage to get higher performances when their teams are passive and do their job without exercising initiative.

Introverts outperform extrovert leaders when they are heading a motivated and active workforce.

What’s the difference? Introverts listen to the inputs from their team and are more likely to empower them and put those ideas to the test.

This research is still in its infancy, says the author, but it’s highly promising.

Sensitivity to nuances
Complex emotionality
Power of focus over the long haul ( grit )
Deeper analysis of topics
Better at delaying gratification (a staple of long-term success)
Learn better from mistakes (are more reflective and less likely to rush through)
Less likely to get caught up in “deal fever” and “winner’s curse” (ie.: competitive mistakes)
Better control their emotions (best traders tend to be emotionally stable introverts)
See the dangers (not by chance the men who foresaw the financial crisis were outcasts not duped by groupthink)
Less drawn to easy rewards like the lures of alcohol, sex, party, and drugs (don’t buzz as easily)
Accuracy over speed

Susan Cain links to the research in The Talent Code and deep practice.

She says that practicing in groups is not the best and most effective way of doing deep practice because it requires unwavering, direct, and undisturbed focus. It also requires working hard on the parts that are most challenging to you . In most disciplines, that happens when practicing alone.

That’s a big advantage for introverts, who naturally prefer alone time to work.

Let’s imagine that extroverts have equally good ideas as introverts -and that might be an understatement!-.

The simple way how extroverts and introverts communicate will almost guarantee that great ideas from introverts will drown out.

Extroverts tend to think out loud and speak up. Introverts tend to be soft-spoken and to think through their ideas longer. This means that extroverts’ ideas and opinions will get more air time and that extroverts’ ideas and points of view will often not be heard at all.

The issue is compounded by our tendency to rate talkers as smarter than quiet ones (while studies show the opposite).

Studies show that is exactly what happens. Studies show that we are wasting introverts’ good ideas!

What to do then?

Brainstorming happens in groups and has four pillars:

Generate as many ideas as possible
Don’t judge or criticize ideas
Be freewheeling, don’t censor your ideas
Build on the ideas of fellow group members

But here is what research shows:

People produce more ideas when they are alone
The ideas they produce alone are of higher quality
Performance gets worst as the group size increases (unless it’s online groups)
Groups alter people’s minds in a way that promotes groupthink and conformity (and people actually believe they reached the conclusion on their own and without pressure)

What’s the solution then?

If you have talented team members encourage people to work alone when you are looking for creativity and efficiency

Make people come up with ideas before the meeting
Encourage electronic collaboration

Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point popularizes the idea of connectors as super extroverts with hundreds of friends and connections.

But building a huge following is not a prerogative of extroverts anymore.

Today an introvert can start a website, a blog, a digital product, or even self-publish a book.

The Internet changed the rules. The same person who finds it difficult to introduce himself at a bar can gather millions of followers online.

Exaggerate When You Pitch Extroverts (and Politicians) Politicians tend to be extroverts. If you need to pitch a congress, make your pitch more attention than you normally would because extroverts have a higher bar when it comes to sensitivity and you need more stimuli to get through.

Include Introverts In Your Organization Keep in mind around one-third of your team is introverted. Give them space in open offices, and allow your team to write down their ideas. And watch out for groupthink and for losing the introverts’ best ideas to the louder extroverts.

Leverage Your Strengths Whichever you lean towards, learn what are your strengths and play by them. If the system is skewed toward open offices for extroverts, then don’t play by the system’s rules.

Some Off Topics We didn’t need to hear about Tony Robbins seminars in my opinion. A bit of it also felt like a couched attack on Tony Robbins . I thought that part was irrelevant and way too long for the value it added.

Missed One Citation Quiet is awesome and well-researched. At a certain point, the author said “introversion is a better predictor of grades than cognitive abilities”. That seemed huge to me and I wish she had given a reference for such a statement.

Helps You Understand People If you have been reading around here for a while you know that I rarely give out five stars. But as a man passionate about understanding people, Quiet has opened new doors of understanding for me.

Best Resource for Introverts and Extroverts If you want to better understand introversion and extroversion, look no further.

Can Be Life Changing For people who are struggling as introverts in a world designed for extroverts, they can actually face nasty psychological consequences. They can think they are not good enough for not coping well with open offices and multitasking. For these people, Susan Cain’s Quiet can be a life changer.

I approached this book thinking I already knew about introversion and extroversion. I thought Susan Cain’s Quiet was going to confirm a couple of things and add one or two more.

I am glad I was terribly wrong: Quiet changed the way I understand introversion and extroversion.

And it deeply expanded my knowledge of psychology and people .

Including my own self-awareness. Susan Cain says that introverts process and ponder more deeply. And introverts who are socially oriented spend a lot of time thinking about social dynamics and social interactions. This is why I became good at analyzing social interactions and power dynamics.

This is a great read for those who want to understand people and psychology. But it’s also an important book from a leadership, organizational, and business point of view to get the most out of the many introverts in the workforce.

Check out the best psychology books or get the book on Amazon

About The Author

Lucio Buffalmano

How to Write Seductive Web Copy: Summary & Review

Denationalize.Me Review (Tax-Optimization for Digital Nomads)

The Mask of Masculinity: Book Summary & Review

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Supported by

Inside Intelligence

Share full article

By Judith Warner

Feb. 10, 2012

My neighbor, a leadership development consultant who regularly helps people improve themselves through personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, once told me I was the most introverted person he’d ever met. I took this as a compliment. Who wouldn’t?

The introverts who are the subject of Susan Cain’s new book, “Quiet,” don’t experience their inwardness in quite so self-congratulatory a way.

They and others view their tendency toward solitary activity, quiet reflection and reserve as “a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology,” Cain writes. Too often denigrated and frequently overlooked in a society that’s held in thrall to an “Extrovert Ideal — the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha and comfortable in the spotlight,” Cain’s introverts are overwhelmed by the social demands thrust upon them. They’re also underwhelmed by the example set by the voluble, socially successful go-getters in their midst who “speak without thinking,” in the words of a Chinese software engineer whom Cain encounters in Cupertino, Calif., the majority Asian-American enclave that she suggests is the introversion capital of the United States.

Many of the self-avowed introverts she meets in the course of this book, which combines on-the-scenes reporting with a wide range of social science research and a fair bit of “quiet power” cheerleading, ape extroversion. Though some fake it well enough to make it, going along to get along in a country that rewards the outgoing, something precious, the author says, is lost in this masquerade. Unchecked extroversion — a personality trait Cain ties to ebullience, excitability, dominance, risk-taking, thick skin, boldness and a tendency toward quick thinking and thoughtless action — has actually, she argues, come to pose a real menace of late. The outsize reward-seeking tendencies of the hopelessly outer-directed helped bring us the bank meltdown of 2008 as well as disasters like Enron, she claims. With our economy now in ruins, Cain writes, it’s time to establish “a greater balance of power” between those who rush to speak and do and those who sit back and think. Introverts — who, according to Cain, can count among their many virtues the fact that “they’re relatively immune to the lures of wealth and fame” — must learn to “embrace the power of quiet.” And extroverts should learn to sit down and shut up.

Introverts may be an odd audience for a book about power and leadership — concepts that necessarily involve the tiring and unappealing prospect of having power over, and leadership of, other people. Jonathan Rauch, a contributing editor at National Journal, tapped into the inherent humor of this contradiction some years ago, when he wrote a much-read meditation in The Atlantic on introversion. Rauch dreamed about the dawning of an “Introverts’ Rights movement,” the slogan of which might someday be “Please shush.” He got the tone just right: “Remember, someone you know, respect and interact with every day is an introvert, and you are probably driving this person nuts.”

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

Want all of The Times? Subscribe .

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

46 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Part 1, Chapter 3

Part 2, Chapters 4-7

Part 3, Chapter 8

Part 4, Chapter 9-Conclusion

Key Figures

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking is a nonfiction book by Susan Cain , published in 2012. It is considered part of the psychology and self-help genres. The book made several bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times , the Washington Post , the Los Angeles Times , and National Public Radio. It also was voted the best nonfiction book of 2012 by the Goodreads Choice Awards and has been translated into over 40 languages. Cain has written two other books about introversion , one geared for children and the other a book of exercises in a journal format, and gave a TED Talk on the topic the same year the book was published.

This guide is based on the first edition hardcover.

The book is divided into four parts. In the first, Cain examines the trends in American history that led to what she calls the Extrovert Ideal . This is the notion that everyone should strive to be an extrovert, implying that the qualities of extroversion are superior to those of introversion. Chapter 1 describes the shift from the Culture of Character in the 19th century to the Culture of Personality in the 20th century, precipitated in large part by the emergence of corporations and the increase in urban living, as Americans moved off family farms and out of the countryside. The new mores put surface-level personality above character—as people sold goods, they, in effect, had to also sell themselves. Outside of rural areas where residents knew each other, first impressions counted much more, so an outgoing personality helped. Chapters 2 and 3 look at two myths that developed around extroversion in the 20th century. The first is that only outgoing, charismatic types make good leaders, which Cain disputes with psychological research. The second is that working with other people in groups spurs creativity, generating good ideas via the collaboration of people with various strengths. Again the author presents research to show that working alone is also necessary at times.

The second section of the book investigates the biological aspects of personality types. Chapter 4 presents research indicating that personality types are heavily influenced by genetic factors. While no single factor determines an individual’s personality, genes probably provide at least a propensity for being introverted or extroverted. The next chapter describes how willpower can overcome genetics, stretching one’s personality traits to enable a person to act in ways that don’t come naturally. Chapter 6 looks at ways introverts and extroverts complement each other and the factors that likely contributed to both types surviving evolution. In Chapter 7, Cain discusses how extrovert qualities contributed to the financial crash of 2007-2008 and why introverts are necessary to balance financial risk-taking.

Chapter 8 constitutes its own section, examining attitudes towards extraversion in other cultures. In particular, the author finds differences in Asian cultures, especially those influenced by Confucianism. The experiences of several Asian Americans show how the introversion that Asian societies promote clashes with the Extrovert Ideal in America, causing conflict for such individuals.

The final part looks at how to live in a world of different personality types. These last three chapters explore how introverts can best interact in relationships and in the workplace. Chapter 9 looks at the Free Trait Theory , which postulates that while everyone is born with fixed traits—making them either predominantly introverted or extroverted—they can make use of free traits that permit them to act in the opposite way when desired. The next chapter covers romantic relationship between people of different personality types—what each can do to communicate their needs and forge compromise. The last chapter discusses raising children who are introverts. In a brief conclusion at the end of the book, the author summarizes her ideas, and offers advice for introverts, their parents, their teachers, and their employers.

The book covers the themes of the Power of Introverts, the Genetic Origins of Introversion , and the Extrovert Ideal in American Society .

Related Titles

By Susan Cain

Bittersweet

Featured Collections

Books About Leadership

View Collection

Community Reads

New York Times Best Sellers

Pride & Shame

Self-Help Books

SuperSummary Staff Picks

Teams & Gangs

The Best of "Best Book" Lists

ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN'T STOP TALKING

by Susan Cain ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 24, 2012

An intriguing and potentially life-altering examination of the human psyche that is sure to benefit both introverts and...

An enlightened Wall Street survivor exhorts wallflowers everywhere to embrace their solitude-seeking souls and fully appreciate the power of the lone wolf.

