Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Susan Cain (Author), Kathe Mazur (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 33,483 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Creativity & Genius
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Experience the book that started the Quiet Movement and revolutionized how the world sees introverts—and how introverts see themselves—by offering validation, inclusion, and inspiration

“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.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—People, O: The Oprah Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, Inc., Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 39 minutes
  2. Author
    Susan Cain
  3. Narrator
    Kathe Mazur
  4. Audible release date
    January 24, 2012
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B00714PZMQ
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 39 minutes
Author Susan Cain
Narrator Kathe Mazur
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 24, 2012
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00714PZMQ
Best Sellers Rank #1,001 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Creativity & Genius
#9 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
#24 in Interpersonal Relations (Books)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
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33,483 global ratings
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It arrived in perfect condition, the impression was quite good, I haven't read it yet but when I do I will update the comment.
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Top reviews from the United States

Karen Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Saved My Life. Not An Exaggeration.
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
I believe this book saved my life. I'm not prone to melodrama, or to such excessively long reviews, but this is true, and so important to me, I have to say it. I've been working for years in an extremely busy law office. It's been growing harder and harder throughout the years for me to handle this job. Two months ago my boss fired my coworker, and I've since had to take on two people's work plus train multiple new people (as the first two didn't stay), all with constant, all day long interruptions, high-intensity demands, and a high level of multitasking. This has happened many times before, and while it was dreadful, I managed, but for some reason this time I just couldn't handle it. My entire life has been on hold since this started, I get home from work too exhausted to do anything except veg out for a couple hours and go to bed, and even weekends aren't much better. I was taking terrible care of myself and my life was falling apart. I did, in fact, feel like I was killing myself with this lifestyle, but I simply did not have the energy to fix any of it, or for that matter have any idea how to fix it.

I blamed myself - there must be something `wrong with me' because I can't handle the job. I wanted to leave, but thought, if I can't handle this job, how am I going to handle a new job? It'll probably be more of the same. I thought I was just getting soft because I was getting older (I'm in my late 40s).

I've always known I was introverted, but I didn't realize just what all that entailed - I thought it mostly meant `shy' or that I didn't like social settings.

This book taught me more about myself than I've ever known. It read like my biography. Almost every page had a new insight into why I think and feel the way I do. Throughout the book I saw my very own self described in new and empowering ways.

I learned that the job situation I'm currently in - the non-stop deadline demands, interruptions, never being able to work quietly or alone no matter how difficult a project was, phones ringing incessantly, people in my face all day long, etc. - especially when it's work that I actually don't care anything about personally - those are the exact circumstances that trip every one of a strong introvert's triggers. And I was subjecting myself to it 40 hours a week, for months.

It's no wonder I was so miserable and completely exhausted all the time. And as enlightening as it was to learn how many of the traits I've beat myself up for over the years are just a product of my introverted temperament (being highly sensitive, shutting down when subjected to stimulation overload, preferring to think a thing through before I speak - something I never get to do at work, as if it takes me more than 5 seconds to say something, I get interrupted and cut off), the most important thing I got from this book is that it's okay to be myself, it's okay to feel the way I do. There is not something `wrong with me' that I have to `fix.' I am not weak or a failure because I don't feel or behave like my extremely extroverted boss (who thrives in high-energy crisis mode, and is bored unless he's doing 10 things at once - and expects the rest of us to keep up).

And far from it being an age-related `going soft,' what's probably in fact going on is that as I get older, it is becoming increasingly vital to me to be truer to myself.

I also found the information on the history of the "rise of the Culture of Personality" completely fascinating, it really gave me a new insight as to just exactly how we 'grew' this tendency to value extroversion over introversion. It makes so much more sense now.

This book gave me the courage I needed to start taking the steps to fix my work situation. Not only the courage, but the `permission' and the understanding - because I now know there isn't something wrong with me, but instead this is what I need to do to be my best self, and stop killing myself with stress. That I probably can find a place of value in the world by being myself, not trying to force myself to be something I'm not. I know I will meet resistance from my boss (I'd love for him to read this book, but unfortunately I know he won't), and I know I won't instantly fix everything in one day, and that I'll probably always need to be able to stretch myself a bit to do things that are not ideal for me ... but this book taught me that there are ways to make that work, too, if you understand and honor the need for recharging around such tasks, instead of trying to force yourself to do them 8 hours a day with no break. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, in either direction. Basically, I'm not out of the woods yet, but I now see the path out, and I have hope.

