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Living Introverted: Learning To Embrace The Quiet Life Without Guilt

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I am one of those older people who never knew, and was never told, about introversion - my life has been confusing sometimes because I saw myself as an extrovert, but acted differently much of the time. I started reading about introversion in books such as this and finally saw puzzle pieces fitting into place.

When I discovered this book I was in the beginning stages of my journey of self-discovery. As I read I was shocked to see myself in every page. I couldn't believe what I was learning, but everything started to make sense very quickly. Ms. Lambert does an excellent job of fleshing out what an introvert is (and is not), how we function in and view the world, and how to treat us if you aren't one yourself. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on introverted children - I wish that knowledge had been available when I was young, and I hope that other parents read that and become more informed about what might be going on with their own child that they're not fully understanding.

One of the major things this book does is validate who we are and that we are perfectly o.k. Society generally does not value introverts, but we have an enormous amount to offer, especially if people allow us to be who we are and do things on our own terms. The information on parties and holidays was particularly enjoyable to read because it helped me give myself permission, as it were, to continue to be who I am and not beat myself up for swimming against the tide of societal expectations. What a relief! As well, introverts often have many extroverted friends who ask much of them, or who simply assume that everyone is like them, but when we use our homes as retreats and sanctuaries and do not emerge from them unless we have to, this can look bad to others and damage our self-esteem. Ms. Lambert points out how we can manage these situations, and also how to maintain energy levels and some peace of mind. The information on how introverts are viewed is also valuable - we are sometimes considered rude, aloof, or cold, and she discusses why this is, how to handle that, and why we don't need to feed into other peoples' assumptions or demands.

Overall, this book is an invaluable resource for those who know they are introverted, those who are wondering if they are, and those who know someone who is introverted and is unsure how to maintain a friendship or working relationship. In searching for books on introversion I was surprised at how few there really were, but with a book like this you won't need much else in order to understand yourself or anyone else. It is well written and easy to read. I highly recommend it.

LeeAnn Lambert's "Living Introverted" serves as an owner's manual for the estimated 25% of the population who prefer the quiet life. LeeAnn guides the reader through what is and isn't introversion while providing ample tips and tricks to getting the most out of your personality and your life, guilt-free of course.

Not an introvert? No problem. The crisp and concise chapters will help you learn more about that quiet friend, a spouse who doesn't care for parties or the coworker who never talks at meetings. You won't be bombarded with psychobabble, although the book cites the psychological basis for introversion and you won't forced to wade through piles of research, although you will find the book well-researched. Instead, personal stories and anecdotes abound from introverts of all ages and all walks of life. "Living Introverted" is a thoughtful and compelling read for anyone curious about the quiet life.

The book is not what I expected. It seems like the title doesn't reflect the content. A more appropriate title might be, 'bulleted lists of observations about how introverts cope in extrovert situations.'
Overall, "Living Introverted" reads like a college thesis assignment. Review the literature, put in some discussion with footnotes, and try to add something original, but the original material is limited to generalizations. For example, Lambert says, "introverts are masters of subtle humor," but doesn't explain the basis for this or give any examples.
Or, "many people look to introverts as stabilizers." These statements just seem to pop up out of the blue without solid connections to the surrounding text.
Repetitive: It seems like I read three times, in the first 15 minutes, the same reference to a 1999 study about differences in introvert/extrovert brain scans.
I guess I expected more of a positive take on introversion. For example, Tiger Woods is listed as an example of an introvert, but there is no explanation of this. I would like to read an interview with Tiger or any successful introvert, with some questions about personality.
If it matters, the printing is not professional--It looks like the default Microsoft Word formatting. The pages have tons of white space, the indents are huge, there are no em dashes, etc.

The subtitle of this book "Learning to Embrace the Quiet Life without Guilt" is what caught my attention. I am an introvert married into an extrovert family. For the first 10 years of our marriage I thought that I needed to be like them - which was very hard for me. In Lee Ann Lambert's introduction she says, "I fell into the trap of trying to fit into a mold that I had no business trying to fit into. I was trying to be an extrovert and I was miserable, exhausted, and I felt like a social failure." That sentence describes perfectly how I felt.

I have read many books on introversion, and all of them have helped me tremendously. But no matter how much I understood "why" I was different than my extroverted in-laws (and tried to explain it to them) the guilt was still there. The author gives a lot of facts in her book as well as her own personal opinion - not just from her own life but from over 100 introverts of many different ages, occupation, nationalities and types. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is an introvert or wants to understand an introvert in his or her life. Living Introverted is filled with facts, covering the introverted brain vs. the extroverted brain, stress of the holidays, tips on keeping your energy level intact and much more. And the author also brings a lot of humor into the book.

As an introvert, this is the book I will choose to read over and over. Not only when I have the tendency to feel guilty for not being able to live up to the expectations of the extroverts in my life, but also to be reminded of the facts as well as being reminded of the gifts of introverts. (Introverts do have a lot of gifts that they should be very proud of.) This book has helped me to learn to embrace the quiet life without guilt, and for that I am truly grateful.

Short answer: You will be glad you bought yourself a copy and gave an extra copy to someone else. I did. It's a great gift.

She points out the book is a primer in both her book and her website. I think it's more than a primer. It has great insights, quotes from introverts, things she found out, and more.

I smile every time I open the book. I learn something new from it every day. She reintroduced the positive aspects of solitude. For every page, there is something for me to reflect on.

Sometimes I couldn't help but laugh out loud; it's that good.

The book is a perfect size for me. It's a short and easy to carry book, yet it's packed full of great content in every page.

Some other great things about the book:
- Points out some specific successful people who are introverts
- It's helped me understand loved ones, co-workers, extroverts and introverts.

As a side note, it has a beautiful cover and easy to read print.

As you will see from the book, the author is an introvert who wishes to share what she has learned.

Enjoy.

"Living Introverted" offers help in understanding what it means to be an Introvert.

Lee Ann Lambert exposes many of the myths surrounding the introverted personality in a way that will benefit both the introvert and the extroverts around them. You will be amazed at what introversion is and what it is not.