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Insight: Reflections on the Gifts of Being an Introvert
Have you ever been called shy or awkward? How about anti-social?People are quick to apply these labels to the quieter among us, often with little understanding of what they truly mean. And they often indicate a profound misunderstanding about what it means to be an introvert. Truth is, men and women with a reflective, more inward style have hidden strengths that are often lost in our noisy world.Beth Buelow is on a mission to change that. Known around the globe as The Introvert Entrepreneur, Beth is an author, speaker and professional coach dedicated to helping introverts understand and embrace their unique gifts.In this book, she weaves personal stories with wit and wisdom to explore the unique energy that comes along with introversion. Already, it has helped thousands of readers and won rave reviews.As one fan wrote, "The most precious nugget I am taking away is permission to be who I am and how I am - without apology. What a relief to sink freely into the comfortable, introverted essence of myself and be okay with it!"Comprised of short, bite-size essays, Insights is an affirming, thought-provoking companion on your journey.~Beth Buelow, authorThe Introvert EntrepreneurAbout the AuthorBeth Buelow is known as The Introvert Entrepreneur to a global community of followers and fans. As a certified professional coach and a skilled interviewer, writer, facilitator and speaker, she’s recognized as a thought leader in the area of life and leadership coaching for introverts. Beth is on a mission to empower introverts to understand, own and leverage their natural strengths. She is certified by the International Coach Federation. a Living Your Vision® Licensed Facilitator, and is an active member of the Puget Sound Coaches Association and the Society for Human Resource Management. Beth has enjoyed sharing her message that “Success is an Inside Job!” with numerous organizations and corporations, including Boeing, Starbucks, Peterson Sullivan, Puget Sound Business Journal, eWomenNetworking, Ignite Seattle and the Puget Sound American Marketing Association, among others.She’s contributed to blogs and articles in print and online for Psychology Today, Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Crain's Business Chicago, Seattle Times, Biznik and The Coaching Commons, among others. Her extremely popular podcast, The Introvert Entrepreneur, features interviews with well-known and emerging introvert entrepreneurs, including Susan Cain, Nancy Ancowitz, Laurie Helgoe and Viveka Von Rosen, as well as experts in social media, marketing and sales, personal growth and networking. Beth’s individual voice comes out of her experiences as a personal coach, classical musician, arts administrator, nonprofit professional and entrepreneur.
1784 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2012
20 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Beth Buelow
4 books111 followersBeth Buelow, PCC, serves as a guide to introvert entrepreneurs who want to amplify their strengths and build sustainable, energetically aligned businesses. She is a professional coach, author, and speaker, is based in the Pacific Northwest and serves introverts worldwide. Her podcast, “The Introvert Entrepreneur,” was recently named as one of the top 25 business podcasts for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur.com, and also was featured in the “Inspiring Women’s Voices” category on iTunes. She’s contributed to articles in The Wall Street Journal, Success Magazine, Inc, Entrepreneur, and Psychology Today, among others. Beth is the author of “The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms” (TarcherPerigee/Penguin Random House, Nov 2015), which was named one of the 100 best business books of 2015 by Inc.com.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 12, 2012
This little book is aimed at the introvert entrepreneur and is a collection of blog posts, Facebook contributions and articles on being successful in business when you would rather stay safely within your comfort zone of home alone with the dark chocolate, comfortable clothes and cats. Written in a peppy style suited to social media this contribution is a light weight in comparison to Susan Cain's 'Quiet' which was heavily researched and stuffed full of examples and information. There are some tips here and it is easily accessible, but no prize winner. There are also some spelling mistakes and words missing - but apparently the author is a perfectionist in recovery, so this is ok.
June 1, 2014
As an introvert who is a little lost in this extroverted world, I was excited to read this book. Now that I am done, I have mixed feelings. Buelow provides meaningful and actionable, well, insights. Her tone is open and positive, so the reader gets the impression that she is conversing directly with him or her. As I understand it, the book is a collection of Buelow's blogs, which probably accounts for the casual feel. There is something to this sort of persuasive style, although I am not particularly a fan of it.
In regards to the structure of the writing itself, the casualness of this book made me cringe. Every page, heck, almost every sentence included at least one invalid punctuation construct. Punctuation on both sides of quotation marks, consistent failures to use the Oxford comma, and contractions with the last letter on a separate line are just a few examples of the sloppy mechanics I saw. Oh, and emoticons! Do not get me started! How can I take someone seriously who puts these :-) things in her book? It's just not professional. I grant that the chapters began as blogs, but that is no excuse for allowing all those errors and inadvisable forms of punctuation (!!!!?!?"., anyone?) to go to print. It is simply not professional.
