GREAT READS

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

Susan Cain.

I lLoved this book. In Quiet, Susan Cain explains the obvious and not-so-obvious differences between introverts and extroverts. Introverts prefer listening to speaking, like to be creative, but dislike self-promotion, and enjoy working alone versus brainstorming on a team.

One out of every three people are introverted. As a child, the introvert is often picked last; as an adult, he or she is often overlooked for promotions as they appear slow to access the situation. Parents feel there is something wrong with the child who is content to read a book or entertain themselves quietly. The worker who prefers to solve work issues alone is not as highly valued as the worker who wants to brainstorm with others. Introverts often feel the need to act extroverted to "fit in" with the crowd.

Our society owes much to the creative introverts as the sources of some of our greatest ideas; art and inventions came about thanks to people like Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Yeats, Chopin, van Gogh, Orwell, Charles Schulz, Steven Spielberg, J. K. Rowling, Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak. I could relate to this book as I am an introvert who has learned to appear extroverted to "fit in." I no longer feel that I am being rude or unfriendly if I can't participate in what is going on around me. I often am exhausted when in large groups, and this book explained to me why I may need quiet to re-energize sooner than the extroverted people around me.

If you are a parent who is worried about an extremely quiet child or a boss who questions whether or not your workers are "team players," you should read this book and understand the power of the often overlooked introvert.

Recommended by Pam Wiseman