This book is powerful in its own way as it gives a voice to the introverts of this world. That is very significant because as many as one-third to half the people in the world are introverts. Introvert refers to the people who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who invent and create but are not likely to present their ideas; who are more productive working on their own rather than in a team. These people are usually labelled as quiet or reserved or even reclusive but they also make many contributions to society — this is evident in art done by van Gogh to the invention of the computer. If, like me and the author you are an introvert, you will find yourself nodding and (silently) agreeing with all that she has written. You will understand her frustration of our extroverted world, and passion for finding balance between the two personality types. This book is actually so convincing and sensible and genuine it should inevitably effect change in schools and offices. It’s also a clever idea to write a book that communicates to introverts – a huge percentage of the reading public – how awesome and undervalued we are. This book is relevant to all, whether you are an introvert or not. Even extroverts have introverts in their life and can gain value from a book that makes sense of their behavior. Overall it’s an examination into the value society places on introverts and the science that makes people more or less outgoing.
Introverts are the quiet and reserved people who do not like to announce to others who they are, how they feel, what they can do or why they are the way they are. Unfortunately, our Western Culture has continuously shoved these people to the sidelines, and chosen to focus on and encourage only extroverts, it is about time that introverts adapt their character and act like extroverts, to be heard and to show the world what they are capable of.
I found this book to be informative in numerous ways. It allowed me to understand myself better, but I was also able to understand the world and society better. It opened my eyes to how society functions as an extrovert ideal and how this in turn affects how introverts experience the world. Before reading this book I was subconsciously aware of the fact that one had to act differently just to fit into the world. Like many other introverts, I also changed myself in order to belong but I did not quite understand why. This leads many introverts to focus on developing their personality rather than their character, because society is personality orientated. Introverts will love this book as it will give them insight into their temperament and how to use this to their advantage. There were also interesting tips for introverts on how to deal with social situations in an effective way. This book will even benefit extroverts as they will be more knowledgeable of why the introverts in their life behave in certain ways and how to react to them. The best part of the book discusses Free Trait Theory and sheds light on why introverts can be extroverts at times and how we are gifted with adaptive personalities. It gives evidence that introverts are not antisocial and that the stereotypes are incorrect. It once again instills introverts with positive attributes and traits that are powerful in our loud world. There may be parts of the book some readers may struggle to understand due to its scientific nature but she does her best to make it understandable for most.
This book is well written and well researched. The author references historic, neuroscientific and literary evidence to prove how, for more than a century, the worth of an extroverted personality has been exaggerated to the disadvantage of invention and efficiency. The author makes a point of bringing to light the hidden and forgotten strengths of introverts. She believes that by informing the world of the power that these quiet people have it will give more introverts the freedom to be themselves. Besides this it will have a beneficial effect on all as it will improve leadership, parenting, relationships, and the work force. She makes a methodical and empirically grounded examination providing excess information that gives one a new perspective of the importance and influence of the introvert trait in various practical social situations. This book reveals how introverts are misunderstood and underestimated in our modern world, recording the rise of extrovert ideal while sharing anecdotal instances of how to use the talents introverts have and especially how to adapt them to various contexts.
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts?