Now that my grammar rant is finished, I will address her arguments. The focus on introvert entrepreneurs didn't hold my attention too well (the teaser didn't indicate to me that business was the focus), but for the most part I appreciated what Buelow was saying, even when I didn't agree with her completely. I think Buelow definitely knows introverts and she seems to have a good grasp of human nature. Her outlook on life is markedly sunnier than mine. That's alright; it helps to consider an alternate perspective once in a while. I was impressed with the way Buelow analyzed the minutiae of common words and phrases to unmask what they really say about thought processes. I liked the structure of having one short, cohesive argument per chapter, and I thought that most of her ideas seemed well-developed. My only content-based objection is her use, especially in one chapter, of that term "the universe," so overused in reference to metaphysical matters. If you are going to talk about spirituality, don't beat around the bush. "The universe" isn't for or against you--it merely is. Otherwise I was quite taken with the points put forward in Insight. If Buelow can work out those mechanics, she should be on track to good writing.
In regards to the structure of the writing itself, the casualness of this book made me cringe. Every page, heck, almost every sentence included at least one invalid punctuation construct. Punctuation on both sides of quotation marks, consistent failures to use the Oxford comma, and contractions with the last letter on a separate line are just a few examples of the sloppy mechanics I saw. Oh, and emoticons! Do not get me started! How can I take someone seriously who puts these :-) things in her book? It's just not professional. I grant that the chapters began as blogs, but that is no excuse for allowing all those errors and inadvisable forms of punctuation (!!!!?!?"., anyone?) to go to print. It is simply not professional.
Now that my grammar rant is finished, I will address her arguments. The focus on introvert entrepreneurs didn't hold my attention too well (the teaser didn't indicate to me that business was the focus), but for the most part I appreciated what Buelow was saying, even when I didn't agree with her completely. I think Buelow definitely knows introverts and she seems to have a good grasp of human nature. Her outlook on life is markedly sunnier than mine. That's alright; it helps to consider an alternate perspective once in a while. I was impressed with the way Buelow analyzed the minutiae of common words and phrases to unmask what they really say about thought processes. I liked the structure of having one short, cohesive argument per chapter, and I thought that most of her ideas seemed well-developed. My only content-based objection is her use, especially in one chapter, of that term "the universe," so overused in reference to metaphysical matters. If you are going to talk about spirituality, don't beat around the bush. "The universe" isn't for or against you--it merely is. Otherwise I was quite taken with the points put forward in Insight. If Buelow can work out those mechanics, she should be on track to good writing.
December 16, 2012
Beth Buelow nailed the challenges for introverts who are trying to apply and practice conventional business development strategies. The chapters are brief and based on blog posts so they feel personal and authentic; very little lofty business language or psychological/sociological terminology. I immediately identified with example scenarios and found myself smiling all along the way, as I recognized both my personal strengths and weaknesses in Buelow’s wonderful storytelling.
The value wasn’t in seeing myself in this collection of posts and reflections though, it was in seeing myself in a fresh light; accepting and planning on ways to build on the innate positives of who I am and what I have to offer as a thinker and collaborator to prospect clients or employers.
Some of the strategies Ms. Buelow offers are common sense but are offered up in an inspiring way with an up-lifting tone so the advice feels new.
Other encouragements were entirely new to me, like the importance of ‘showing up BIG’ (in your own way) at those business networking events many introverts loath. This reflection really changed my perspective on both the ways I may be perceived at events and how I might leverage my unique energies to attract and connect with others moving forward.
Reading “Insight” is a wonderful, upbeat way, to add to one’s relationship-building toolbox. I chuckled through all the chapters and as other reviewers have mentioned, finished the read feeling recharged and little more confident; like I might feel after an afternoon spent with a wise, successful close friend.
The value wasn’t in seeing myself in this collection of posts and reflections though, it was in seeing myself in a fresh light; accepting and planning on ways to build on the innate positives of who I am and what I have to offer as a thinker and collaborator to prospect clients or employers.
Some of the strategies Ms. Buelow offers are common sense but are offered up in an inspiring way with an up-lifting tone so the advice feels new.
Other encouragements were entirely new to me, like the importance of ‘showing up BIG’ (in your own way) at those business networking events many introverts loath. This reflection really changed my perspective on both the ways I may be perceived at events and how I might leverage my unique energies to attract and connect with others moving forward.
Reading “Insight” is a wonderful, upbeat way, to add to one’s relationship-building toolbox. I chuckled through all the chapters and as other reviewers have mentioned, finished the read feeling recharged and little more confident; like I might feel after an afternoon spent with a wise, successful close friend.
March 2, 2013
Introverts are not shy; they don't hate people either. They simply love to be alone.
