Quiet by Susan Cain ~ A Short Review

 

Quiet by Susan Cain is a really good read...especially for those who find themselves an introvert in an extrovert world, which is the reason that I chose this book to read.

As you can see from the subtitle, the book is about "the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking".  The book begins with a history of Dale Carnegie, a boy who grew up on a pig farm that made him determined that he was not going to be a pig farmer, even though he was very shy.  You will need to read the book to find out how this one young man developed a course for those who wanted to learn the skills of public speaking.  That course is still alive today.  You can find it at dalecarnegie.com.

Susan goes on from there to show how this led to the extroverts taking lead in business because they are perceived as one who knows what he's talking about because he presents himself in a self-assertive manner.  She gives many examples of how many times when there is a job opening and an extrovert and an introvert both interview for the job, the extrovert generally gets the job even though the introvert understands the working of the job better because the extrovert appears more confident of himself.

The author also delves into different Ivy League schools and how the majority of their enrollments are extroverts and how uncomfortable students from other countries feel in the environment because they've been raised in a culture where introverts are admired for their ability to think through problems and come up with winning solutions.

As an introvert myself, I found it interesting how easily it can be determined while babies are still in the nursery in the hospital whether a child is going to come forth with as an introvert or an extrovert.

While this book wasn't one that gave four or five steps of "self-help", I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  It held my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out more.