Living Introverted – A Book Review

Living Introverted: Learning to Embrace the Quiet Life Without Guilt

by Lee Ann Lambert
ISBN: 978-1441464057, $13.95US

A Book Review by Cathrene Gehue

Understanding introversion probably seems like an impossible task for most people, including introverts who haven’t fully embraced their way of being. Media does its best to perpetuate negative myths and misconceptions regarding introversion, and it doesn’t help that extroverts make up a majority of the world population.

Lee Ann Lambert’s Living Introverted: Learning to Embrace the Quiet Life Without Guilt is an excellent primer on the subject of introversion for everyone. At only 135 pages (including bio and bibliography), its direct and succinct writing style will appeal to both easily overwhelmed introverts and extroverts with short attention spans.

The choice of cover art depicting a graceful swan floating on a gently rippled pond beautifully depicts the introverted state of being, easing readers into the text, where Lee Ann approaches the subject matter by first introducing herself not as an author but as an introvert.

After establishing an intimate connection with the reader, she forges onward into the psychology and psychiatry of the nature of introversion and extroversion, yet thankfully does not dwell there. Instead she moves quickly to the subject of interest for desperate introverts—human interaction—where she discusses the parent-child relationship, finding love, surviving the holidays and enjoying a fulfilling career, to name just a few topics.

She offers tips, techniques and ways to counter the mind-sets and beliefs of extroverts and of introverts too. She even goes one step further, offering tips and techniques to extroverts on how to cope with introverts.

It seems Lee Ann is determined to bridge the gap between extroverts and introverts, with a book that is reasonable, down to earth, and a nice balance between fact and personal experience. The quotations by others who participated in her survey (myself included) feel just as credible as the facts, making this a personable and enjoyable read.

The book ends with a few words on acceptance of introversion by introverts. It’s difficult some times to do this in a world where extroversion is applauded, awarded and held in great reverence. However, Lee Ann hits the nail on the head when she aptly explains that our suffering—no matter your state of being—is the result of comparing yourself to others. If you ask me, we’re all better off if we just stopped doing that.

For more information on Lee Ann Lambert and Living Introverted, please visit her blog at http://livingintroverted.com. There you can read more articles on introversion or click through the Amazon.com link to buy her book.