Could up to one-half of a nation obsessed with Jersey Shore narcissism and American Idol fame really be inhabited by reserved, sensitive types? According to Cain, yes—and we better start valuing their insight. Extroverts have their place, but things can quickly go haywire when we start confusing assertiveness with competence—the economic meltdown on Wall Street was the most stunning recent example. Had there been a few more conscientious, contemplative introverts in the boardroom (and had they made themselves heard), Cain writes, the country’s fortunes would now be decidedly different. But today’s prevailing susceptibility to “reward sensitivity,” as embodied by alpha-dog Wall Street types, wasn’t always the norm. Cain provides fascinating insight into how the United States shifted from an introvert-leaning “cult of character” to an extrovert-leaning “cult of personality” ruled by the larger-than-life Tony Robbinses of the world. Readers will learn that the tendency for some to be reserved is actually hard-wired, and as every evolutionary biologist will tell you, innate characteristics are there for a reason—to help humans survive and thrive. The author also boldly tackles introverts themselves, as well as the ambivalence many often feel about being relegated to the corner. “Stick to your guns,” writes fellow introvert Cain. The author’s insights are so rich that she could pen two separate books: one about parenting an introverted child and another about how to make an introvert/extrovert relationship work.

Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-307-35214-9

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011

Share your opinion of this book

More by Susan Cain

BOOK REVIEW

by Susan Cain

by Susan Cain with Gregory Mone & Erica Moroz & illustrated by Grant Snider

More About This Book

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

by Daniel Kahneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011

Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...

A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.

The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011

BUSINESS | LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COMMUNICATION | PSYCHOLOGY

More by Daniel Kahneman

by Daniel Kahneman & Olivier Sibony & Cass R. Sunstein

IN THE NEWS

THE CULTURE MAP

Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business.

by Erin Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2014

These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.

A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.

“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.

Pub Date: May 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1

Page Count: 288

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014

BUSINESS | PSYCHOLOGY

Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Search for: Search OK

Review: Quiet by Susan Cain

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking Susan Cain Crown Publishing Group Published January 24, 2012

Amazon | bookshop | goodreads, about quiet.

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, superbly 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.

I first read this book years ago, and I remember a lot of things suddenly making sense about myself and my daughter specifically. At the time I was a single mom with an elementary-aged daughter whose teacher was very much an extrovert. She seemed to prefer a collaborative learning environment in the classroom, which can be great. My daughter struggled with some of the methods her teacher used. I remember her teacher seeming frustrated or worried about it. I think she wanted my daughter to be able to engage more fully and was troubled that she didn’t seem to be getting her work done. My suspicion was that there was too much stimulation making it difficult for her to work. Reading QUIET helped me articulate that more effectively. I ended up giving a copy of the book to the teacher, who also loved it.

I started listening to the audiobook again this year because I’d been having trouble sleeping. I wanted something kind of low key to listen to– you know, no big dramatic climax or high stakes– so this seemed like a good fit.

It really struck me how much I had forgotten or how many things that didn’t apply to my life when I read the book before do apply now. I’m currently married and now have two children, sharing a communal-style home with my parents. And we are a house FULL of introverts! So it’s been really interesting thinking about some of the challenges and advantages common to introverted people in various stages of life and… in the midst of a pandemic.

Thinking about the pandemic also really changed what stood out to me in the book this time as I read/listened to it. Cain discusses research into how different animals with both introverted and extroverted members of their species handle risks. Different situations tend to give one group the advantage over the other in terms of survival, because their natural instincts either protect them or expose them to additional risks.

Introverts, Extroverts and Covid (Skip this section if it’s too political for you.)

Early on in the pandemic, I remember thinking that being introverted gave us an advantage because we weren’t ever really big go-out-and-do people. We do things. Sometimes? At our highest level of social activity, my husband and I had nearly weekly game nights with another couple. We rarely eat out at a restaurant– he has trouble hearing and I don’t speak very loudly. We like restaurant food, but takeout has long been our preferred approach.

So while we had to make sacrifices and change our behavior, the changes weren’t nearly as dramatic as for our extroverted friends who have huge house parties every few months and are super active in our local theater productions. I figured that as things began to normalize or restrictions began to loosen/Covid-19 case numbers began to drop, our extroverted friends would be more easily able to return to going out because that was a more comfortable, natural life pace for them. And I think that’s been true.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the chapters on how introverts and extroverts process risk. If I can oversimplify, introverts tend generally to be more risk-averse than extroverts. Sometimes extroverts head directly into risk when it would be better to retreat. Cain discussed some examples and studies on this. I’ve been thinking about that as I watch all these heated discussions about mask wearing and social distance guidelines. It’s not like all the extroverts I know are anti-mask and all the introverts are pro-mask. It’s definitely not that simple. But I guess it has helped me to think about the fact that sometimes there are motivations that I didn’t consider or understand behind people’s behaviors.

That doesn’t change what I think about masks… I’m still really pro-mask and think it falls within the values of loving others and being a responsible community member. But it helps to realize that it’s not that simple for a lot of people, and that there may be genetic or scientific reasons they are behaving the way they are.

Review Summary

I enjoyed reading this book again. It’s one of those books packed with so much information that I don’t know if I could absorb it all in one read. Even now I like the idea of revisiting certain chapters when I’m ready to look at more information.

There’s also a version of this book for younger readers called QUIET POWER . I don’t have it right now, but I really want to check it out. I’d like to post a review of that one as well. If you’ve read it already or have posted a review, please tell me about it in the comments or you can reach out to me on Twitter .

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation Mostly discusses research and examples of famous introverts and extroverts. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are both mentioned. The depiction of Rosa Parks doesn’t line up with some of the descriptions from her autobiography. Cain also interviews a Chinese-American college student who’s an introvert in a program that overtly values extroverted behavior. He talks about how a summer in China was so different because some of the cultural values were more comfortable for him as an introvert and how validating that was for him.

Profanity/Crude Language Content None.

Romance/Sexual Content None.

Spiritual Content None.

Violent Content None.

Drug Content None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

About Kasey

Comments are closed.

Never Miss a Story

Get reviews and book recommendations in your email inbox!

your email here

Donate Your New or Used Books

Follow For More Stories

Search stories reviewed, stories coming soon.

My Book for Authors

Subscribe by Email

Get reviews and book recommendations in your inbox.

Email Address

Follow The Story Sanctuary

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers:

Discover more from The Story Sanctuary

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Member Login
Library Patron Login
Get a Free Issue of our Ezine! Claim

Summary and Reviews of Quiet by Susan Cain

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

BookBrowse Review:
Critics' Consensus:
Readers' Rating:
First Published:
Jan 24, 2012, 352 pages
Jan 2013, 352 pages

Science, Health and the Environment
Contemporary
Parenting & Families
Physical & Mental Differences
Top Books of 2012
Publication Information
Write a Review
Buy This Book

About This Book

Book Club Questions

Book Summary

An extraordinary book with the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

Today we make room for a remarkably narrow range of personality styles. We're told that to be great is to be bold, to be happy is to be sociable. We see ourselves as a nation of extroverts - which means that we've lost sight of who we really are. Depending on which study you consult, one third to one half of Americans are introverts - in other words, one out of every two or three people you know . (Given that the United States is among the most extroverted of nations, the number must be at least as high in other parts of the world.) If you're not an introvert yourself, you are surely raising, managing, married to, or coupled with one. If these statistics surprise you, that's probably because so many people pretend to be extroverts. Closet introverts pass undetected on playgrounds, in high school locker rooms, and in the corridors of corporate America. Some fool even themselves, until some life event - a layoff, an empty nest, an inheritance that frees them to spend time as ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers.

"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
More about membership!

Media Reviews

Reader reviews, bookbrowse review.

Though her research is current and substantial, the basic tenets of introvert-versus-extrovert issues she explores are, for the most part, not revelatory. Rather, it is her big picture view and her unification of so many aspects of one maligned temperament that make the book an excellent read. Quiet is different from previous books on introversion because it explores the topic from so many perspectives. Other titles on this subject tend to be strictly in the self-help genre or straight memoir. Cain approaches introversion as a cultural anthropologist might, looking for all the ways it affects our society... continued

Full Review (497 words) This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access, become a member today .

(Reviewed by Stacey Brownlie ).

Write your own review!

Beyond the Book

Introverts and the internet.

I wasn't surprised when Susan Cain's book, Quiet , mentioned that introverted people often thrive in the online world and are actually more likely to share personal information there than extroverts. I, for example, though unquestionably an introvert, enjoy reviewing books for BookBrowse, have profiles on several social networking sites, and have written a blog; these are all comfortable outlets for me to explore and express my interests. Many introverts communicate via the Internet for this reason, relishing the chance to pursue their passions and find like-minded people in a way that is friendly to their temperament. Likewise, online communication has also made information and discussion about introverts and introversion more ...

This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.

Read-Alikes

Genres & Themes

If you liked Quiet, try these:

Academy Street

by Mary Costello

Published 2016

About this book

A vibrant, intimate, hypnotic portrait of one woman's life, from an important new writer.

My Age of Anxiety

by Scott Stossel

Published 2015

A riveting, revelatory, and moving account of the author's struggles with anxiety, and of the history of efforts by scientists, philosophers, and writers to understand the condition.

Books with similar themes

Book Jacket: There Is a Rio Grande in Heaven

BookBrowse Book Club

Members Recommend

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Discover the bestselling Japanese novel celebrating the healing power of cats.

Solve this clue:

K U with T J

and be entered to win..

Book Club Giveaway!

Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian

Both epic and intimate, this debut announces a brilliant new talent for readers of Imbolo Mbue and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Free Weekly Newsletters

Discover what's happening in the world of books: reviews, previews, interviews, giveaways, and more plus when you subscribe, we'll send you a free issue of our member's only ezine..

Spam Free : Your email is never shared with anyone; opt out any time.

Popular books summaries

New books summaries.

Quiet Summary

1-Sentence-Summary: Quiet shows the slow rise of the extrovert ideal for success throughout the 20th century, while making a case for the underappreciated power of introverts and showing up new ways for both forces to cooperate.

Favorite quote from the author:

Audio Summary

Listen to the audio of this summary with a free reading.fm account*:

Here goes another book by a top TED speaker. Susan Cain’s talk about the power of introverts has been viewed over 10 million times.

The reason is that her book and talk made a lot of people feel heard for the first time. In the seven years of research leading up to the publication of Quiet in 2012, Susan uncovered the slow rise of the extrovert ideal in the public and American workplace.

This helped her understand where a lot of her personal struggles as a Harvard Law School graduate and Wall Street lawyer came from, and why she could never have thrived in these environments.

Her book is a well of wisdom about personality types, workplace relationships and human interaction.

Here are 3 particular gems that struck me:

Whether you like small talk or not is part of your personality type.
Western cultures portray extroversion as the ideal of success.
Companies need to adjust their workplaces to introverts as well.

Ready to uncover the power of introverts? Here we go!

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert determines if you like small talk.

Huge lightbulb moment for me right there.

Do you love when Sally gives you the flimsy details of her latest trip to Cancun over a quick cup of coffee?

Or would you rather talk about Stoic philosophy for 2 hours?

The former speaks more to an extrovert, the latter more to an introvert, of course.

But why is that?

It’s because of the way we process information differently.

Introverts are what’s called “highly sensitive”, meaning they take in the information given to them, for example via stimuli from their environment, a lot more thoroughly than their extrovert peers.

For example, an introvert can stand in front of a single big picture in a museum for 10 minutes, continuously observing and looking for new details to be found – a horror fantasy for an extrovert.

In a similar manner, introverts don’t like small talk. They are engaged by profound conversations about life, values, morals and ethics, because it allows their highly sensitive information processing to thrive.

People often ask me how I can sit there and talk about a single business idea with my roommate for two hours – if you’re one of those people, there’s your answer.

Note: If you don’t already know it, check out the Myers-Briggs personality test to find out your own type. It’s free and very insightful. I’m an INFJ (and that’s going to make me successful) .

Lesson 2: In Western cultures, extroverts are often presented as the ideal of success.

Competence and confidence are two different things .

Sadly, in Western cultures, we confuse them a lot.

We often perceive whoever’s the most confident to be the most competent as well.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, since just being a charming speaker and captivating figure does not make one a good leader.

