Book Review: Quiet Power
Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts
By Susan Cain
Juvenile/YA Nonfiction
Like the thousands of others who have read Susan Cain’s books, I wish I’d had this life
changing information when I was younger. After the success of Susan’s monumental
bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, she now
brings us a book geared to inspire introverted youth.
Quiet Power gives insight into what it means to be an introvert and provides practical steps to thriving in a world that seems to idolize extroversion without asking an introvert to change their nature. Rather, Cain encourages the reader to embrace the strength of introversion and step outside their comfort zone in order to fully realize their potential.
The book is divided into four sections: School, Socializing, Hobbies, and Home; and in it Cain gives a lot of good, practical advice without ever becoming pushy or judgmental. Each topic covers specific situations introverts are likely to find themselves in as well as ways to navigate such settings. I particularly liked the way the author gave introverts tools to succeed in areas that may be more difficult, including advice on presentations, small talk and leadership.
Some of my favorite insights from the book are:
1. Introverts are good listeners and are very focused, which makes them good
leaders;
2. Finding workable tactics can help you reduce social anxiety: speak up first; speak up last; or sit up front so you don't have to see others watching you;
3. Pursue causes you are passionate about since passion tends to override fear;
4. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone but only so far on a scale of 1 - 10: your
anxiety level should be around 5 - 6, not higher; and
5. If you tend to come home and have a meltdown, it might be because you are exhausted by being out and about, so make sure you have time to unwind and recharge in ways that work for you.
One of the best things about this book is that the advice isn't preachy but is
demonstrated through personal stories. Many come from introverted teens, but there are some stories from famous adults like the author herself, Gandhi, Beyonce, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates and Eleanor Roosevelt. All of these people experienced different
levels of introversion. Some were or are straight up loners; others became class president, which means just about any type of introvert can find this book useful.
The author is very passionate about her organization Quiet Revolution: Unlocking the
Power of Introverts, and at her site quietrev.com, she discusses why it’s so important
to raise awareness of the power of introversion. The more I read of her work and about her cause, the more I realize just how important it is that this knowledge be shared with everyone, introvert or extrovert.
To reserve a hard copy of the book from the Chehalis Library, click here.
For an audiobook copy, click here.
