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Quiet

the Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
FindingJane
Mar 06, 2017FindingJane rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Ms. Cain expounds on a theory that she’s talked about in seminars around the globe. Quietude isn’t necessarily just for those who are shy, nervous in crowds or tense about speaking in front of audiences. She makes a case that there is no such thing as people who are entirely introverted or extroverted. Most of us lie somewhere between the two extremes. The book is absorbing and makes its case point by point. At times, readers will find themselves nodding as they identify with the various people Ms. Cain meets and talks to in her search for understanding about why some people are full of insouciance when engaged in a round of giddy social whirls and yet happiest when they are home alone with a book and a soothing cup of tea. What makes people crave the limelight and others seek the shadows? Why is America so obsessed with people who are confident, loud speakers even when those people are usually the ones with the worst ideas? How can parents ease off children who don’t speak up in class while calmly assuring them that there’s nothing wrong with being silent when other children are talking a mile a minute? How can teachers coax the mute children to participate and not alienate them entirely from class participation? Ms. Cain not only identifies potential problems between extroverts and introverts; she puts out sound ideas for helping both sides to communicate without falling into frustrating patterns of offensive rebukes and defensive retreats. This is truly the book the softly spoken people have been waiting for and one that many avid bibliophiles will (soundlessly) cheer.