Being more sociable often leads people to think you’re also more interesting and willing to cooperate.

But if you’re an introvert, sitting quietly in your corner, just listening and taking everything in, nobody will come and talk to you.

More often than not, people will think you’re a weirdo.

In our culture, extroversion is often seen as a prerequisite for success, which gives extroverts an unfair advantage.

Even the best schools, like Harvard, try to groom their graduates into extroverts, by forcing them through group work, seminars, presentations and even going out with fellow students at night as part of their program.

Go to Japan, however, and you’ll find none of this. Students study quietly, take vigorous notes and speaking without being asked is considered downright rude.

Different countries, different cultures, but in the Western world, the extrovert ideal prevails.

Lesson 3: Companies should adapt their workplaces to let introverts make their best contribution.

Due to the extrovert success ideal, most companies are tailored to extroverts.

Think about it: open offices, meetings, group brainstorming sessions, presentations of PowerPoint slides, workshops and of course, lunch at the canteen.

For introverts this means they feel constantly interrupted, overloaded with information and stressed, which makes it hard for them to thrive in such an environment.

But when you think about it, not all great things were achieved by extroverts or even groups of people.

Wikipedia, for example, is a huge collaboration, but mostly of people who each sit at their computer alone at home.

Einstein thought of the theory of relativity all on his own and Harry Potter was written in solitude too.

So if you have a great introverted thinker on your team, don’t force them into a box they don’t fit into. Give them the option to work alone and let them flourish – as long as you keep an open mind they’ll always come to you once they’re ready.

Companies should consider this and have more options for introverts to spend time alone vs. participating in group activities and meetings when they feel they have something to share.

Quiet Review

I got Quiet for Christmas 2014, and while I haven’t fully finished it (my girlfriend reads it right now), I can agree with the common voice, as reported by the press: it makes introverts feel heard.

Luckily, I’m not in a situation where I have to battle extrovert systems all the time, but it becomes clearer and clearer to me that whoever shouts the loudest is not necessarily the smartest.

The internet might be the greatest invention of all time, especially for introverts, as it allows us to impact the world right from our living room.

Thank you Susan!

Great set of blinks on Blinkist, wonderful TED talk, and a terrific book – go on a spree and get, watch, read all three.

Who would I recommend the Quiet summary to?

The 13 year old, who just wants to sit in her room and read, play or learn code all day, the 43 year old, who works in an open office environment and thus feels overwhelmed a lot, and anyone who works with or dates an introvert.

Last Updated on July 28, 2022

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

Need some inspiration? 👀 Here are... The 365 Most Famous Quotes of All Time »

Share on mastodon.

Book Review

Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by susan cain.

by SB Sarah · Jul 14, 2014 at 2:30 pm · View all 43 comments

by Susan Cain

January 24, 2012 · Broadway Books

More Info →

View Book Info Page

Genre: Nonfiction

It has taken me weeks to read this book. This is very unlike me. While on a long flight a week or so ago, I read two books on the plane, and another on a train the following day. But I read this book so carefully, and highlighted and noted so much, it was a very slow read. A very slow, very enjoyable, completely dumbfounding, poleaxing, holy carp illuminating read. This book is amazing.

Quiet was recommended to be my two people who I do not believe know each other, or, if they do, they probably don’t know that they were both reading this book at the same time. But in both cases, each said that the information within this book taught them so much about themselves as introverts, it was a revelatory experience. They are 100% right about that.

Quiet is nonfiction, and excellent nonfiction at that. It’s a thorough mix of analysis and research, explanations of varying fields within psychology, plus personal anecdotes about social situations, all focused on the idea of introversion. It addresses questions such as:

What is an introvert? How is introversion defined? Short answer: not easily, because there isn’t one definition that easily applies to all introverts, though more definitions exist that explain what introversion is, as opposed to defining it by what skills or traits introverts lack.

What are the differences between extroverts, introverts, and omniverts? (That’s a word – for reals.)

How does being highly sensitive affect an introvert, or an extrovert? Both can be highly sensitive – which I didn’t realize.

I know I’m an introvert, and many people who know me have rolled their eyes when I’ve said as much, but it’s true. I remember taking the Meyers-Briggs type indicator as a freshman in college, and scoring so decidedly far towards the introvert scale I should have been given a quiet room and a case of books as a parting gift. I also remember the other students thinking that I’d somehow done the test wrong because I was (and still am) pretty talkative.

Quiet helped me understand how that duality exists, and how introverts can learn to function as extroverts, especially in social or professional situations, and most especially in America, which, culturally, is extremely extroverted. Moreover, American culture lauds and admires those who exemplify an Extroverted Ideal. (Finland, according to research cited in the book, is among the most introverted countries, so I totally want to visit.) The book also explains how individuals from other cultures often struggle with the value systems in American culture, especially in school systems where outspokenness and assertiveness are frequently the most rewarded traits.

Another valuable aspect of the narrative was the situations profiled in different chapters, such as the conflict between an extroverted husband who wanted to host informal dinner parties with many of his friends every Friday night, and his introverted wife who thought that was about the worst idea she’d ever heard. Not only did the book follow the reasons for their conflict and decipher them from an introvert/extrovert point of view, but it also examined how each person’s argument style (loud and energetic vs quiet and very reserved) further exacerbated the problem they were having.

Cain also takes into account how the internet and specifically social media has reformed the venues in which introverts interact, and why communications within online communities are often completely unique from the interactions one might have in person. She also examines various leadership styles and how introverted leaders in business often achieve very different results, sometimes exceeding the financial success rates of extroverted leaders and CEOs.

But most of all, though, I can’t tell you how stunning it was to read a book which was about a major facet of my personality, and which was able to explain things about myself that I knew were true, but didn’t always know why they were true. Moveover, I recognized some introverted traits in my children, and the examples of parenting methods and strategies were enormously helpful, too.

Right now this book is $2.99 digitally, and, if you’re an introvert or close to someone who is, I can’t recommend this book more effusively. It’s thorough, clear, thoughtful, and easy to read, with a balanced composition of scientific data and research, individual stories and accounts, and examples and suggestions. It does not suffer that obnoxious self-help writing habit of constantly teasing the reader with the solution while still outlining the various problems – e.g. “In a future chapter, I’m going to teach you how to solve this problem! But now, we’re going to take a look at this other thing that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about right now.” I hate that.

Here are some of the passages I highlighted while I read. Some – not all. If I shared all of them, this would be a 60k word review, and, yeah. No one wants that.

Introversion— along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness, and shyness— is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology. Introverts living under the Extrovert Ideal are like women in a man’s world, discounted because of a trait that goes to the core of who they are. Extroversion is an enormously appealing personality style, but we’ve turned it into an oppressive standard to which most of us feel we must conform.

This has absolutely been true in my experience. If you’ve met me in person, I am pretty friendly and sometimes gregarious. I like to talk to people and I’m very curious (or nosy, depending on your point of view). I love listening to people talk about things they’re passionate about, and I genuinely like people. (This is why meeting romance readers is SO much fun. We’re passionate about so many similar things.) But I have a limit in my ability to talk with people in groups larger than about 3 or 4 people, and for a long time got really mad at myself for being unable to keep up and keep going when at conferences or with larger groups of people. I’d internalized that ideal, and had perceived my lack of social endurance as a failing.

Because of their inclination to listen to others and lack of interest in dominating social situations, introverts are more likely to hear and implement suggestions. Having benefited from the talents of their followers, they are then likely to motivate them to be even more proactive. Introverted leaders create a virtuous circle of proactivity, in other words.

Having worked with and for many different introverted and extroverted people, the ways in which extroversion and leadership combine were fascinating for me.

Many introverts are also “highly sensitive,” which sounds poetic, but is actually a technical term in psychology. If you are a sensitive sort, then you’re more apt than the average person to feel pleasantly overwhelmed by Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” or a well-turned phrase or an act of extraordinary kindness. You may be quicker than others to feel sickened by violence and ugliness, and you likely have a very strong conscience.

Well, damn. This book even understand why I don’t like romantic suspense and romantic thrillers. I mean… dude.

I haven’t felt so completely understood by a book in… ever.

This is a bit outside the romance genre, to say the least, but this book was deeply fascinating for me. If you’re an introvert, and have sometimes wondered what was wrong with you that you feel or experience things so differently, I think your experience might be similar to my own, and the experience of the people who recommended this book to me. I hope you’ll share what you think of the book if you read it.

This book is available from:

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!

Quiet by Susan Cain

Comments are closed.

ABSOLUTELY! I have known since forever that I’m an introvert, but always got mad at myself for not being able to be an extrovert. She references Elaine Aron’s work on the Highly Sensitive Person. When I discovered that book when I was in my mid-20’s I had the same sort of profound experience that you had with this one. Then I had kids and there are days when THEY WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE.

I mostly enjoyed this book because of its insights on work and school. Raising introvert kids is no picnic and trying to get along in an open-plan office, as I did for several years, is even less of one.

This book has actually been on my TBR list for a while – back when you guys first started mentioning it, I think, was when I made a note of it. I haven’t gotten around to getting it yet, but as someone who is surrounded by a family of extroverts, I’m definitely out-numbered and not very well understood. Yes, going into my room, shutting the door, and reading is more appealing to me than tv, dinner parties, and socializing when all the family is over to visit. I feel overwhelmed by an excess of noise (especially when little kids are around) and often have to escape the area.

I’ve read some on introversion, but now I’m thinking this book needs to move up my priority list – I’d love to learn why I do some things, don’t do other things, and basically why I am the way I am.

Culture can definitely mask your introvert/extrovert inclinations. When we did Myers-Brigg at work, I tested out in the same category as a woman I didn’t know well, with whom I’d soon be working closely on a big project. We both stared at each other, frankly shocked. Over lunch, we talked, discovering how attuned we were.

She was certain I was an extrovert when really, I’m an introverted New Yorker. All New Yorkers seem like extroverts to native Mainers.

We worked together so well! It was such a pleasure to work with someone who understood and respected my style.

We’re in good company. Even Ghandi admits that he can’t speak extemporaneously (wonder who came up with that monstrosity of a word?) and does better talking one on one than in groups. It makes sense that some of the best thinkers in the world are introverts—-they spend their time thinking instead of making meaningless small talk to anyone and everyone who will listen. Great review.

this is a great book. I may have to buy a copy for my very own.

I remember that dinner-party anecdote vividly! The wife suggested that the husband host the parties without her, to give her a chance to regroup after a long work-week, and the husband was appalled at the very thought. The line that stood out for me was that “he’d gotten married so he’d never have to be alone again.”

I read that and thought, “OMIGOD, the fresh horror.” While I love being with loved ones and close friends, I LOVE being alone. The thought of always having to be with someone else is torture.”

(Why yes, I am an introvert, why do you ask?)

Yes, going into my room, shutting the door, and reading is more appealing to me than tv, dinner parties, and socializing when all the family is over to visit.

I used to hide in closets during really huge family gatherings, before I had little kids to wrangle, because then I could read and enjoy total silence (if I brought earbuds, which I did).

And yes – Phyllis, the experience of open floor plan offices was agony for me, too. I was fascinated by the section about how damaging they are to people’s health and well being, too.

If you’re curious, this is what it says in the book:

A mountain of recent data on open-plan offices from many different industries corroborates the results of the games. Open-plan offices have been found to reduce productivity and impair memory. They’re associated with high staff turnover. They make people sick, hostile, unmotivated, and insecure. Open-plan workers are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and elevated stress levels and to get the flu; they argue more with their colleagues; they worry about coworkers eavesdropping on their phone calls and spying on their computer screens. They have fewer personal and confidential conversations with colleagues. They’re often subject to loud and uncontrollable noise, which raises heart rates; releases cortisol, the body’s fight-or-flight “stress” hormone; and makes people socially distant, quick to anger, aggressive, and slow to help others.