The world outside, depletes or drains his/her energy; so to recharge, he/she needs to be alone.
Reading the book was like reading myself.
Good enough book.
The world outside, depletes or drains his/her energy; so to recharge, he/she needs to be alone.
Reading the book was like reading myself.
Good enough book.
October 11, 2022
This is an excellent book looking at different areas of living as an introvert. It confronts the misunderstanding of what introversion is and some of the negative stereotypes. And really speaks to introverts on what it is to be an introvert, living in a seemingly extrovert dominated world. Would definitely recommend to other introverts to read.
February 27, 2013
Have you already read The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking? Are you looking for something new to read on the subject of introversion? You’ll probably enjoy this recent release by Beth L. Buelow.
Although not as meaty as the best-sellers mentioned above, Insight contains lots of worthwhile information, both for extraverts trying to gain a better understanding of the introverts in their life and for introverts who may be struggling to find their place in an extraverted world.
There’s an excellent explanation of the difference between shyness and introversion, as well as an in-depth look at the valuable role that introverts play in society and the business world. Speaking of business, there’s also an entire section devoted to entrepreneurs, which is not surprising, as the book is essentially a compilation of posts from Buelow’s popular blog, The Introverted Entrepreneur.
Because of its bloggy origins, the book is written in a conversational style, which makes it an easy read, especially since each chapter is essentially its own entity. I’d have liked it better had the author taken the time to edit the content thoroughly when converting it into a book, as certain parts just didn’t “feel” right to me. For example, it’s my opinion that “I titled this post…” should have been changed to say “I titled this chapter…” and that “since this is November” should have been changed to “since it was November when I wrote this” (if it was even necessary to keep that part in).
Despite my possibly petty complaints, I found it thought-provoking and well worth reading. It’s perfect to pick up and read a chapter when you have a few minutes between activities, and it’s short enough to read in one or two sittings if that’s your preference.
Although not as meaty as the best-sellers mentioned above, Insight contains lots of worthwhile information, both for extraverts trying to gain a better understanding of the introverts in their life and for introverts who may be struggling to find their place in an extraverted world.
There’s an excellent explanation of the difference between shyness and introversion, as well as an in-depth look at the valuable role that introverts play in society and the business world. Speaking of business, there’s also an entire section devoted to entrepreneurs, which is not surprising, as the book is essentially a compilation of posts from Buelow’s popular blog, The Introverted Entrepreneur.
Because of its bloggy origins, the book is written in a conversational style, which makes it an easy read, especially since each chapter is essentially its own entity. I’d have liked it better had the author taken the time to edit the content thoroughly when converting it into a book, as certain parts just didn’t “feel” right to me. For example, it’s my opinion that “I titled this post…” should have been changed to say “I titled this chapter…” and that “since this is November” should have been changed to “since it was November when I wrote this” (if it was even necessary to keep that part in).
Despite my possibly petty complaints, I found it thought-provoking and well worth reading. It’s perfect to pick up and read a chapter when you have a few minutes between activities, and it’s short enough to read in one or two sittings if that’s your preference.
April 23, 2014
Such an insightful book! The author, Beth Buelow, who is a certified professional coach and introvert herself, takes the shame out of being an introvert. I'm embarrassed to admit that I also believed all the typical myths that are associated with introverts. Ms. Beulow does a wonderful job at defining the characteristics of an introvert, as well as how to utilize those traits to be a happier person. It's obvious that extroverts far outnumber introverts, so the advice in this book helps the introvert navigate in a extrovert heavy society. Just reading this book makes me feel like I know more about myself, which of course gives me more confidence. Now I feel like I have the knowledge to inform others and dispel some of those myths. I also have the tools I need to prepare myself when I know that I'll be in a situation that might be more socially draining... like a conference. I think this is well worth the read for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of the introverts in their life.
July 17, 2014
This book is more of a guide to those who are of the introvert nature, it also give aid to those who know introvert's and how they can help them or make their life a little bit easier.
It's a good book, full of interesting ideas and things I hadn't thought about; best of all certain things just clicked for me and made me glad that I wasn't completely alone.
The negative side to it was that it did read more like a blog than a book, which obviously wasn't the intent but to me that took away the specialness of the book - odd as that may seem. Its pretty much meant I could just go to her Facebook page and see all the things she was talking about in her book.
However I did enjoy the quotes for each chapter, the paragraph's borrowed from other Introvert's and the other little add in's that her follower put in at the end of the book.
It was insight full and rather helpful, with certain tips am going to try and other's I found I was doing already.
It's a good book, full of interesting ideas and things I hadn't thought about; best of all certain things just clicked for me and made me glad that I wasn't completely alone.
