At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who invent and create but prefer not to pitch their own ideas; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts we owe many of the great contributions to society--from Van Gogh's sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with the indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Susan Cain charts the rise of "the extrovert ideal" over the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects--how it helps to determine everything from how parishioners worship to who excels at Harvard Business School. And she draws on cutting-edge research on the biology and psychology of temperament to reveal how introverts can modulate their personalities according to circumstance, how to empower an introverted child, and how companies can harness the natural talents of introverts. This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-323) and index.

The north and south of temperament The extrovert ideal. The rise of the "mighty likeable fellow" : how extroversion became the cultural ideal ; The myth of charismatic leadership : the culture of personality, a hundred years later ; When collaboration kills creativity : the rise of the new Groupthink and the power of working alone Your biology, your self? Is temperament destiny? : nature, nurture, and the Orchid Hypothesis ; Beyond temperament : the role of free will (and the secret of public speaking for introverts) ; "Franklin was a politician, but Eleanor spoke out of conscience" : why cool is overrated ; Why did Wall Street cash and Warren Buffett prosper? : how introverts and extroverts think (and process dopamine) differently Do all cultures have an extrovert ideal? Soft power : Asian-Americans and the extrovert ideal

How to love, how to work. When should you act more extroverted than you really are? ; The communication gap : how to talk to members of the opposite type ; On cobblers and generals : how to cultivate quiet kids in a world that can't hear them Wonderland A note on the words Introvert and Extrovert.