Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Cain holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She is the author of four books. In addition to this one, she has written two others about introversion, Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts (2016) and Quiet Journal: Discover Your Secret Strengths and Unleash Your Inner Power (2020). The former is a book for children and teenagers, with sections devoted to school, socializing, hobbies, and the home. The latter is intended as a companion to the book this guide examines, containing some basic information about introversion and many exercises that include journaling. It is designed for both introverts and extroverts to learn more about themselves and heighten awareness of their specific preferences and qualities. Cain’s most recent book is Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole, published in 2022.

Before becoming a writer, Cain worked as an attorney at an international Wall Street law firm. After that, she founded and ran her own consulting company that focused on negotiation strategies. In the Introduction, she describes doing her job well at the law firm, but disliking intense, nerve-racking negotiations. While she preferred to avoid conflict, in such situations she realized that she could hold her own and that her calm, organized approach based on ample preparation was quite effective. Once, after a high-stakes meeting in which the opposing attorney was outgoing and aggressive, she got two job offers from parties on the opposing side who liked her style. Still, it was not her natural environment or mode of interacting. Indeed, after the big meeting, she went “home, curled up with a book, and tried to forget the day’s tensions” (9). She realized her true vocation lay elsewhere, making use of those personality traits that came naturally to her.

This background gives Cain valuable insights into the topic of this book. She introverted herself, so she can speak from experience about how it feels. She can also draw upon time in the corporate would where a premium is placed on extroverted behavior. She can thus bring together her extensive knowledge in both areas to present a comprehensive and balanced picture. Cain’s work on introversion is extensive; she seeks to both describe it and define how one can cultivate its strengths. Cain argues that introverts have their own set of strengths and can be effective leaders on their own terms; they need not exhaust themselves by acting extroverted all the time at work.