PORTSMOUTH –
The Music Hall’s Writers in the Loft series welcomes author Susan Cain with her bestselling book, “QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking,” on Tuesday, May 1. The 7 p.m. event will be held at the Music Hall in Portsmouth.
A former Wall Street lawyer, Cain has captured the attention of critics, business and opinion leaders, and introverts and extroverts worldwide with her sudden bestseller. Her recent presentation at TED2012 drew a record 1.6 million viewers in its first month online. Cain’s eye-opening research and game-changing conclusion:
“Did you know that nearly half of Americans are introverts? If you’re not an introvert yourself, you are surely raising, managing, married to, or related to one. Cerebral, quiet, perceptive to nuance, and emotionally complex, introverts are often discounted or undervalued. Yet many of the greatest achievers of the 20th century have been introverts: Eleanor Roosevelt, George Orwell, Rosa Parks, Marcel Proust, Warren Buffett, Larry Page, and Mahatma Gandhi, to name just a few. Without introverts, the world would have missed out on the Apple computer, the theory of relativity, van Gogh’s sunflowers, and The Cat in the Hat,” according to Cain.
A self-proclaimed introvert, Cain challenges what she calls the Extrovert Ideal. Our culture, she argues, overvalues the alpha personality—gregarious and highly verbal—while ignoring the subtler strengths of the introvert, such as reflectiveness, persistence, and sensitivity. Based on five years of research, Cain explores the physiological aspects and psychological advantages of being an introvert.
In Part One of “QUIET,” Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal, illustrating how it permeates our culture—taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School to a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked.
In Part Two, Cain explores the neurobiology and psychology of temperament. She looks at hereditary traits, examining the nature-vs-nurture debate and the role of free will in personality.
In Part Three, she examines whether all cultures have an Extrovert Ideal, specifically looking at the differences between Western culture, where the individual is paramount, and Eastern culture, where the success of the group is often valued above that of the self. She speaks with Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools.
In Part Four, Cain offers practical advice about everything from networking if you hate small talk, to being a “pretend extrovert” when it’s advantageous, to better negotiating introvert-extrovert relationships, to helping an introverted child navigate school and friendships.
Most inspiringly, Cain introduces the reader to successful introverts—from a high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who taps into his “soft power.” Passionately argued and superbly researched, “QUIET” shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so.
Susan Cain will be in dialogue with Margaret Talcott, associate producer of the Writers in the Loft series. “I worked for ten years in the land of extroverts, at the brokerage and investment firm Merrill Lynch in New York City, and, like so many others, have experienced the extrovert trend firsthand. I look forward to hearing more about Ms. Cain’s research and taking questions from her readers, who are coming out in force. Her Writers in the Loft event is one of most popular ever – the topic has struck a chord with so many.”
For more information, call 603-436-2400 or visit www.themusichall.org. The Music Hall is located on Congress Street in Portsmouth.
The Music Hall’s Writers in the Loft series welcomes author Susan Cain with her bestselling book, “QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking,” on Tuesday, May 1. The 7 p.m. event will be held at the Music Hall in Portsmouth.
A former Wall Street lawyer, Cain has captured the attention of critics, business and opinion leaders, and introverts and extroverts worldwide with her sudden bestseller. Her recent presentation at TED2012 drew a record 1.6 million viewers in its first month online. Cain’s eye-opening research and game-changing conclusion:
“Did you know that nearly half of Americans are introverts? If you’re not an introvert yourself, you are surely raising, managing, married to, or related to one. Cerebral, quiet, perceptive to nuance, and emotionally complex, introverts are often discounted or undervalued. Yet many of the greatest achievers of the 20th century have been introverts: Eleanor Roosevelt, George Orwell, Rosa Parks, Marcel Proust, Warren Buffett, Larry Page, and Mahatma Gandhi, to name just a few. Without introverts, the world would have missed out on the Apple computer, the theory of relativity, van Gogh’s sunflowers, and The Cat in the Hat,” according to Cain.
A self-proclaimed introvert, Cain challenges what she calls the Extrovert Ideal. Our culture, she argues, overvalues the alpha personality—gregarious and highly verbal—while ignoring the subtler strengths of the introvert, such as reflectiveness, persistence, and sensitivity. Based on five years of research, Cain explores the physiological aspects and psychological advantages of being an introvert.
In Part One of “QUIET,” Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal, illustrating how it permeates our culture—taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School to a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked.
In Part Two, Cain explores the neurobiology and psychology of temperament. She looks at hereditary traits, examining the nature-vs-nurture debate and the role of free will in personality.
In Part Three, she examines whether all cultures have an Extrovert Ideal, specifically looking at the differences between Western culture, where the individual is paramount, and Eastern culture, where the success of the group is often valued above that of the self. She speaks with Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools.
In Part Four, Cain offers practical advice about everything from networking if you hate small talk, to being a “pretend extrovert” when it’s advantageous, to better negotiating introvert-extrovert relationships, to helping an introverted child navigate school and friendships.
Most inspiringly, Cain introduces the reader to successful introverts—from a high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who taps into his “soft power.” Passionately argued and superbly researched, “QUIET” shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so.
Susan Cain will be in dialogue with Margaret Talcott, associate producer of the Writers in the Loft series. “I worked for ten years in the land of extroverts, at the brokerage and investment firm Merrill Lynch in New York City, and, like so many others, have experienced the extrovert trend firsthand. I look forward to hearing more about Ms. Cain’s research and taking questions from her readers, who are coming out in force. Her Writers in the Loft event is one of most popular ever – the topic has struck a chord with so many.”
For more information, call 603-436-2400 or visit www.themusichall.org. The Music Hall is located on Congress Street in Portsmouth.
Photo caption: Susan Cain, author of “QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” (Courtesy photo)