This is such an illuminating book. I’m MUCH more social on line than I am IRL, because, as Cain points out, introverts get their energy from being alone. Many times I’ve skipped important social functions (weddings, significant birthday parties) because even the idea of attending exhausts me. Baby/bridal showers used to fill me with dread. Knowing why I react that way has made attending such things less stressful.

I remember skimming part of the first chapter of this book and being like “Yep. Yep. Yeah. Uh-huh. I know that feeling.” I’m an introvert in that I can only deal with other people for a certain amount of time before I get very tired, drained, and often irritable. I can talk to other people. I don’t consider myself charismatic or smooth in conversation but I’m not shy. Mostly, I’m quiet.

One thing I absolutely detest is when people call me antisocial because I’m quiet and introverted. No. I’m not antisocial. Ugh. Misused words.

Very rarely do I buy e-copies of books I already own in print, but I identified so strongly with this one that I was happy to shell out ~$3 to get a copy for my Kindle. Like everyone who’s already commented, I had my share of “holy crap! leave me alone!” moments growing up that friends and family members just didn’t understand. I often felt guilty in my early 20s for not going out more with roommates or friends (usually hearing a refrain like this, “What?! You’d rather stay in and read a book than go out dancing with us?! Don’t you want to meet people?…”).

I warned my fiance before we married a year ago that I would often need space alone to decompress after a day teaching 100+ students. It’s been hard, at times, because he’s under-employed and so is often around the apartment on my days off (I’ve been teaching on a MWF schedule at our local community college). Luckily, I was able to share thoughts from this book, which helped me explain that while I love him dearly, I also dearly love (& need!) my solitude. So, now it’s an inside joke that anytime his friends invite him for a weekend away or his parents, a visit home to his family (a 2-hour drive), that I will be very, very encouraging that he accept 🙂

@ridiculousspider

One thing I absolutely detest is when people call me antisocial because I’m quiet and introverted. No. I’m not antisocial. Ugh. Misused words.

I just bought the book on your recommendation and the notes you made about the extrovert husband/introvert wife example. That’s basically me and my husband. He’s always, “hey, let’s have people over tomorrow!” and I’m always, “what?! that’s a terrible idea!” (but I can’t say that to him because it hurts his feelings, so I agree and then have to spend three days in a room by myself to recover.) I have high hopes for this book now!

I’d never heard of this book, but I am SO excited to read it. I’m one of those people that tests introvert/extrovert every other time I take a personality inventory. My knowledge of psychology is pretty basic, but if an omnivert is a combination of the two I’m thinking that’s me. I will definitely be recommending this to people I know!

I waited so long to buy this book, and when it finally went on sale awhile ago I snatched it right up. . . and then let it languish in the TBR pile. I guess I really need to pull it out.

Many moons ago, I took my first Myers-Briggs test as part of a big team-building retreat for work. (Oh, the agony.) I wouldn’t tell anyone my designation since I was the only person in that grouping and it made me feel like a total freak. I’m friends with both extroverts (my closest friend at work is one of the most extroverted people in the building) and introverts and enjoy the different aspects of our relationships. In the past, tho, I have found it very difficult to live with an extrovert due to my need for alone time. “Please, just come sit in the same room with me!” “No, you’re smothering me!”

Yup. I’m another person who didn’t realize I was an introvert until I took the Meyers-Briggs— though I did know I have always enjoyed alone time and a good deal of it. The version of the dinner party conundrum that my husband and I experienced circled around last minute preparations. He was always asking me to do things at the last minute before people were scheduled to arrive. We finally worked out that in the fifteen minutes before we expect company, I just get to go so sit somewhere. I’m going to be fine and sociable once company arrives, but I need that quiet alone time to gather my forces.

Hopping over to Amazon now!

I need to find time to read this book. I can tell everyone who has the challenge of an extrovert spouse that a marriage of two introverts has its own challenges. Often, even when I want to attend a social event, my husband is unwilling, and I feel too awkward to go alone. Other times, I am the wet blanket that keeps us home (or taking a walk or enjoying a dinner out with just the two of us). The togetherness is nice, but I sometimes fear we will turn into friendless hermits by the time we reach retirement age.

On the challenges of an open floor-plan office, I wonder if any studies have been done on the effects of an open floor-plan school? They were considered very progressive at one time (in the 1970s and 1980s), and I attended one from the ages of 7 to 11. The “library” was called the IMC (for instructional materials center), and it was the sun around which the unwalled classrooms orbited. There were low bookcases but nothing high enough to block line of site from one side of the building to the other. To this day, I long for old-fashioned libraries with floor-to-ceiling stacks and quiet, lonely corners. When we travel, I send my friends postcards of such libraries.

I have high hopes for this book now!

That example and the explanations that followed were really helpful for me, because I’ve had similar conversations with my husband, who is very much an omnivert. What I found especially helpful was how not only the disagreement was the problem but the way they each responded to the disagreement was causing more harm than good as well. I also liked the possible solution & compromise they came up with.

Elinor, you make some good points. My husband is also an introvert, but not as much as me. But he has made very little effort to make friends and is uncomfortable with the husbands of my friends. I enjoy social events with people I know, then have to come home and crash and make everyone leave me alone for at least a day after. Also, with the open plan school, my kids have had a rocky start with a Montessori charter. Sometimes, there’s too much noise and motion and they just can’t handle it. I’m home schooling my Midler child because he burned out a couple of years ago.

Goes on the To-be-bought list. Deal’s not valid in my homeplace, I’ll wait.

Great review – I want to read this.

I only see the 2.99 price at Amazon. At BN they have a 30 minute summary for 2.99 but the actual full book is more.

I’m an introvert (INTJ) and an only child with no extended family. Over the years I learned how to function in a large group of people, but I’m exhausted by the end of any gathering. I had 16 people for dinner Saturday night, which I survived by hiding in the kitchen most of the time. My husband is somewhat more outgoing, but he respects my need for solitude. We have his-and-hers dens and are quite happy to spend entire days doing our own thing with occasional visits.

Oh, the ridiculousness of being dragged to these HUGE (and LONG) family parties and hiding away with my uncle to recharge – the banging on the door – “Come on out and be sociable!”

Or going out to eat – with myself and a book – and some jerk deciding to rescue me from my “loneliness”. GRRR

Slowly and tentatively raises hand over here **Hi!**. I remember doing Briggs-Meyers and getting 85% introvert and my boss looking at me and going what? He couldn’t understand how I could be introverted and still do my job as a credit manager effectively?! That’s why I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and the TED talk she did. This book was like looking into a mirror for me and validated so many things.

PS I hate labels even though I can peg people right away… how typical ISFP of me :).

PPS, back in the day: report cards lauded independent work, now its shown as a downside. Give me my group of one any day.

Introvert is old psych jargon for homosexual. I wonder if antisocial will eventually stop meaning sociopathic and only mean introverted. Its definition does currently include both meanings. I don’t care if people are calling me sociopathic. Or homosexual. I always figured one of the perks of being introverted is that I’m not all that bothered by what other people think.

I loved this book! My hubby and I listened to it on a long car ride. I’d pause it every so often and we’d discuss what we heard and how much it applied to each of us. Turns out he is a bit more introverted than I am and I peg the end of the introverted scale on Meyers-Briggs (ISFJ).

While it is nice for introverts to read this and learn more about themselves, I really want every extrovert to read it so they stop harassing us and realize they aren’t “rescuing” us when they insist we interact. That extroverts learn THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO BE ALONE! Sorry, that needed and needs to be yelled, loudly, in public, often. I’m ready to argue that introverts and night people need to be accepted on a diversity platform. We’re misunderstood and mislabeled as “anti-social” and “slackers” respectively. No and no. Just because I don’t want to interact with you right now, doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with me. Just because I prefer to sleep until noon having gone to bed at 5 am, does not make me a slacker.

Anyway, awesome book! I’m very excited as I’ll hear Susan Cain speak at the Global Leadership Summit. She also did a TED talk, but the book was much better.

Beta (or gamma) hero/ines = introverts?

Just thinking about the last podcast in light of this review…

Could we all just agree to NEVER say to a child “oh, you’re shy” or “are you shy?” or “I guess you’re shy.”

Nope, just an introvert. (Channeling the kid, not me, LOL)

Oh I loved this book. It was really nice to understand that I was not alone in my need to be alone in the quiet.

My mum made a point of telling my husband very early on that I needed to have an alone space ( my study). Huh.

But, I do actually learn better when I talk about the subject at hand, so tried to find small study groups in college. And when I did speech and debate I specialised in extemporaneous speech/impromptu speech. And it was helpful that the book shows how introversion does not stand in the way of that.

“Introvert is old psych jargon for homosexual.” kkw, I think you mean “invert,” not introvert. Invert can mean “opposite,” “transposed,” “reversed,” and I think that’s why it was used to stand in for homosexual (as in “opposite of heterosexual”).

I’ve seen this book at the library before but after this review I really need to read it.

Could we all just agree to NEVER say to a child “oh, you’re shy” or “are you shy?” or “I guess you’re shy.”

YES PLEASE. I’ve said to my kids, “Are you feeling shy?” – because it’s a temporary feeling sometimes. Being labeled as shy can pile on the idea that there’s something really wrong with you if you don’t like being around people or don’t want to speak or interact at a particular time. “Shy” implies that the expectations placed upon you aren’t being met. FEH.

And, sort of related to sensitivity, I also dislike that kids are expected to kiss or hug people on demand when an adult wants them to, and I know that as a kid and now as an adult, sometimes I very much dislike being touched. I struggle with that one a lot.

Thank you for reviewing this! I’d had it on my wish list for some time, and yesterday saw that I had an unused Audible credit, so I chose Quiet. I look forward to listening!

@spygirl7 As I understand it, Freud saw introversion as a kind of narcissism, turning inward for sexual gratification, and thus, being drawn sexually to others like yourself – of the same gender. Jung took a different approach, of course, but before his ascendency, early alienists would use the term introvert for someone with (or at risk of) homosexuality, which was considered a mental disease. Which still blows my mind. You run into it occasionally in fiction from around the turn of the century, when sexual references were generally oblique. The only one I can think of offhand is from Dashiel Hammett’s The Thin Man. All my books are in storage, so I can’t double check, but somewhere I have some old dictionaries, and I’ve always found it fascinating how the meaning of words can change completely over time.

I’m so glad you reviewed this book! Ever since I found it I’ve been recommending it to several people.

I wish this book had been around 10 years ago when I was an introvert teenager struggling in an Extrovert world. It took me many years to accept myself and learn to find a middle ground where I can survive in this loud world without “betraying” my own nature.

After reading this book I lent it to several of my family members, who still insist that I’m anti-social and my personality is wrong.

I’m an INTJ, by the way.

a light-hearted guide to dealing with introverts:

http://sidwellstudios.com/your-guide-to-dealing-with-introverts/

I loved this book. I think it needs to be required reading for EVERYONE!! =)

This sounds fascinating. I work in a virtual environment and I can’t shut up in the chat room. People who know me there are always shocked to meet me on the phone because I am actually very quiet in person. I think there is coming a redefinition of what it means to be an introvert. It’s not about a lack of desire to communicate but a comfort level with certain types of communication.

INxP here. My Thinking and Feeling score landed right in the middle on the Meyers-Briggs.

@SB Sarah, yes, this is spot on. I still remember being forced to hug and kiss my grandfather’s cousin, who chewed tobacco and always had scratchy whiskers and wore smelly overalls. I learned at a very early age that I was not allowed to enforce personal boundaries, and my only recourse was to hide in another room and hope no one noticed me. When we teach children that they have to accept unwanted touching, we make them easier targets for predators.

to all of you who are procrastinating – read this book! yes, it is non-fiction, but it is so well-written and easy to read (except, when, like all the readers above, I paused to say, yeah that’s me!). as noted, the book helps give a context to some of our behaviors and offers suggestions for better coping strategies. I can almost guarantee that when you finish the book you will look around for people to whom you can pass it along. enjoy!

