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

Excellent! This book is so full of research and statistics it's hard to deny what I've known all along. There's just as much worth in an innately quiet personality than there is in an outgoing and gregarious one. Here, finally, is some vindication for us introverts who have felt flawed and sidelined by society because of our desire for a quiet and thoughtful environment. I listened to this as an audiobook during my early morning walks, a time I cherish for the very solitude of it, and found myself nodding and smiling in recognition at Cain's words. There is too much emphasis in today's society - North American and European in particular - on outward shows of charisma when there is actually zero correlation between an outgoing personality and intelligence or ability. People who are loud-talking life-of-the-party types are not necessarily smarter or more cultivated than the person who prefers to keep to themselves. It's horrifying for me to see how extroversion is considered the norm. Everywhere you go there's loud  music and TV screens and pressure to be in groups and be sociable and chatty and to 'come out of your shell'. Thanks very much, but I am perfectly contented and engaged right here in my solitude with my books, or with my family, or with one or two friends. It's a perfectly normal and enriching way to live. Cain makes sure not to dismiss extroversion; there is an undoubted value in assertive and dynamic people. It's just that they would do well to also respect and value the contributions that introverts bring to life as well.

If you can spare twenty minutes, watch the author explain her research and findings in this TED Talk...