Quiet
by Susan Cain
★ Top 10 book of 2012 · #9 on Best Books of 2012
Cain argues that modern culture overvalues extroversion and overlooks what introverts offer. Drawing on research and real-life stories, she looks at business, schools, and relationships, and offers practical advice for introverts and those who live with them.
Best for: Introverts, and anyone who manages, teaches, or loves one, seeking research-based understanding
Quiet is #9 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar.
What Quiet is about
Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and lose a great deal by doing so. She traces how the Extrovert Ideal rose to dominance in the twentieth century, then follows it through some surprising places: Dale Carnegie's birthplace, Harvard Business School, a Tony Robbins seminar and an evangelical megachurch. Along the way she listens to Asian-American students who feel out of step with the brash atmosphere of American schools, and she questions whether forced collaboration in business helps or blocks innovation. She also makes the case that the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked.
The argument rests on psychology and neuroscience research into how introverts and extroverts differ, and it is brought to life through real people, such as a speaker who recharges in solitude and a record-breaking salesman who relies on the power of questions. It will reassure quiet readers, and it will help managers, teachers and parents who want to make room for them.
Quiet on the Best Books of 2012
Quiet came out in 2012. Of the 58 books first published in 2012 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #9 on our Best Books of 2012 list.
Why it made the list: 1,055 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (99 ratings); 60 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2012 list
- Me Before You Jojo Moyes, #7
- Keeper of the Lost Cities Shannon Messenger, #8
- En Man Som Heter Ove Fredrik Backman, #10
- Destroy Me Tahereh Mafi, #11
See all Best Books of 2012 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2011 Best Books of 2013.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 874 want to read it, 60 are reading it now and 120 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 99 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 84 | 55% |
| Reader love | 64 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 90 | 20% |
Questions about Quiet
When was Quiet published?
Quiet by Susan Cain was first published in 2012.
Was Quiet one of the best books of 2012?
Quiet is #9 on BookWard's Best Books of 2012, out of 58 2012 books that cleared our data bar. 1,055 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (99 ratings); 60 are reading it right now.
Why is Quiet on the Best Books of 2012 list?
1,055 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (99 ratings); 60 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2012
- Wonder R. J. Palacio, #1
- The Fault in Our Stars John Green, #2
- The Selection (the Selection #1) Kiera Cass, #3
- Drama Raina Telgemeier, #4
- Throne of Glass Sarah J. Maas, #5
- The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg, #6
See the full Best Books of 2012, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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