@kkw Thanks! I’d only seen “invert” used that way before (obviously). I’ll keep my eye out now for “introversion” used similarly.

And, sort of related to sensitivity, I also dislike that kids are expected to kiss or hug people on demand when an adult wants them to, and I know that as a kid and now as an adult, sometimes I very much dislike being touched.

OMG, yes – THIS. I like hugging my friends and I have no problem shaking hands or any other professional contact, but I HATE being touched, unless it’s by my nearest and dearest. It was such a relief to realize that’s just who I am, part of being an introvert.

I hate how extroverts thinks we’re weird and antisocial. I’m not weird, I just like to be quiet and spend time alone. I love people – I just need alone time to process and relax. (sigh)

Comments are closed.

↑ Back to Top

WordPress.org
Documentation
Learn WordPress

Our Content

Book Summary Quiet: The Power of Introverts , by Susan Cain

In our extroverted culture, the quiet strengths of introverted individuals often go overlooked. In Quiet: The Power of Introverts , Susan Cain shines a light on the unique talents and contributions of introverts.

Cain challenges the notion that introversion is a weakness, explaining that the neurological differences of introverts facilitate rich talents like deep focus, complex problem-solving, creativity, empathy, and strong morals. She provides strategies for introverts to thrive in various settings while embracing their innate tendencies.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts

1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Quiet: The Power of Introverts

The prevailing cultural terrain has grown to favor extroverted qualities, simultaneously diminishing the value of characteristics that are intrinsic to introverts..

Cain contends that modern Western society is heavily influenced by what she describes as the "Extrovert Ideal," which values visible confidence and sociability more than it does the power of introspection, silent efficiency, and contemplative thought. The writer contends that a widespread bias towards extroversion affects many aspects of life, such as parenting methods that emphasize sociability and business inclinations that prioritize self-advertisement, regardless of actual skills or outcomes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, America transitioned from esteeming an individual's inherent virtues and moral strength to placing importance on outward charm and charisma.

Cain explores a pivotal shift in American cultural values at the dawn of the 20th century, transitioning from valuing an individual's character, a concept highlighted by the respected cultural historian Warren Susman, to placing greater importance on an individual's charisma. During the period often referred to as the Culture of Character, individuals aspired to behave with honor, self-control, and a robust moral compass. The true value of a person is not determined by the image they project in public, but by their behavior when they are away from public scrutiny. In the rapidly expanding cities of America's industrial era, the trend towards settings where people regularly moved meant they were frequently surrounded by strangers, which required a stronger focus on showcasing their unique personal qualities. The core of a person's uniqueness evolved into someone who is self-assured, captivating, and charismatic, adept at marketing not only goods but also, crucially, themselves.

Industrialization, urban expansion, and the proliferation of mass media transformed societal norms, compelling people to concentrate on creating significant first impressions with strangers rather than relying on established relationships and reputations.

Cain explains that the swift rise of industrialization, the expansion of urban areas, and the substantial increase...

Want to learn the ideas in Quiet: The Power of Introverts better than ever?

Unlock the full book summary of Quiet: The Power of Introverts by signing up for Shortform .

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x better by:

Being 100% clear and logical: you learn complicated ideas, explained simply
Adding original insights and analysis, expanding on the book
Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.

READ FULL SUMMARY OF QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS

Here's a preview of the rest of Shortform's Quiet: The Power of Introverts summary:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts Summary Introversion and sensitivity are genuine aspects of a person's personality.

Cain dispels the myth that introversion is a flaw, contending with substantial scientific backing that this trait is a fundamental part of a person's nature, bringing with it unique advantages. She underscores research indicating that introverts are distinguished by a more sensitive nervous system, specific brain activity configurations, and particular neurotransmitter profiles that differentiate them from their extroverted counterparts. The author argues that the innate sensitivity commonly observed among introverts should be valued as a considerable strength, as it allows for deeper processing of information, experiencing emotions more deeply, and developing a stronger sense of morality.

People who are introverted or sensitive have nervous systems that react more intensely and are capable of processing a higher volume of stimuli.

Cain emphasizes the inherent biological roots that give rise to introversion and sensitivity, dispelling the false belief that these traits stem from poor parenting or a predisposition to self-indulgence. Susan Cain's book includes extensive studies from various psychologists, among them observations by Jerome Kagan, who monitored children's...

Try Shortform for free

Read full summary of Quiet: The Power of Introverts

Quiet: The Power of Introverts Summary Introverts have unique talents and advantages, as well as strategies to thrive within various settings.

Cain underscores the critical contributions that introverts make to our society. She underscores the natural strengths possessed by introverts, such as their capacity for profound contemplation, intense focus, attentive listening, and systematic problem-solving, making the case that these attributes are crucial for fostering innovation, guiding leaders, and ensuring a harmonious and prosperous community. She also offers practical guidance for introverts to thrive in a society that frequently favors extroverted traits, impacting their work and social lives.

The abilities of introverts to think deeply and relate to others often remain underappreciated in a culture that predominantly celebrates extroverted traits.

Cain advocates for a change in how we view introversion, highlighting the importance of appreciating the unique abilities inherent in introverted individuals, instead of viewing them as lacking in social skills or ambition. Introverts have a strength that comes from their capacity for profound and thoughtful analysis. Introverts typically address issues with a methodical and cautious approach, ensuring they collect relevant data and evaluate different options prior...

Additional Materials

Clarifications.

The Extrovert Ideal is a concept introduced by Susan Cain that describes a societal preference for extroverted qualities like sociability and confidence over introverted traits like introspection and contemplative thought. This ideal values visible assertiveness and outgoing behavior, often influencing various aspects of life such as education, work environments, and social interactions. It suggests a cultural bias towards extroversion, impacting how individuals are perceived and rewarded in society. The Extrovert Ideal has been linked to shifts in cultural values over time, emphasizing the importance of charisma and social skills in personal and professional success.
The Culture of Character, prevalent in the 19th century, emphasized virtues like honor and self-control, valuing a person's inner moral compass. In contrast, the Culture of Personality emerged in the early 20th century, focusing on outward charm, charisma, and social skills to succeed in the rapidly changing urban and industrial landscape. The shift marked a transition from valuing intrinsic qualities to prioritizing external presentation and social adeptness in American society. This distinction highlights a...

Counterarguments

While the cultural terrain may favor extroverted qualities, this does not necessarily diminish the value of introverted characteristics; rather, it may simply reflect the types of skills that are more visible and immediately impactful in certain social and professional contexts.
The transition in America from valuing inherent virtues to outward charm and charisma could be seen as an adaptation to changing social and economic conditions, rather than a loss of moral compass or depth.
The shift towards creating significant first impressions in industrialized and urbanized societies could be argued as a practical response to the increased pace of life and the need for efficient social and professional interactions.
Popular culture's elevation of assertiveness and showmanship does not inherently devalue introversion; it may instead reflect a diversification of the types of personalities that can achieve success in different arenas.
The favoring of extroverted characteristics in educational and corporate environments can be seen as a response to the collaborative nature of modern work and learning, which often requires teamwork and communication skills.
The genuine aspects...

Get access to the context and additional materials

What our readers say.

This is the best summary of How to Win Friends and Influence People I've ever read. The way you explained the ideas and connected them to other books was amazing.

Relationships

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

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

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Paperback – January 29, 2013

Print length 368 pages
Language English
Publisher Crown
Publication date January 29, 2013
Dimensions 5.15 x 0.98 x 7.96 inches
ISBN-10 0307352153
ISBN-13 978-0307352156
Lexile measure 1170L
See all details

Customers who bought this item also bought

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

From the Publisher

Gretchen Rubin says, “Superbly researched, deeply insightful, and a fascinating read”




Customer Reviews
	The author of the book Quiet reveals the power of a bittersweet outlook on life, and why we’ve been so blind to its value.	Harness your hidden talents, empower communication at home and at work, and nurture your best self with this guided journal based on book Quiet.

Editorial Reviews

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crown; 0 edition (January 29, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0307352153
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307352156
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1170L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 0.98 x 7.96 inches
#7 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
#23 in Interpersonal Relations (Books)
#42 in Leadership & Motivation

Videos for this product

Click to play video

IS Quiet: The Power of Introverts worth the read?

John Muscarello

Solitude matters, and for some people, it is the air they breathe.

Cary Decker

Honest Review of Book Quiet The Power of Introverts

Mandy Wilcox

Customer Review: Susan Cain is a next-level writer. This book will proves it all over the place.

Jesse Langel

Quiet, The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. Amazing Book!

The Amazon Addicts🙂

Introvert or Extrovert? Discover Yourself. QUIET Susan Cain

Elle Elle Reviews

The power of introverts!

Drew’s Reviews

This is my favorite book of 2024!

Derrick and Kiana's Amazon Store

Customer Review: Perfect 😍

Vanessa Báez

About the author

SUSAN CAIN is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, and BITTERSWEET: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. She has spent the last twenty years exploring a particular realm of human nature: the quiet, the sensitive, the thoughtful, the bittersweet. It has always seemed clear to her - and to her millions of readers - that this way of being can lead to a richer, deeper form of happiness. Susan’s books have been translated into 40+ languages, and her record-smashing TED talks have been viewed over 50 million times on TED and YouTube combined. Susan is the host of the Audible series, A QUIET LIFE IN SEVEN STEPS, and the QUIET LIFE online community. Join her on Substack at TheQuietLife dot net.

Customer reviews

5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 67% 22% 8% 2% 1% 67%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 67% 22% 8% 2% 1% 22%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 67% 22% 8% 2% 1% 8%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 67% 22% 8% 2% 1% 2%
5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 67% 22% 8% 2% 1% 1%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and useful for both extroverts and introverts. They describe the language as enlightening and assuring. Readers also find the points well-researched and valid. However, some find the content boring and depressing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the book compelling, informative, and uplifting. They say the language is enlightening and assuring. Readers also mention the book is absorbing, exciting, and delightful.

"...This book taught me more about myself than I've ever known. It read like my biography ...." Read more

"... It was very interesting . It involves industrial change, work force changes, and even parenting changes...." Read more

"...It was impeccably researched, entertaining and lovingly written , though I was often distracted by Cain's deliberately broad use of the word "..." Read more

"... It's absolutely beautiful . So much so that it ought to inspire every reader to analyze their own lives and become better, well rounded individuals...." Read more

Customers find the book insightful, thought-provoking, and well-researched. They say it offers explanation and encouragement to introverts. Readers also appreciate the thorough account of what introversion is and the specifics it covers. They mention the research gives the book credibility and makes it compelling and helpful.

"...The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be overstated - especially if you are an introverted type of person who has always felt..." Read more

"...Function well without sleep (pg. 3) Good at negotiating because their mild-mannered disposition allows them to take strong/aggressive positions..." Read more

"...In all, Cain makes a compelling case for equal respect and increased effort to accommodate both introverts and extroverts for the good of all." Read more

"...The ideal person is outgoing, friendly, loud, charismatic , and charming, certainly not qualities that your average introvert posses and as such get..." Read more

Customers find the book insightful and useful for both extroverts and introverts. They say it helps them understand the introvert in their lives and is a must-read. Readers also mention the book goes to great lengths to distinguish introversion from shyness. They mention it's okay to be yourself and to stretch their comfort zone.

"...the most important thing I got from this book is that it's okay to be myself , it's okay to feel the way I do...." Read more

"...My favorite thing about this book was how it showed that introverts have strengths just by being who they naturally are...." Read more

"...2. Introverts are creative and prefer to be alone and focus on one task at a time.3...." Read more

"...An encouraging read for this introvert , and I think it would also be useful for those with introverts in their lives (as spouses, coworkers, etc.)..." Read more

Customers find the book credible, truthful, and true. They appreciate the clear statements of facts and data. Readers also mention the author provides credible references and antidotal evidence. Additionally, they say the book validates introverts and provides evidence and warrant.

