The Introvert Advantage (2002)

I'm somewhere between E and I on the spectrum, and I have friends at both extreme ends, so I thought this would be an interesting and valuable book. I hoped it would, more like. But alas, it was not. The author lost me along about the time she started prattling on about "Hap Hits" which are things that increase a person's happiness or energy levels. The very term made me snort derisively, as did much of the rest of the book.

I can see that there's perhaps some valuable information here, buried under a flurry of pop psychobabble and self-quizzlettes, but I kept looking up from this book thinking I was trapped in a waiting room with a stale copy of Cosmopolitan. Superficial, light, feel-good twaddle, that's my verdict. You're good enough, smart enough, and gosh darn it... you're reading a crap self-help book again.

Bah, humbug.
( )

I still need to figure out whether I'm being unfair to this book or not. ( )

These kinds of books, books about introverts, say: "Introvert, you are not alone!" Thank you for that.

Chapter about brains of introverts was very interesting for me. ( )

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It is page after page of "Ah Ha!" moments. It is healing to find that many of the things that frustrate me about myself, and have previously seemed like unfair short comings, are experienced by other introverts. I feel more at home with myself now, more excepting, and happier to just be me. This is an amazing book. If you are an introvert, you really must read this. ( )

It's hard to believe that there are some non-fiction books that one can simply tear through like a trashy thriller or a novel of mystery and suspense. This is one of them. It's a highly readable look at the world of introverts written by an introvert, and it ably discusses the challenges that introverts face in a society that places a higher value on extroverted qualities (speaking one's mind, doing all sorts of things, being a social butterfly, etc.). The book is divided in three distinct parts. The first defines an introvert and discusses how they are perceived and whether people are born to be introverted or extroverted. The second talks about four different aspects of the extroverted world that pose great challenges for introverts: relationships, parenting, socializing, and working. The third discusses how introverts can learn to set their own priorities and parameters in order to feel more comfortable in their own skin, and the last chapter provides techniques on how to become a temporary extrovert when required (as the author points out, you can go right back to being an introvert when you're finished).

I always figured I was an introvert, and indeed I scored on the "Pretty darn introverted" level in the self-assessment found in Chapter 1, but reading this book also made me realize just how far I've come in my life, in terms of social situations especially. (For example, I have mustered up the courage to ask for autographs from musicians I like. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable.) But of course there's always room for improvement, and so I found the chapters on socializing and working to be particularly helpful., especially the sections that talked about speaking one's mind and offering opinions without being prompted. The book is littered with helpful real-life examples of introverts, concrete suggestions for moving forward in one's life, and the tone is friendly without trying too hard to be funny.

This is a worthy addition to an introvert's bookshelves. I borrowed my copy from the library but will likely buy my own for future reference. ( )