I think every introvert should read this book, because it will help you understand why you are who you are, and why that's a beautiful thing, not a character flaw. And I think everyone who knows an introvert should read this book, and quit trying to "fix us."

Which means pretty much the entire country (or world) should read this book. The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be overstated - especially if you are an introverted type of person who has always felt there was something not quite right about you, or that you somehow needed to change to fit in or succeed. This book will give you back yourself, and in my case, my life. Thank you, Susan Cain, from the bottom of my heart (which is finally beating at a more normal speed because I'm not panicked about going to work for the first time in months).

Edited 11-13-14: It worked! I'm now working half-days at the office and half-days at home, and in a few weeks will transition to working from home full time. I never imagined that could happen. It's amazing what becomes possible when you finally realize you deserve what you already knew you needed.
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VA Raider
5.0 out of 5 stars Importance on par with such library staples as the Bible
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
I typically don't write a whole lot of reviews but I have got to admit that this is one of those books that I wish the whole world could read. I would argue its importance is on the scale of such religious texts such as the bible when it comes to understanding/treating our fellow men. Maybe its a bit of hyperbole but I don't back down from such a comparison.
Its that good.
I will admit that I would consider myself an introvert and as such may have a certain bias for such a book that promotes the value of the introvert personality as this book so does. I would also like to point out that the author is also a self-proclaimed introvert and will have the same kind of bias toward introversion hence why she would write a book on the topic. Those 2 points being made lets dive into it.
Part one of the book is designed to set the stage so to speak. She introduces the terminologies of introversion/extroversion in the introduction and explains how she will use the two terms throughout the rest of the book. Its pretty straightforward and easy to understand. To be honest the average individual probably understands and uses the two terms just as she does but its always good to start a serious discussion (I consider this book pretty close to a giant discussion of ideas and principles between reader and author) with a common understanding of terms in order to avoid misunderstandings. I will be clear that here is when things get boiled down to the simple extrovert vs introvert argument. It may seem overly simple and stereotypical to pigeonhole someone as one of these classes but for the sake of discussion it makes things much easier and she makes that distinction clear that most people are not as black and white as introvert vs extrovert yet more of a blend of the two. But once again for the sake of discussion the basic introvert vs extrovert is outlined and defined
After that she dives into how today's society has evolved into an "extrovert" society. She spends a solid 3 chapters just on establishing how things have grown and evolved ever since the early 1900s. For example, she highlights how today's culture thrives around the bold, outspoken, extrovert of an individual. Look around at any collection of celebrities and count how many are the prototypical "extrovert". The ideal person is outgoing, friendly, loud, charismatic, and charming, certainly not qualities that your average introvert posses and as such get put down for. As an introvert I couldn't help myself from falling in love with her points because all my life I had lived through the EXACT same scenarios she used. Over and over I found myself saying yes, that is me. Yes, that is me. YES! All those times where I would have much preferred to read instead of go to a party or be by myself as opposed to surrounded by people. Before I understood that it was a fault. That my shyness was a weakness to overcome. So literally ALL my life I struggled to fit into what I never was destined to be. Now that I read the book I understand that I had a certain understanding of what she deems "the extrovert ideal" but had never really grasped it until now. I just always felt like something was wrong with me and that I had to change but she really opened to my eyes to understand that there never was anything wrong with me its just that society is built to cater to the extroverted person. I will confess as well that I often caught myself feeling a sense of justified anger as she made subtle jabs at the extrovert ideal and acknowledged the positives of the introvert way of doing things. For the first time in my life I felt someone understood me and was back-talking the system that held me down. So, even as an introvert I must say that this first section of the book may come across as offensive to the extrovert reader. She definitely vents a little as she describes the rise of the extrovert and putting down of the introvert like herself. By the time I got to the third chapter I was actually getting tired of the constant bombardment toward extroverts (she slams Harvard and the general ivy league system of education) and puffing up of the introvert personality.
Right then is where she switches gears and you get a fresh breath of air. Having established the extremes on both sides of the scale she begins to fill in the middle. This is where she really shines. She starts off by including a chapter to help you identify which extreme you lean toward naturally and then goes on to how you can adapt. She explains how/why one extreme can and should take on qualities of the opposite extreme. For example, she highlights how introverts are naturally terrible at public speaking but can overcome it and infuse a little of extroversion into their personality. So just by reading part one you would think she doesn't care for balance but here is where she really advocates and highlights that each extreme has its place. Its our duty to acknowledge which one we are and then learn how to adapt when the situation needs it. It's absolutely beautiful. So much so that it ought to inspire every reader to analyze their own lives and become better, well rounded individuals. She argues the point that the wall street crash was due to an imbalance of personality extremes in the high level management of banking for example. Joining the major themes from part one and two she illustrates how the extrovert ideal riddled management to the point where everyone was bold and more eager to take risks than sit down and ponder outcomes like an introvert would have done. So the extrovert ideal took over and made risks to great that introversion would have kept in check were it allowed to be there. She makes it very clear that the two extremes need each other. She uses numerous other examples (She uses a lot of married couples) to illustrate the need for introverts to keep the extroverts from going off the deep end and how the introverts need the extroverts to get them off the ground and alive.
That naturally leads into parts three and four. These deal with how the two sides can treat other better to fulfill this ideal balance of personalities. This is where the rubber hits the road so to speak. She spent all of the previous pages explaining the theory. The how each personality behaves, and the how each one responds, and how each one is suited for certain scenarios. But here is where she has suggestions on how you can use that knowledge in everyday life to enhance your relationships with your spouse, family, kids, coworkers, and fellow man.