"Susan Cain takes us on an honest , revealing and well-researched journey through arguably the most important factor of the healthy human psyche: the..." Read more

"...of weaving real-life stories and examples through a scientific, evidence -based , well-researched examination into the world of introverts...." Read more

"...As an introvert myself, I found this book both insightful and confirming ...." Read more

"...book is really well written and proves again and again to be a credible source ...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some mention it's a fascinating and quick read, while others say it takes forever to get through and becomes hard to follow.

"...They are a bit shy and slow to open up ...." Read more

"...This trait is present at birth, and does not change ...." Read more

"... Difficult to finish ." Read more

"... He functions quite well - to all, he would appear to be an extrovert. He is not...." Read more

Customers find the book boring and hard to read. They say it's repetitive and full of rambling anecdotes. Readers also mention the chapters aren't particularly interesting.

"...The last chapter specifically uses too many partial sentences and doesn't wrap things up well ...." Read more

" I found it boring and kind of hard to read and stay focused on it, I didn't bother finishing the book" Read more

"...—neither overstimulating nor under-stimulating, neither boring nor anxiety-making ...." Read more

"...to be encouraging, I actually found the cumulative effect curiously depressing ...." Read more

Customers find the book overly long, with sentences and chapters that are too long. They also say the font is too small to read.

"...I gave it four stars only because it is extremely long , and I found a lot of it tedious to read...." Read more

"...I sometimes felt that the stories could have been shorter , and that the author could have made her points more succinctly...." Read more

"...I found it overly long , hence the 4 star rating - a lot of research and findings are extremely interesting but a little similar...." Read more

"...that a book was written supporting introverts, haha, but it was way too long and had a sagging middle. Difficult to finish." Read more

Reviews with images

Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

About Amazon
Investor Relations
Amazon Devices
Amazon Science
Sell products on Amazon
Sell on Amazon Business
Sell apps on Amazon
Become an Affiliate
Advertise Your Products
Self-Publish with Us
Host an Amazon Hub
› See More Make Money with Us
Amazon Business Card
Shop with Points
Reload Your Balance
Amazon Currency Converter
Amazon and COVID-19
Your Account
Your Orders
Shipping Rates & Policies
Returns & Replacements
Manage Your Content and Devices

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
Your Ads Privacy Choices

This bestselling book helped me stop pretending I'm an extrovert and recognize the benefits of being an introvert

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

If you liked the slower pace and quietness of quarantine life, you're not alone .
I read "Quiet" during the pandemic and it helped me understand my introverted side.
Here are the three things I learned from reading Susan Cain's bestselling book.

Like many people , I learned some crucial new things about myself during quarantine. As horrible as the pandemic has been, I haven't missed sardining myself onto delayed subways or scheduling plans with friends weeks in advance because our lives are too frantic.

If anything, I've felt more in touch with myself than ever. I love slow mornings and working from home with minimal distractions. I love being able to calmly decide if my night will be spent talking on the phone or going for a run, and having the power to choose based on what I truly want to do that moment (rather than forcing myself to go out on a Saturday because canceling last-minute would be rude).

As much as I can, I want to keep aspects of this life I built long after my second dose of the vaccine. Part of this revelation came from reading " Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking " by Susan Cain , a fellow introvert and former lawyer, while I was sheltering in place.

Introversion is often seen as a downside in American society — shyness and sensitivity can be viewed as something to fix rather than embrace. But what if introverts could be valued for who they are? “Quiet” unpacks the incredible accomplishments of introverts and provides a roadmap to helping introverts realize their incredible strengths.

While the book was published almost a decade ago, the advice feels particularly relevant right now, when so many of us are still at home and working remotely. "Quiet" is all about understanding your needs as an introvert — and structuring your life in a way that helps you feel like your true self instead of roleplaying as an extrovert.

Recognizing how introverted I am actually helped me embrace my more social side, too. Instead of comparing myself to my extroverted friends and berating myself for not being as naturally outgoing, I know now that I really thrive when I have alone time to reset, so I'm less likely to pack my weekends with back-to-back plans that I end up being too overstimulated to enjoy. I'm also just kinder to myself: I know inviting a lot of different friends to all hang out or speaking up in big meetings are not as intuitive to me as they would be to a more extroverted person. Understanding that these are skills I can patiently build helps me actually take the steps to work on them.

So if you actually liked parts of quarantine life, secretly dread going back to the office, or want to get better at not over-extending yourself, it can be worth picking up a copy of this book.

3 things "Quiet" taught me about my value as an introvert:

1. american culture disproportionally values extroversion, making introverts feel pressure to conform..

One of the most standout points of the book was when Cain visited the Harvard Business School campus — and learned that almost no one there is an introvert. In fact, the school's faculty make it a point to teach students to act more extroverted and vocal. HBS isn't the only one: everywhere from cable news to politics to Wall Street values bold, opinionated, and sometimes even reactive leaders.

This makes introverts feel like they have to adapt to be valued or succeed in any way. But constantly pushing yourself to speak up and be social when it doesn't feel natural can lead to burnout. It can explain why so many people felt a reprieve during the pandemic when they could stay in more, do less in a day, and limit their hangouts to fewer people. It can also explain why some people hated being home if their partner happened to be an extrovert.

2. Introverts and extroverts can make a great team if they know each other's strengths.

Extroverts have many great qualities — they can confidently present ideas, make decisions under pressure, and bring teams together.

But, according to "Quiet," too many extroverts in a workplace can lead to disastrous results. For example, not listening to more cautious introverts (or employing too few of them) partly led to the 2008 recession. As Cain notes in the book: "There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas."

Because introverts tend to also be more sensitive and introspective, they can be great assets to a team, noticing details others may miss. They can also thrive a lot more in remote work environments , favoring text-based communication over in-person brainstorms or preferring to work on their own instead of in a chatty open office setup.

Plus, non-judgy awareness of each other's differences helps you practice more empathy. The book helped me understand my extroverted friends and family more. I know it must have been so hard for them to lose so much of what made them happy every day — many of the things I was completely fine living without were crucial to their well-being. And any introvert knows from personal experience that squeezing yourself into a lifestyle that doesn't fit who you are is a daily challenge.

3. Introverts can feel a lot happier once they embrace who they are.

Pre-pandemic life was peppered with extroverted activities. Think of all the things people used to brag about on Instagram: Holiday parties, traveling with huge groups of friends, happy hours. Even if you wanted to stay in on a Friday or Saturday, you may have felt uncool or anti-social for taking the time to rest.

One great takeaway from Cain's book is that it's important to listen to when you actually feel stimulated by what you're doing. For example, it's possible you can enjoy being at a party for an hour or two before wanting to go home and read a book in bed. It's also possible to get bored with reading a book and want to go call up a friend. Our needs change from moment to moment.

Listening to when we'd rather cancel our plans instead of forcing ourselves to go out will make us happier. And again, it's why some people (like me) were surprised to enjoy parts of the pandemic: It was really nice to spend so many Friday nights watching "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" with my boyfriend or weekends rollerblading with 1-2 friends without feeling like I wasn't being social enough.

No matter what life may look like after the pandemic, it can be a great, quiet time to explore what will make you happy before the world becomes a little louder again, and this book may help you do it.

Julia Pugachevsky's face on a gray background.

Main content

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

W hen you're at a party, do you suddenly feel the desperate urge to escape somewhere quiet such as a toilet cubicle and just sit there? Until I read Quiet , I thought it was just me. I'd see other partygoers grow increasingly effervescent as the night wore on and wonder why I felt so compelled to go home. I put it down to perhaps there not being enough iron in my diet. But it's not just me. It's a trait shared by introverts the world over. We feel this way because our brains are sensitive to overstimulation. I am genuinely astonished by this news. In fact, I read much of Susan Cain's book shaking my head in wonder and thinking: "So that's why I'm like that! It's because I'm an introvert! Now it's fine for me to turn down party invitations. I never have to go to another party again!"

Cain is an introvert. It has always been, she writes, "private occasions that make me feel connected to the joys and sorrows of the world, often in the form of communication with writers and musicians I'll never meet in person". She's an introvert in a world that, she argues, excessively and misguidedly respects extroverts. We make them our bosses and our political leaders. We foolishly admire their self-help books, such as How to Win Friends and Influence People . Before the industrial revolution, she writes, American self-help books extolled character. Nowadays it's personality. We introverts attempt to emulate extroverts, and the stress of not being "true to ourselves" can make us physically and mentally ill. One introvert Cain knew spent so much of his adult life trying to adhere to the extrovert ideal he ended up catching double pneumonia. This would have been avoided if he'd spent time recharging his batteries in toilet cubicles, and so on.

At the Harvard Business School, socialising is "an extreme sport". Extroverts are more likely to get book deals and art exhibitions than their introverted counterparts. Cain had to persuade a publisher she could conquer her stage fright and promote herself at book festivals before they agreed to take her on. In America, extroverted parents have been known to send their introverted children to psychiatrists to have their introversion "treated" out of them. We think extroverts are great because they're charismatic and chatty and self-assured, but in fact they're comparatively narcissistic and unthoughtful and we're committing a grave error structuring our society around their garrulous blah.

Most egregiously, we form our workplaces around the extrovert ideal. I like her nightmare descriptions of open-plan offices where group brainstorming sessions descend on the startled introvert like flash-storms. Group-think favours the dominant extrovert. The loudest, most socially confident and quickest on their feet win the day, whereas the contemplative and quietly well-informed tend not to get a word in. School classrooms are increasingly designed to reflect this flawed environment. Children sit in pods facing each other and are rewarded for being outgoing rather than original. "You Can't Ask a Teacher for Help Unless Everyone in Your Group Has the Same Question" read a sign in one New York classroom she visited. All this even though Gandhi and Rosa Parks and Steve Wozniak and JK Rowling and Eleanor Roosevelt have described themselves as introverts, at their best when solitary.

I finished Quiet a month ago and I can't get it out of my head. It is in many ways an important book – so persuasive and timely and heartfelt it should inevitably effect change in schools and offices. It's also a genius idea to write a book that tells introverts – a vast proportion of the reading public – how awesome and undervalued we are. I'm thrilled to discover that some of the personality traits I had found shameful are actually indicators that I'm amazing. It's a Female Eunuch for anxious nerds. I'm not surprised it shot straight to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list.

Cain says we're "especially empathic". We think in an "unusually complex fashion". We prefer discussing "values and morality" to small talk about the weather. We "desire peace". We're "modest". The introvert child is an "orchid – who wilts easily", is prone to "depression, anxiety and shyness, but under the right conditions can grow strong and magnificent".

When I get to this part I think: Yes! We are like orchids! With good parenting we can become "exceedingly kind, conscientious and successful at the things that matter to us". Then I feel embarrassed that I derived pleasure from being compared to an orchid and I realise that sometimes Cain succumbs to the kind of narcissistic rhetoric she eschews in extroverts.

Still: her suggestions on how to redress the balance and make the world a bit more introvert-friendly are charmingly cautious. The way forward, she argues, is to create offices that have open-plan bits for the extroverts and nooks and crannies where the quiet people can be quiet. A bit like the Pixar offices. In this she reminds me of the similarly measured Jonathan Safran Foer , whose anti-meat lectures climax in a suggestion that we should try if possible to eat one or two vegetarian meals a week. Give me this kind of considered good sense over showy radical polemicism any day.

