Leonard and Hungry Paul

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, 247 pages

Leonard is a thirty-something man who lived with his mother until her death, keeping her company when he wasn't at work cleaning up the text for kids' encyclopedias. His best friend is Hungry Paul, who similarly lives with his parents, keeping them company when he isn't occasionally filling in for absent postal carriers. They're book good, quiet men who are quite happy in their introvert lifestyles. But Hungry Paul's sister is getting married, which causes her to start fretting about who will take care of the family as she starts her own; meanwhile, Leonard seems to have caught the attention of Sheila, an artistic woman who works in the same office building. Will these events upset their calm lives and longtime friendship?

This is an absolutely charming book about everyday mediocre people. It's sweet, ponderous (but in a good way!), and just all around pleasant. Highly recommended for fans of Nina Stibbe and realistic British fiction.

Quiet

Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking / Susan Cain 333 pgs.

One third to one half of the population are introverts.  What does this mean?  They can be people with outgoing personalities at times but who prefer to "recharge" away from a crowd.  It follows that extroverts often gain energy from crowds.  How to manage these differences in a group at work, in personal space or really any relationship?  Cain gives plenty of information.  Being an introvert isn't a bad thing, just a different.  She says that introverts are sometimes misunderstood but does a good job of educating readers.  What to do if you are an introvert, have one in your class (teachers), have one as an offspring?  Great advice is contained in this book.

I enjoyed the examples of famous introverts and feel very schooled on the differences between introverts and extroverts.

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Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking / Susan Cain 333 p.

If you're on the I team you're bound to enjoy this, full of research and anecdotes about all the ways being an introvert has advantages.  Primarily, but not exclusively, focused on the professional realm, Cain makes important points about why many American businesses with open collaborative workspaces may actually be minimizing their companies' creative output by forcing introverts into environments where they can't get anything done.  I especially liked the chapters on chidren and education.  If you can remember being irritated with group work as a kid in school, Cain's observations will come as no surprise.  She argues that with today's increasingly heavy emphasis on collaborative learning we may be leaving a generation of students behind.