Shelly's Book Journal

The author, herself an introvert, chronicles of how our society evolved to emphasize the best of extroverts - the outgoing, funloving, talkative side of our culture which has in ways shunned the power of sometimes quiet and contemplative introverts. The good news is 1) Being and introvert does not mean being unfriendly or someone who doesn't like people and 2)Introverts equally bring strengths to society. As a self professed introvert, I wanted to love this book. Wrap myself in it and say, "hurrah" for introverts. And while I found lots of good things here (wore my highlighting finger out) in the end, Cain guides the reader to seek professionals to guide the misdirected introvert through the paths - especially when it comes to parents trying to figure out their own kids. Yikes!!!! Nothing like putting the old Scarlet Letter on your kid right out of the box. And while she mentions a lot of schooling options for parents, never once does she mention "homeschooling" as possibly a viable option for introverted children who might be struggling in an extremely extroverted classroom. Now there were lots of good things in here, too. Lots of studies that showed the strengths and weaknesses of both the introvert and the extrovert. The bottom line is - don't be afraid of who you are and what makes you comfortable and uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to push yourself outside that box, but play to your strengths and set yourself up for success. And above all - there is nothing wrong with being an introvert.