But sometimes her brilliant ideas aren't written quite so brilliantly. Her book can be a bit of a slog, not always a page turner. I wish she'd spent a bit more time adventuring and a bit less time analysing and philosophising and citing vast armies of psychologists. I love feeling her pain when she journeys out of her comfort zone to "life coaching" conventions. But those adventures vanish as the book wears on, and it starts to drag a little, especially during the many chapters about how brain scans seem to demonstrate neurological differences between extroverts and introverts. I don't know why popular psychology books feel so compelled these days to cite endless fMRI studies. As any neurologist will tell you, we still have very little idea about why certain bits of our brains light up under various circumstances.

And there's a bigger nagging thought I couldn't shake throughout the book. It began during the preface, in which Cain prints an "Are You an Introvert?" checklist. She lists 20 statements. The more we answer "true" the more introverted we are: "I often let calls go through to voice mail. I do my best work on my own. I don't enjoy multitasking. I seem to care less than my peers about wealth, fame and status …" At the bottom of the quiz she mentions: "If you found yourself with a roughly equal number of true and false answers, then you may be an ambivert – yes, there really is such a word."

I do the test. I answer "true" to exactly half the questions. Even though I'm in many ways a textbook introvert (my crushing need for "restorative niches" such as toilet cubicles is eerie) I'm actually an ambivert. I do the test on my wife. She answers true to exactly half the questions too. We're both ambiverts. Then I do the test on my son. I don't get to the end because to every question – "I prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities. I enjoy solitude …" – he replies: "Sometimes. It depends." So he's also an ambivert.

In the Ronson household we're 100% ambivert. We ambiverts don't get another mention in the book. Even for a writer like Cain, who is mostly admirably unafraid of grey areas, we ambiverts are too grey. Her thesis – built on the assumption that almost everyone in the world can be squeezed into one of two boxes – may topple if it turns out that loads of us are essentially ambiverts. I suspect there are a lot of ambiverts out there.

Society books
History books

More on this story

High-pitched voices and four other ways power changes you

Susan Cain: 'Society has a cultural bias towards extroverts'

Bankers and the neuroscience of greed

Paedophilia: bringing dark desires to light

The Wisdom of Psychopaths by Kevin Dutton – review

Could a brain scan diagnose you as a psychopath?

Psychopaths haunt the Beautiful Game – and I may be one of them

Comments (…), most viewed.

De-Coding Indian Intellectual Property Law

SpicyIP Weekly Review (September 9-September 15)

Here is our recap of last week’s top IP developments including summary of the posts on posthumous personality rights of artists, and book reviews of “Modern Law of Copyright in Singapore” and “Overlapping Intellectual Property Rights (2 nd Ed.). This and a lot more in this week’s SpicyIP Weekly Review. Anything we are missing out on? Drop a comment below to let us know.

Highlights of the Week

Book Review: Overlapping Intellectual Property Rights 2nd Edition

The 2nd edition of “Overlapping IP Rights” (OUP 2023), edited by Profs Neil Wilkof, Shamnad Basheer, and Irene Calboli, much like its predecessor, serves as a great guide and authority on dealing with the overlaps and interfacing of different IP rights. Md Sabeeh Ahmad shares his review of the book.

Voice Clones and Legal Tones: The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Posthumous Personality Rights

Bringing the dead back from their grave? In the context of utilizing deceased artists’ voices through AI tools, Julia Anna andSnehal Khemka discuss the sufficiency of the legal frameworks in India and other countries to address this phenomena.

Book Review: Modern Law of Copyright in Singapore

Reviewing’s David Llewelyn, Gladys Tan, Estelle Moh Huixuan and Ng Hui Ming’s treatise ‘Modern Law of Copyright in Singapore’, (SAL Academy Publishing, 2023) Prashant Reddy discusses how India and Singapore’s copyright regime diverge from each other over the years.

Case Summaries

Anik Milk Products Private Limited vs Suresh Kumar Agarwal And Ors on 10 September, 2024 (Calcutta High Court)

The plaintiff sought an interim injunction against the defendants for selling ghee products that were deceptively similar to its trademark “ANIK” and trade dress. The Calcutta High Court found that the defendants were selling products that closely resembled the plaintiff’s packaging, thus, probable to create confusion among consumers. The Court concluded that the plaintiff had established a prima facie case and granted an interim injunction, restraining the defendants from manufacturing, selling, or marketing the products.

Saregama India Limited vs The New Digital Media And Anr on 11 September, 2024 (Calcutta High Court)

In a copyright dispute, the Calcutta High Court allowed the application by Defendant No. 1 to produce certain documents for cross-examination, which were not initially disclosed. The Court dismissed the plaintiff’s procedural objections, viewing them as technicalities, and allowed the production of documents solely for the purpose of cross-examination. It was reiterated that under Order XI Rule 1(7)(c)(i) of the Code of Civil Procedure, documents could be used for the limited purpose of cross-examination to impeach the witness’s credibility and not to substantiate a new defense.

State vs. Naresh Chand Gupta on 2 September, 2024 (Delhi District Court)

The accused was convicted under Section 104 of the Trademark Act, 1999, for possessing and selling counterfeit goods bearing the falsified trademark of “TVS Motor Company Ltd.” at his shop. The prosecution, supported by the testimony of seven witnesses, demonstrated that a raid conducted on 29 June 2019 led to the seizure of spurious articles, such as packing pouches, boxes, and disc clutches, with the counterfeit logo of TVS. Despite the defense’s arguments questioning the lack of independent public witnesses and alleging false implication, the Court found the evidence sufficient to convict the accused.

M/S Kiran Roadways Pvt Ltd vs M/S Tranztar Commercial Vehicle Applications Ltd. on 7 September, 2024 (Delhi District Court)

The Delhi High Court, while accepting the defendant’s argument of lack of territorial jurisdiction, noted that the plaintiff is having its office at Gandhi Dham Gujarat where the entire cause of action has arisen whereas no cause of action has arisen in Delhi. The Court, accepting the argument, concluded that it lacked territorial jurisdiction and returned the plaint for filing in the appropriate Court.

Executive Center India Private Limited vs. Multistream Technologies Private Limited on 9 September, 2024 (Delhi District Court)

The plaintiff filed a suit to recover the principal amount, i.e. ₹67,50,909 plus interest from the defendant as the latter failed to pay monthly fees and top-up security deposits as stipulated in the exclusive Workspace Office License Agreement. Despite repeated reminders and legal notices the defendant did not appear in Court and the Court proceeded ex-parte awarding the plaintiff, the principal amount and interest at 9% per annum.

The Polo/Lauren Company L.P. v. Landmark Traders Pvt. Ltd. on 4 September, 2024 (Delhi District Court)

The plaintiff, using the “POLO” trademark and related variations since 1967, accused the defendants of selling counterfeit goods bearing deceptively similar trademarks. The infringement surfaced in 2017 when such goods were seized in the Dominican Republic, allegedly exported by the defendants who denied manufacturing or selling them and claimed to be mere exporters for third parties. The suit was transferred to the Commercial Court, which granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in 2018, restraining the defendants from using the impugned trademarks. The Court, herein, issued a permanent injunction, barring the defendants from using or exporting goods with similar marks, but no customs directive was given due to insufficient proof from the plaintiff. The plaintiff was awarded the cost of the suit.

Kohinoor Seed Fields India Pvt. Ltd. v. Veda Seed Sciences Pvt. Ltd. on 9 September, 2024 (Telangana High Court)

The plaintiff (respondent, herein) had filed a suit seeking permanent injunction and damages to restrain the defendant from infringing on its trademarks—”Sadanand,” “Tadaka,” and “Basant”—used for selling hybrid cotton and other seeds. The appellant objected to the maintainability of the suit, arguing that the then plaintiff had not followed the mandatory pre-institution mediation requirement under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. The plaintiff argued that the urgency of the case, due to the defendants’ sale of the “Sadanand” trademark and the imminent risk to their business, justified bypassing pre-institution mediation. The Court agreed, noting that trademark-specific disputes require swift intervention to prevent significant harm, thus, exempting the present matter from the mediation requirement. Consequently, the Court upheld the decision to proceed with the suit without mediation.

AR Bela Agrawal v. Council Of Architecture and Ors . on 5 September, 2024 (Delhi High Court)

The petitioner, contracted by Madhya Pradesh Public Works Department (MPPWD) in 2017 as a consultant, was accused by Arcop Associates of copying their designs and failing to disclose ongoing contracts. The Council of Architecture (COA), after hearings, found her guilty of misconduct under Clause 2(1)(x) and Clause 2(1)(xv) of the Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 1989, and imposed a one-year suspension. The Court found COA’s suspension arbitrary and violative of natural justice, observing that it expanded the charges without giving her a chance to defend herself and overstepped its jurisdiction by involving itself in copyright issues. The Court also noted the suspension was based on unsubstantiated allegations and was disproportionate to the alleged misconduct. Consequently, the Court quashed the suspension and directed COA to adhere to proper procedural and jurisdictional limits in future disciplinary actions.

VIP Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. v. Rhydburg Pharmaceuticals Ltd. on 13 September, 2024 (Delhi High Court)

The defendant filed an application to reject the plaint alleging trademark infringement. The defendant argued that in 2019 they had filed a trademark infringement suit against the plaintiff in the Rohini District Courts, Delhi against which the plaintiff filed its written statements and counter claim. Subsequently, in 2022, the plaintiff withdrew its counter claim and consequently in 2023, filed the present suit. The defendant argued that the plaintiff’s present suit is based on the same cause of action and inter alia the plaintiff is seeking same reliefs as sought under its withdrawn counter claim. They further argued that since the plaintiff has willingly withdrawn its counterclaim without the liberty to file any fresh suits, the present plaint should be rejected. The Court compared the plaint and 2019 counter claim and held that the averments in both the documents are same and pertain to similar cause of actions. Holding that the plaintiff had withdrawn the counter claim without seeking a liberty to file subsequent suits, the Court rejected the present plaint.

Other IP Developments

Delhi High Court restrains Italy based firm from using “Amuleti” mark. Holds it to be deceptively similar to “Amul”.
Central and state govt universities to be exempted from paying GST on research funds.
CGPDTM forms a committee to draft a code of conduct for Patent and Trademark Agents.
Jasleen Royal files a copyright infringement suit against Guru Randhawa and T-Series before the Bombay High Court.
Ernakulam District Court temporarily restrains creation of Minnal Murali spin off movies, graphic novels and merchandise.

International IP Development

Xockets accuses Nvidia and Microsoft of patent infringement and creating a cartel in gen AI markets.
Two former executives of Samsung arrested for allegedly leaking USD 3.2 billion worth of company’s IP to build a chip fab in China.
Thom Browne wins the three stripes IP infringement law suit against Adidas in Germany.
White Stripes files a copyright infringement case against Donal Trump for unauthorised use of their “Seven Nations Army” song.
Sohum Shah files a copyright infringement suit against Netflix and maker of “Squid Game” Hwang Dong-hyuk alleging that the series infringes the copyright in his film “Luck”.
Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)
Click to print (Opens in new window)
Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

About The Author

Discover more from SpicyIP

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

an image, when javascript is unavailable

site categories

25th woodstock film festival announces lineup featuring ‘anora,’ ‘blitz,’ paul shrader tribute, ‘the bibi files,’ world, u.s. premieres & more, breaking news.

‘The Quiet Son’ Review: Vincent Lindon Shines In This Timely Story Of A Family Torn Apart By Tragedy – Venice Film Festival

By Damon Wise

Film Editor, Awards

Sideshow & Janus Films Take North American Rights To Venice Grand Jury Prize Winner 'Vermiglio'

Anastasia Trofimova Russians At War director

Director Of Controversial Doc 'Russians At War' Explains How & Why She Captured Reality Of Russian Soldiers In Ukraine - Venice & Toronto

Watch on deadline.

