Originally published: New York : Crown Publishers, c2012.

Includes a reader's guide.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-323) and index.

Introduction: the north and south of temperament -- The rise of the "mighty likeable fellow": how extroversion became the cultural ideal -- The myth of charismatic leadership: the culture of personality, a hundred years later -- When collaboration kills creativity: the rise of the new groupthink and the power of working alone -- Is temperament destiny?: nature, nurture, and the orchid hypothesis -- Beyond temperament: the role of free will (and the secret of public speaking for introverts) -- "Franklin was a politician, but Eleanor spoke out of conscience": why cool is overrated -- Why did Wall Street crash and Warren Buffett prosper?: how introverts and extroverts think (and process dopamine) differently -- Soft power: Asian-Americans and the extrovert ideal -- When should you act more extroverted than you really are? -- The communication gap: how to talk to members of the opposite type -- On cobblers and generals: how to cultivate quiet kids in a world that can't hear them -- Conclusion: Wonderland.

"At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts - Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak-- that we owe many of the great contributions to society. In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts–from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves."--publisher