Book Review: Quiet, the Power of Introverts by Susan Cain

Welcome to the Sunday Salon.

Western society often values the outspoken person, the people with the go-get-them attitude, the take-charge, and run-with-it individuals who are often seen as the ones responsible for making the world go round. Introverts, on the other hand, are often ignored or undervalued. The book, Quiet, shows how mistaken we are in our perceptions and how we may ignore the "quiet" ones whose minds may be teeming with creative and untapped ideas. In fact, the book shows how many so-called "introverted," even highly sensitive, high-reactive, quiet individuals have contributed to society over time.

I loved this book, reading what I suspected all along to be true, and was so glad it has all been finally laid out, the result of study and research.

Title: Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Crown, January 24, 2012
Rating: 5/5

Book description: At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so.

Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects.... and she draws on research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts. She introduces us to successful introverts....and offers advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

Quiet can change how we see introverts and, more importantly, how introverts see themselves.

Thanks to Crown for a complimentary ARC of this book.

Book Review: Possible Futures, Creative Thinking for the Speed of Life, a review

I liked the premise of this book, Possible Futures: Creative Thinking for the Speed of Life by Jude Treder-Wolff and agreed to review it after reading a synopsis by the author/publicist. Those who wonder about the direction our wired society is taking us, will be challenged by the author's ideas that "technology overload" and "social media fatigue" should be balanced by creativity and "real life" social connectedness.

Possible Futures poses a serious and relevant question to the "Facebook generation" and answers it: Are we becoming too disconnected from real life and being driven at too fast a speed by new, fast-paced technology - communicating instantly, for instance, via computers, television, our cell phones, and other electronic devices? Are we ignoring our mental and physical well-being by the "consumer culture" that urges us to do nothing more than spend more and possess more? Why does all this matter? The author feels that our experiences can and do change and affect the brain and how it functions, and these changes affect us psychologically and emotionally. These arguments certainly made sense to me.

Treder-Wolff has a solution or an antidote for the fast pace of our modern times. Creativity counts! Her answer:

" Our brains are designed for creative challenge. Our souls crave meaning. The human mind is juiced by experiences that combine novely/mystery with emotional involvement and a feedback loop of some kind, such as music, theater, comedy, dance/movement, play. Any kind of creative experience will do, whether it is scientific research or making an experimental papaya pizza or redesigning the baby's room to make better use of space, but the most direct route to the learning/expansion wellspring of feel-good brain chemicals is the artistic experience itself." (ch. 4, p. 59)

Jude Treder-Wolff is a licensed clinical social worker, creative arts therapist, and certified group psychotherapist. She also does play writing and acting. I was impressed by how well her work is researched and documented, supported by almost 18 pages of references. I think the book presents some serious challenges to our 21st century way of life and her conclusions are well worth examining.

Maybe book bloggers can pat themselves on the back for using technology and social media, and being creative all at the same time!

Author: Jude Treder-Wolff
Paperback: 174 pages
Publisher: Lifestage, Inc.
First edition (October 8, 2008)