Pierre also clocks that Fus has fallen in with a new set of friends, an unseemly looking bunch, and he is concerned when a workmate tells him that someone who looked very much like Fus, wearing a dragon-logo jacket, was among a mob that recently attacked a left-wing rally. Pierre, once an activist but now done with “sticking up posters and all that”, covers for Fus, stating that they were both at home at the time of the incident. However, Fus, does own such a jacket and was out with his new friends after the game.

Pierre’s other son, Louis (Stefan Crepon) — the quiet one of the title — is watching things unfold with bemused detachment. Fus is in his early 20s, a metalworker by trade, but Louis, who turns 20 during the movie, is an academic and has been offered a place at the Sorbonne. As he crams for his exams, Louis brings over a friend, whose liberal views are scoffed at by the increasingly vitriolic Fus. The friend posits that the mainstream lefts parties are neglecting the proletariat, making them increasingly reluctant vote, but Fus thinks they never cared in the first place (“We’re just cannon fodder,” he says). In fact, he thinks this public apathy to down to the fact that the public is just fed up with the system. “We tried the left wing; we tried the right wing. We need another solution.”

Nevertheless, Pierre continues to have hope, taking his sons to a football game to see the local team F.C. Metz. Something has to give, however, and one day, though he has explicitly forbidden Fus from seeing his right-wing friends while living under his roof, Pierre returns home to find the boy lying — black and blue and bloodied — on the sofa, having been beaten up by a gang of antifa activists. His injuries are so severe that Fus’s football career is now effectively over; he can’t walk, feed or dress himself (“It’s so humiliating,” he laments). As he recovers Pierre is always there for him, hoping he’ll go back to his old ways, little knowing that things are about to get much worse.

Though it is based on a novel ( What You Need from the Night by Laurent Petitmangin, 2020), The Quiet Son has an immediacy that feels almost improvised. The Coulins have a subtle way with words, and their self-adapted script really drills down into what lies between the lines. The death of Pierre’s wife, mother to the two boys, is a case in point, a seismic event that, though it is integral to the trajectory of the drama, the three men never talk about. And when Fus finds himself in court, on very serious charges, Lindon powerfully leans into the performance that’s required of him, playing a father coming to terms with his son’s thoughts, consequences and actions, a stain on all their lives that will never be erased.

The ending leaves some room for redemption, but not a lot. Instead, Pierre is left facing an uncertain future (how will the “quiet” son react to his elder brother’s criminal legacy?). It makes some obvious points, but those points are still valid, and the Coulins have crafted a gripping societal drama about the quagmire that is modern politics.

Title: The Quiet Son Festival: Venice (Competition) Sales agent: Playtime Directors/screenwriters: Delphine Coulin , Muriel Coulin Cast: Vincent Lindon, Benjamin Voisin, Stefan Crepon Running time: 1 hr 50 mins

Must Read Stories

Bbc star huw edwards handed suspended prison sentence.

Analysis, Biggest Moments, Snubs & Surprises From Last Night’s Awards

Red carpet, executives, after-parties & sunday’s winners, ‘shōgun’ & ‘the bear’ break records to help disney’s fx dominate emmys, read more about:, subscribe to deadline.

Get our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy.

IMAGES

Book Summary
Quiet Book Review: The Power Of Introverts
Book Summary Printable Mind Map Quiet by Susan Cain A3, A2 Printable
Download Quiet Book Summary
Quiet: Book Review and Notes
Book Review: QUIET by Susan Cain

VIDEO

A Riveting Book Review
Mermaid Princess Dollhouse Quiet Book for kids and toddlers|Activity Book|Felt Book
Quiet book #calmdown #shorts
Quiet Book for kids
quiet book review 17
Quiet book #9 / Развивающая книжка №9

COMMENTS

BOOK REVIEW: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop
By Science News. April 6, 2012 at 1:26 pm. At least one in three people are introverts, and this book may prove a revelation for them and everyone who lives, works or interacts with them. Quiet ...
Quiet: Book Summary & Review + PDF
Quiet: Book Summary & Review. By Lucio Buffalmano / 14 minutes of reading. In Quiet: The Power of Introverts author Susan Cain explains what it means to be an introvert, what are the advantages and disadvantages, and how society can win by getting the most out of both introverts and extroverts. Contents.
Book Review
The book emphasises that individuals are complex, and that we can't just be labelled one or the other. There is plenty of crossover in our traits, and as Carl jung said: There is no such thing as a pure introvert or a pure extrovert. Such a man would be in the lunatic asylum.'. There are so many fascinating snippets in this book.
Quiet (Book for Introverts): Full Review with Quotes
Quiet is the book for introverts, focused on their more subtle, but important, powers in a world that favors extroverted traits. This post features a review, quotes, and resources to provide insight and self-help. Quiet (the book for introverts) is a #1 New York Times bestseller, and it was named one of the best books of the year by People, O: The Oprah Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Inc ...
Susan Cain's 'Quiet' Argues for the Power of Introverts
The introverts who are the subject of Susan Cain's new book, "Quiet," don't experience their inwardness in quite so self-congratulatory a way. They and others view their tendency toward ...
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking is a 2012 nonfiction book written by American author and speaker Susan Cain.Cain argues that modern Western culture misunderstands and undervalues the traits and capabilities of introverted people, leading to "a colossal waste of talent, energy, and happiness." [1]The book presents a history of how Western culture transformed ...
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
The book is divided into four parts. In the first, Cain examines the trends in American history that led to what she calls the Extrovert Ideal.This is the notion that everyone should strive to be an extrovert, implying that the qualities of extroversion are superior to those of introversion. Chapter 1 describes the shift from the Culture of Character in the 19th century to the Culture of ...
Quiet by Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts Review.
Summary. Quiet by Susan Cain has been on the best seller list for more than 5 years now. The book explores what Cain calls "the extrovert ideal," where our society values charisma and teamwork. If you prefer working in solitude, or prefer listening over speaking, you may find your efforts underappreciated… especially at work.
QUIET
The author's insights are so rich that she could pen two separate books: one about parenting an introverted child and another about how to make an introvert/extrovert relationship work. An intriguing and potentially life-altering examination of the human psyche that is sure to benefit both introverts and extroverts alike. 3.
Review: Quiet by Susan Cain
Review Summary. I enjoyed reading this book again. It's one of those books packed with so much information that I don't know if I could absorb it all in one read. Even now I like the idea of revisiting certain chapters when I'm ready to look at more information. There's also a version of this book for younger readers called QUIET POWER ...
Summary and Reviews of Quiet by Susan Cain
Book Summary. An extraordinary book with the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves. At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who invent and create but prefer not to pitch their own ideas; who ...
Summary of Quiet by Susan Cain
As Susan Cain presents throughout Quiet, introverts and extroverts can learn from one another and can have the power to change how the world views the misunderstood, but influential introvert. ... Download the book summary: Download MP3. Download PDF "Quiet" Summary. Font resize: Summary by Lea Schullery. Audiobook narrated by Alex Smith ...
Quiet Summary
Quiet Summary. 1-Sentence-Summary: Quiet shows the slow rise of the extrovert ideal for success throughout the 20th century, while making a case for the underappreciated power of introverts and showing up new ways for both forces to cooperate. Read in: 4 minutes. Favorite quote from the author:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by
Book Review Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. by SB Sarah · Jul 14, 2014 at 2:30 pm · View all 43 comments. ... At BN they have a 30 minute summary for 2.99 but the actual full book is more. Francesca says: July 14, 2014 at 10:37 pm.
Book Summary Quiet: The Power of Introverts , by Susan Cain
1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Quiet: The Power of Introverts. In Quiet, author Susan Cain contends that whether you're an introvert or an extrovert affects every aspect of your life. Your personality type influences your choice of partner, friends, career, and lifestyle, as well as how those choices play out—for instance, how you advance in your career or handle differences in ...
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
#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 ...
Reading "Quiet" Helped Me Embrace My Introverted Side During Lockdown
3 things "Quiet" taught me about my value as an introvert: 1. American culture disproportionally values extroversion, making introverts feel pressure to conform. One of the most standout points of ...
Book Summary
Getting the Most from Quiet. Whether you're an introvert or someone who wishes to improve your relationships and management skills, there are definitely loads of insights to be found in this book. Check out our complete book summary bundle which includes an infographic, 14-page text summary, and a 27-minute audio summary.
News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition
We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.
The Power of Introverts
In this video we explore the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking and I reflect upon why I love being an introvert. Like most of western cu...
SpicyIP Weekly Review (September 9-September 15)
Book Review: Overlapping Intellectual Property Rights 2nd Edition The 2nd edition of "Overlapping IP Rights" (OUP 2023), edited by Profs Neil Wilkof, Shamnad Basheer, and Irene Calboli, much like its predecessor, serves as a great guide and authority on dealing with the overlaps and interfacing of different IP rights.
'The Quiet Son' Review: A Timely Story Of A Family Torn ...
Pierre's other son, Louis (Stefan Crepon) — the quiet one of the title — is watching things unfold with bemused detachment. Fus is in his early 20s, a metalworker by trade, but Louis, who ...

Science News

Share this:

Quiet: Book Summary & Review

Bullet Summary

Full Summary

Seeking or Avoiding Stimuli

Risks & Opportunities of Nurture

Reward and Treat Orientation

Self Monitoring

Communication Style

Why The Super Extrovert Leader Myth is Wrong

Introverts Are Better Leaders of Great Workforces

About The Author

Lucio Buffalmano

How to Write Seductive Web Copy: Summary & Review

Denationalize.Me Review (Tax-Optimization for Digital Nomads)

The Mask of Masculinity: Book Summary & Review

Inside Intelligence

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

Summary and Study Guide

Related Titles

Featured Collections

THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN'T STOP TALKING

THINKING, FAST AND SLOW

THE CULTURE MAP

Please select an existing bookshelf

Please sign up to continue.

Almost there!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Review: Quiet by Susan Cain

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking Susan Cain Crown Publishing Group Published January 24, 2012

Introverts, Extroverts and Covid (Skip this section if it’s too political for you.)

Review Summary

Content Notes

Share this:

About Kasey

Never Miss a Story

Donate Your New or Used Books

Follow For More Stories

My Book for Authors

Subscribe by Email

Follow The Story Sanctuary

Discover more from The Story Sanctuary

Summary and Reviews of Quiet by Susan Cain

About This Book

Book Summary

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Media Reviews

Beyond the Book

Read-Alikes

Books with similar themes

BookBrowse Book Club

Members Recommend

Book Club Giveaway!

Free Weekly Newsletters

Popular books summaries

Quiet Summary

Audio Summary

Lesson 1: Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert determines if you like small talk.

Lesson 2: In Western cultures, extroverts are often presented as the ideal of success.

Lesson 3: Companies should adapt their workplaces to let introverts make their best contribution.

Quiet Review

Who would I recommend the Quiet summary to?

Niklas Göke

Need some inspiration? 👀 Here are... The 365 Most Famous Quotes of All Time »

Book Review

This book is available from:

Quiet by Susan Cain

Book Summary Quiet: The Power of Introverts , by Susan Cain

1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Quiet: The Power of Introverts

At the beginning of the 20th century, America transitioned from esteeming an individual's inherent virtues and moral strength to placing importance on outward charm and charisma.

Industrialization, urban expansion, and the proliferation of mass media transformed societal norms, compelling people to concentrate on creating significant first impressions with strangers rather than relying on established relationships and reputations.

Want to learn the ideas in Quiet: The Power of Introverts better than ever?

Quiet: The Power of Introverts Summary Introversion and sensitivity are genuine aspects of a person's personality.

People who are introverted or sensitive have nervous systems that react more intensely and are capable of processing a higher volume of stimuli.

Try Shortform for free

Quiet: The Power of Introverts Summary Introverts have unique talents and advantages, as well as strategies to thrive within various settings.

The abilities of introverts to think deeply and relate to others often remain underappreciated in a culture that predominantly celebrates extroverted traits.

Additional Materials

Counterarguments