The more I think about the concept of introversion and extroversion I cant help but acknowledge how the vast majority of social issues and problems stem from the simple, often misunderstood differences in each extreme. Introversion/extroversion is literally the base of how we act and what we say in just about every scenario. I am absolutely fascinated by how much life revolves around these two ideals. I'm grateful she has opened my eyes to the importance of such a topic. If everyone could understand this better then the world would be a much better place. I can't emphasize that enough. This book will change your life if you willing to sacrifice the time to read it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Yash Sanghani
5.0 out of 5 stars Empowering and Insightful: 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking'
Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
"Quiet" is a remarkable book that sheds light on the often-overlooked strengths of introverts in a society that often values extroversion. Susan Cain's insightful exploration of introversion is both empowering and enlightening. She discusses the science behind introversion, dispels myths, and offers valuable advice for introverts navigating a predominantly extroverted world. This book is a must-read for introverts and extroverts alike, offering a new perspective on personality and success. Highly recommended, it's a definite 5-star read.
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Erik André Morales
5.0 out of 5 stars Me sentí comprendido. Mi forma de ver el mundo cambio.
Reviewed in Mexico on November 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Vale mucho la pena este libro. El nivel de profundidad con el que fue hecho es increíble. La autora relata una cantidad inmensa de estudios con una calidad e intimidad que es imposible no engancharse. Es un libro que no dejo de recomendar a mis conocidos. Un must read now.
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Leandro Freire
5.0 out of 5 stars Uma grande oportunidade de se conhecer melhor
Reviewed in Brazil on June 29, 2023
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O livro trouxe à tona vários aspectos da minha própria personalidade que eu não fazia ideia de que residiam aqui dentro. Recomendo a todos introvertidos.
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Anna-Lena M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Zu empfehlen
Reviewed in Germany on March 25, 2024
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Als introvertierte Person hat es mir sehr gut gefallen, dieses Buch zu lesen. Guter Input. Hat zum Weiterlesen animiert.
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ND
5.0 out of 5 stars A Life-Changer for Introverts and Extroverts Alike!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
I picked up "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" with the expectation of understanding introverts better, but what I found was an eye-opening revelation that has transformed the way I view myself and those around me.

Susan Cain's insightful exploration of the introvert-extrovert spectrum not only offers deep insights into the strengths and qualities of introverts but also serves as a wake-up call for extroverts like myself to better appreciate and harness the power of introversion. This book is not just for introverts; it's for everyone.

Cain's storytelling skills make this book an engaging and informative read. Her anecdotes and the extensive research behind her arguments blend seamlessly, making it accessible and compelling for a wide range of readers. I found myself nodding in agreement and often saying, "Aha, that's me!" or "I never thought of it that way."

"Quiet" is not just about the inherent qualities of introverts; it also delves into the societal bias towards extroversion and offers valuable advice on how to create a world that caters to both personality types. Whether you're an introvert seeking validation and guidance or an extrovert looking to understand and collaborate more effectively with your introverted counterparts, this book has something profound to offer.

In a world that often celebrates the loudest voices, "Quiet" is a refreshing reminder of the incredible strengths that introverts bring to the table. It has helped me appreciate the power of silence and solitude, and how crucial they are for creativity, leadership, and personal growth.

I highly recommend "Quiet" to anyone who wants to better understand the dynamics of introversion and extroversion and how they shape our lives and society as a whole. It's a game-changer, and I can't recommend it enough. Susan Cain's work is nothing short of brilliant, and this book deserves every one of its five stars.
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