"The Power Of Introverts"

As an introvert, it's nice to see someone take a serious look at how society underestimates quiet originality. When I was a child, I was a bookworm, that my parents would sometimes make a rule that I had to spend time each day playing with other children. It would have been nice to have a book like this as a resource back then.

Cain describes how introverts differ psychologically and neurologically from extroverts. The science can get a little dense at times, but the author does a good job of getting to the meat of the studies and drawing out the practical implications for individuals and for society as a whole. She discusses how educators go wrong by placing too much emphasis on group learning as opposed to individual investigation, and how employers can benefit from understanding and accommodating their more introverted employees.

Intriguing and well worth reading, with insights illustrated from Susan Cain's own life and experience. "Quiet" is an easy read and perhaps light on the research, but this introvert did find himself nodding through the book: "Yes, I'm just like that." A practical book as well; Cain gives pointers for introverts (and the extroverts who love them) in personal and professional relationships.