The negative side to it was that it did read more like a blog than a book, which obviously wasn't the intent but to me that took away the specialness of the book - odd as that may seem. Its pretty much meant I could just go to her Facebook page and see all the things she was talking about in her book.
However I did enjoy the quotes for each chapter, the paragraph's borrowed from other Introvert's and the other little add in's that her follower put in at the end of the book.
It was insight full and rather helpful, with certain tips am going to try and other's I found I was doing already.
August 23, 2014
This would probably make a great first foray into the world of introversion books, although if you've been reading them for a while, there won't be a lot of genuinely new information in there (which makes sense, I guess, since I think it's the author's first published book)
Like - I think - The Introvert's Way (if I'm remembering correctly), this is less a textbook and more a series of essays/blog posts, which means it's very easy reading for the most part. This is the sort of book you can comfortably get through in a single sitting (or two if you're short on time).
It's great to see the distinction between shyness and introversion made so clearly. I like the comment that introversion should really be considered an energetic characteristic, rather than a personality factor too. And the author's voice is light and accessible, so it's definitely worth a read. Plus it's got me curious about the author's later books too.
Like - I think - The Introvert's Way (if I'm remembering correctly), this is less a textbook and more a series of essays/blog posts, which means it's very easy reading for the most part. This is the sort of book you can comfortably get through in a single sitting (or two if you're short on time).
It's great to see the distinction between shyness and introversion made so clearly. I like the comment that introversion should really be considered an energetic characteristic, rather than a personality factor too. And the author's voice is light and accessible, so it's definitely worth a read. Plus it's got me curious about the author's later books too.
September 19, 2013
I bought it wishing it was as insightful as Susan Cain's Quiet. While expectations are sometimes met or exceeded, this time it has--as it often does--lead to disappointment.
What did this book lack? Depth. The book is structured as unconnected short essays. This structure allows, unfortunately, repetition. The book constantly argues that introversion does not equal shy, that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert, that we should not desire to change ourselves. However, lack of depth and development make it reminiscent of casual encouragement. It does not alter your life. It does not save you.
The book's misfortune is that it is light reading, when I desired something heavy.
What did this book lack? Depth. The book is structured as unconnected short essays. This structure allows, unfortunately, repetition. The book constantly argues that introversion does not equal shy, that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert, that we should not desire to change ourselves. However, lack of depth and development make it reminiscent of casual encouragement. It does not alter your life. It does not save you.
The book's misfortune is that it is light reading, when I desired something heavy.
November 30, 2016
The book has good little tips for introverts who dread going to parties and business events. For example, a good insight is the first time you go to a business event, you might not know anyone but you'll meet some people. The next time you go, you might see some people you know. Each time you go, you'll know more people. Then it won't be as uncomfortable as it once was. Also instead of referring to these actions as expanding your comfort zone, the author refers to it as expanding your capacity. These little changes in how you frame situations can be useful. However, if you've read Susan Cain's book "Quiet," you'll probably find this book anecdotal and shallow.
February 21, 2015
Beth Buelow covers much of the standard territory of introversion. She does mix shyness with introversion too comfortably. Much of the advise and management techniques aren't new ideas and the content has the depth of blog posts.
Like most texts on introversion, the value of this book is accessibly and that one ancedote that unlocks the realization that introversion personality choices are not faults, but just traits. Acceptance in a world of extroverted media.
Like most texts on introversion, the value of this book is accessibly and that one ancedote that unlocks the realization that introversion personality choices are not faults, but just traits. Acceptance in a world of extroverted media.
May 27, 2013
As noted by another reviewer, this book is a collection of blog postings but is a good short read. Each "chapter" is a couple pages long and you can pick it up when you have a few minutes, page thru a chapter and then put it down. Susan Cain's book is much more in-depth but this adds some good information for those trying to understand why introverts are the way they are.
January 1, 2014
I loved this book! I was amazed by how much each essay sounded like it was written just for me and my unique introvert foibles. It made me laugh, it made me think, and it gave me the comforting validation that there is a community of introverts out there experiencing the same sorts of things I am.
September 22, 2013
OK...it focuses on practical ideas and strategies that introverts can use in business... not exactly the book I had in mind from reading the title.
May 6, 2013
If you have introverts in your life, then you must read this! You will understand and appreciate them in a whole new way!
July 19, 2014
Fairly insightful book into the perks and quirks of being an introvert and coping with the non-perks.
May 10, 2015
didn't finish. Might still.
October 15, 2015
One of the best books I have read this year. Opened my eyes and heart to realities of being an introvert. thank you for creating this Beth.
February 17, 2016
eh. Easy read. Pales in comparison to the other popular introvert books.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews