Writer
The open terrace was his room
Lying on the charpoy bed
With hands behind his head
He sang songs looking up at the night sky
Watching the twinkling dance of the stars.
While she complained
Lying on her memory foam mattress
About back pain!
QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, written by Susan Cain is a book about introverts. It is a wonderful guide for all the introverts who face self-doubt and find it difficult to live up to the challenging demands of a society that is dominated by extroverts. This book, Quiet, inspires introverts and teaches us to embrace ourselves.
So, who are Introverts? Introverts are quiet, reserved, prefer listening over talking, enjoy conversations with a small group of friends, and feel comfortable being alone.
This book is not just for introverts, it also needs to be read by extroverts. In fact, this book is for everyone. The society sometimes fails to appreciate the innovative and creative minds of the silents ones. As a community, we need to understand the personality traits of introverts and know why introverts behave the way they do. It helps in changing the perspective of people on how they need to regard introverts.
What Can You Expect from this Book?
“Eleanor, Al Gore, Warren Buffet, Gandhi, and Rosa Parks – achieved what they did not in spite of but because of their introversion”
“There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”
“So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”
“It was no coincidence that the 1920s and the 1930s, Americans became obsessed with movie stars. Who better than a matinee idol to model personal magnetism?”
“Proust called these moments of unity between writer and reader “that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude.”
“Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured.”
Now, I am going to take some time to appreciate the title of this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. This hit me in the right spot and was the sole reason why I decided to read this book. I am an introvert and I really needed someone to tell me that’s it’s okay to be me. Well, introversion is not a choice isn’t it, we are just made this way!
Most introverts will agree that they are tired of answering the question,
“Why are you so quiet?”
Probably, people asked me this because they were just curious. But, it is not necessary for people to always be loud and talkative.
I remember my teachers writing remarks in my report card, “Good in studies, but quiet.”
Every time people asked me this question, I would go deeper into my shell. I started feeling that there was something wrong with me, why can’t I have conversations easily with random people? Why am I not good with small talk?
Earlier, I was not sure about myself to give them an answer to this question with confidence. Maybe now I can or maybe I will continue holding myself back, but what’s more important is that, now I am a lot of more comfortable in my own skin.
This question does not bother me anymore. In fact, I am glad that I come under the “quiet” category. Yes, I am reserved and I feel lost in large groups but I love one-on-one conversations with like-minded people and you will have my total undivided attention.
I am extremely thankful to Susan Cain for writing this book and for helping me and thousands of people out there in understanding themselves, or their introverted partners, family members, and friends.
“You are told that you’re “in your head too much”, a phrase that’s often deployed against quiet and cerebral. Of course, there’s another word for such people: Thinkers.”
Highly Recommended
At least one-third people that we know are introverted according to Susan Cain. Reading this book will give you a unique insight and perspective on how thinking minds work and hence I consider this book to be a must-read for everyone!
A wooden cabin with large glass windows amidst nature.
Constant rain has turned the world outside dark and grey.
Trees sway and get drenched in the pouring rain.
Droplets of rain scatter on the window panes and trickle down slowly,
Blurring the serene view.
The cabin is dimly lit – its fireplace radiates a warm glow.
Smell of burning wood lingers across the room.
There is nothing but the sound of rain and a soft crackle of fire.
A kettle and a steaming cup of tea await.
At sunrise,
The green blades of grass with dew
Caressed her bare naked feet.
Dear Readers,
I hesitate to post something that is not a poem or a story.
I have always had a lifelong dream to publish my own book. Today I am proud to say that my first Kindle book, Into Words is live on the Amazon store. I urge you to please have a look.
Below is the link to Amazon US, however you can get it in almost any country by searching for “Into Words Nuraine Sadaf” on Amazon. For now it is only available in the Kindle format, but I hope to have a Paperback shortly!
My book, Into Words, includes more than fifty poems and it is a collection of my thoughts that are expressed in the form of poetry on various themes like,
– Seasons
– Love
– Fantasies
– Emotions
– Hope
If you believe in the healing power of poetry and its ability to do good in the world, I urge you to create more poetry and also support my humble contributions.
Thank you for following and liking my blog posts from which I have received the encouragement and courage to self publish my first poetry book.
Thank you and ever so grateful.
Link to my book of poems: Into Words
Please do buy! 🙂
A blazing hot day.
The sun like a fire ball,
Deep blue sky.
If only we all could live in a happy bubble.
Where innocence, simplicity,
Laughter, frolic, and love
Were the only elements known to humanity.
Sunday morning date with nature.
On a hot day I drink hot coffee
Morning ritual,
Wake up to the sounds of chirping birds.
Draw open the curtains.
Crash on the couch beside the window.
And soak up the warm rays of the sun.
All the Light We Cannot See is a book about the tragedies of war written by Anthony Doerr. The tone of the book is melancholic yet hopeful. It is centered around two protagonists, a six-year old French girl, Marie Laurie, and an eight-year old German boy, Werner Pfennig.
It is a deeply moving story where the author wonderfully captures the difficult circumstances of war and its effects on the people involved. This book is not about what happened during World War II, nor is it about Hitler or the Jews. This book is about how war affects the lives of ordinary people by uprooting them from their homes. It is about people who do not wish to participate in the war and have no choice but to bare the consequences of it. At the same time, it highlights the strength of humanity where we can live through unimaginable situations. In the end, we can always find a reason to live and survive.
All the Light We Cannot See is a fictional war novel about many things. It is about the strength of a blind girl that survives through war. A confused yet an intelligent orphan boy who loves to learn but is captured in a terrible period of war. A father, trying to do his best for his daughter. A sister who is worried that her brother will get influenced by Nazi ideologies. A soldier from World War I who loses his brother and is haunted by the ghosts of war. A friend who loses his life because he is considered too weak to serve the country. This book highlights how individual choices and freedom do not belong to you, but to your country. Only by serving the country, can you survive. Moments of weakness, betrayal, shock, horror, and hope are what makes this book so special and real.
“Wherever her great-uncle is, could he have survived this?
Could anyone?
Has she?”“Walk the path of logic. Every outcome has its cause, and every predicament has its solution. Every key its lock. You can go back to Paris or you can stay here or you can go on.”
*Spoiler Alert* Below is a detailed summary of the book which reveals some of the plot points.
Marie Laurie is a blind girl who loses her eyesight due to cataract at a very young age. She lives in Paris with her father, who loves her dearly and works at the Museum of National History. Her father builds a miniature version of the neighborhood for his daughter so she can navigate through the area independently when the need arises. Marie regularly accompanies her father to the museum and this is where she learns about a valuable blue diamond, the Sea of Flames, and its legendary curse. When the German army invades France, Marie Laurie and her father flee from Paris and arrive at Saint-Malo to live with her great uncle Etienne.
Meanwhile, Werner Pfennig lives in an orphanage with his sister Jutta in a town called Zollverein in Germany. He is a brilliant kid with an exceptional skill in fixing radios. His talents and expertise with electronics capture attention. Soon, Werner is presented with an opportunity to study in a specialized training school in Berlin. Werner with a hope for a better future and thirst for knowledge decides to attend the school by leaving behind his sister. Only upon his arrival, he realizes that the fears of his sister were right all along – the boarding school is a place that teaches Nazi values. All the while at the boarding school, Werner does everything that he is expected to do but deep inside he is guilty and knows that he has made a wrong decision.
While the city is being bombed and attacked, Marie Laurie holds onto hope and ends up saving Werner’s life with her radio broadcasts. In turn, Werner saves Marie who is trapped in her house with a German officer. This story is about their journey, experiences and how their lives intersect during war.
“He says, “You are very brave.” She lowers the bucket. “What is your name?” He tells her. She says, “When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?” He says, “Not in years. But today. Today maybe I did.”
Nuraine Sadaf 