Quiet

Susan Cain, 2012

A third to a half of Americans are introverts in a culture built for talkers. See why quiet temperaments think and lead differently, and how to work with yours.

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13 parts, about 31 minutes to read.

Why read it

Names the Extrovert Ideal and traces how a culture of character gave way to a culture of personality
Weighs evidence that group brainstorming yields fewer ideas, that privacy helps focused work, and that charismatic bosses do not deliver better results
Separates introversion from shyness and shows how introverts can act outgoing for projects they care about without burning out

Who it is for

Introverts pressured to be louder at work
Managers who run meetings, teams and office spaces
Parents and teachers of quiet children

What the summary covers

The North and South of Temperament4 min
How Personality Replaced Character2 min
The Myth of Charismatic Leadership4 min
When Collaboration Kills Creativity3 min
Is Temperament Destiny?3 min
The Rubber Band of Personality2 min
Why Cool Is Overrated2 min
Why Wall Street Crashed and Warren Buffett Prospered3 min
Soft Power2 min
When to Act More Extroverted2 min
The Communication Gap2 min
On Cobblers and Generals1 min
Wonderland1 min

Recommended by

Gretchen RubinAuthor of The Happiness Project
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 the population.
Daniel GilbertProfessor of psychology, Harvard University
A smart, lively book about the value of silence and solitude that makes you want to shout from the rooftops.
Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiDistinguished Professor of Psychology and Management, Claremont Graduate University
Those who value a quiet, reflective life will feel a burden lifting from their shoulders as they read Susan Cain’s eloquent and well documented paean to introversion—and will no longer feel guilty or inferior for having made the better choice!
Elaine AronAuthor of The Highly Sensitive Person
Susan Cain has done a superb job of sifting through decades of complex research on introversion, extroversion, and sensitivity—this book will be a boon for the many highly sensitive people who are also introverts.
Guy KawasakiAuthor of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions
Quiet legitimizes and even celebrates the ‘niche’ that represents half the people in the world.
Barry SchwartzAuthor of The Paradox of Choice
Memo to all you glad-handing, back-slapping, brainstorming masters of the universe out there: Stop networking and talking for a minute and read this book.
Rosabeth Moss KanterHarvard Business School professor
Gentle is powerful . . . Solitude is socially productive . . . These important counter-intuitive ideas are among the many reasons to take Quiet to a quiet corner and absorb its brilliant, thought-provoking message.

About the author

Susan CainAmerican writer and cofounder of Quiet Revolution
- Born in 1968 and raised in Lawrence, New York, the youngest of three children.
- Graduated from Princeton University in 1989 with a degree in English.
- Earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1993.
- Worked for seven years as a lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, then ran a negotiation consulting business, The Negotiation Company.
- Published Quiet on January 24, 2012.
- Her TED talks have been viewed more than 50 million times on TED and YouTube combined.
- Cofounded the company Quiet Revolution in 2015.
- Wrote Bittersweet, an Oprah Book Club selection and an instant number one New York Times bestseller.