Rating: 
Summary: Well, maybe just get along...
Review: I thought this book gave some good information on how introverts' brains are different from the brains of extroverts, and also some "coping skills." However, the book didn't leave me feeling that there was much advantage to being an introvert, and that "getting along" was more of a possibility than "thriving" in an extrovert world.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking for more information and less self-help
Review: I was hoping for a book that would help me understand why I am introverted. About the first quarter of the book did an ok job of doing this. It briefly delves into genetics, neurobiology, and the chemicals in our bodies that make introverts different from extroverts. This can help introverts see why we enjoy time alone so much. The next three quarters of the book are a bit comical. It's full of self-help suggestions on how to adapt to the outside "extrovert world". Here are a few examples of what the author feels could help you to relax: "Drink a cup of tea or a glass of water with a few drops of lemon juice in it"
"Look at a funny website"
"Break out of your routine and do something backward"
"Make cookies and take them to the office or give them to your child's class" This is the general theme of the book for the last 200 pages! I don't need tips on how to help me deal with life. If you still haven't figured out how to live in the "extrovert world" at this point in your life then you have problems far beyond what this book can do for you. Perhaps I should have done more research on what this book was really about before I bought it, and that is my fault. I'm just trying to warn those like me that may have been misled. Here's and easy way see if this book is or isn't for you:
Do you watch Oprah and Dr. Phil? - This book is for you.
Do you think watching Oprah and Dr. Phil is for weak-minded people who can't understand themselves well enough to find solutions to their problems on their own? - This book is not for you.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't stop reading this one....
Review: I'm a college student that recently went away to school and it wasn't too long before I started getting cranky and depressed. Being an intovert my whole life, i figured that throwing myself into a social situation would increase my ability to like being social, but all it ever seemed to do was annoy me and make me feel like a failure because i hadn't adapted to all of my extroverted peers. I started reading this book one day when I escaped to the bookstore as a way to get away from campus. I usually don't appreciate any self help books, because they tend to make me feel worse about myself. But this book was quite different. The author has a way of empathizing with the reader and explained to me things about myself that I never would have suspected. The reviews on here that criticize the book for not being complete enough, should realize that it was probably not intended for that purpose. The book does give some quidelines however in helping the introvert understand their situation better. Overall, it gives the introvert hope and reasons to finally accept who they are, because it is difficult to be an introvert in an extroverted world.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book!
Review: I've only had my copy for a few days, yet with little time to read at present, I'm half-way through it. I'm finding this book to be very engrossing--from the chapter on the difference in brain chemistry between introverts and extroverts, to the chapter on dating and relationships. You'll find yourself and your spouse in there along with some very helpful advice on how to improve your relationship, even if it's already good. I really appreciate Dr. Laney's sympathetic treatment of introversion--I feel so validated reading this book. Her advice on taking breaks and assessing your "temperament temperature" is right on target. I highly recommend this book to other introverts and those who love them! And now I'll get back to my book . . .
Rating:
Summary: You need this book!
Review: If you are an introvert this book can improve you life beyond your dreams. It's about time introvesion is celebrated. Even if you are an extrovert this book can help you to understand people who just aren't like you. Innies and outies in full understanding of each others value is a beautiful thing. This book is on my all time favorite list!
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful but Long Winded
Review: Laney's "The Introvert Adavantage" helps introverts recognize themselves and how they are different from the average extroverted person. She reminds us that introverts and extroverts are "wired" differently and each termperament has advantages and disadvantages of their own. Extroverts, however, are more common and tend to be much more celebrated. Introverts, despite offering a vast array of talents, are often inaccurately seen as shy, detached misfits who can't or are not willing to socialize. Rather, they tend to be more sensitive to stimuli, are more energtic when alone, and need more rest to recharge from social situations. The main problem with "The Introvert Advantage," large font and all, is that it comprises 313 pages. A normal font and some editing could have cut it down atleast 50 pages or more. Also, while Laney's suggestions to coping with socializing are helpful, the topic seemed to go on and on. Again, editing would have helped.
Rating:
Summary: Betrays its audience
Review: Laney's book is a perfect example of the marketing aspect of psychiatry. The phrase "introvert advantage" appears perhaps once in her entire book, and despite what you would think, the idea that introversion is an advantage doesn't play a central role in her theory. "The introvert advantage" is a phrase that sounds good and gets hopeful people to buy the book, but in the end, Laney's message is that being introverted and being successful ("success" being defined by the psychological industry) don't make for a realistic combination. The author says the traits of introversion do have their advantages (introspection, for one) and no one should feel bad about being introverted, but the final chapter of her book is entitled "Extroverting," which says it all. In the end, the assumption is that what introverts really want and need is to be more extroverted. In the end, the book betrays its audience.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful material for the layperson, but too general
Review: Marti's book is very comprehensive, which is not altogether a strength for this subject in a 300 page book. The quality of her research and the fact that it's very accessible to the interested reader is a great strength of the book. However, 'The Introvert Advantage' tries to cover every possible aspect of an introvert's life and be a manual for handling everything from office politics to parties to child rearing, which may not be as beneficial to the reader as it appears at first glance.
I don't want to be too hard on the book. It's filled with useful tips and ideas. I particularly liked the first part of the book, which amalgamates some cutting edge research on the brain. Why are introverts introverted and why are extraverts extraverted? The reader can discover why by reading Marti's excellent synopsis of brain structures and fascinating diagrams of the brain's pathways and design. I would go so far as to say reading the first part of the book was kind of a catharsis for me. It probably will also be a catharsis for any introvert who feels overwhelmed and perhaps guilty for not behaving like the majority of the population. We don't know much more than we do know, but science seems to be on the right track and Marti gives a great background for the differences between extraverted people and introverted people.
I liked the remaining part of the book, given at least a few caveats. The problem with Marti's approach is not that the advice isn't appropriate - it's very appropriate. The problem is certainly not that the advice is irrelevant - it is extremely relevant. The problem is I can imagine an introvert reading Marti's advice about dating, for example, and then seeing a first date falling to pieces despite rehearsing or planning. Or a parent attempting to rotely follow the book's advice about how to parent an introverted child and not getting a good response. Or any number of other scenarios regarding introverts and marriage, employers, employees, going to parties, having a party, and other aspects of an ordinary person's life.
That said, I recommend the book. 'The Introvert Advantage' fills an urgent need for those who feel unhappy about a core part of their being. The title itself implies that introversion is something to celebrate and be proud of. Society definitely does not feel the same way. econ
Rating:
Summary: Rounding up from a 3.5...
Review: Ok, I admit it, I'm an introvert. This makes me unusual, apparently, from all the stats I've read stating that 75% percent of the population is, in Laney's terminology, "outie." I'm actually even more rare than that, as an MBTI tested INTP female, I'm part of a 1.6% subset of all American women, and 3% of the overall American polulation. Somehow, I almost doubt those stats-- I'd say about half to three-quarters of the people I work with are introverted, and I'm working in customer service. If you know anything about INTPs, you know we're curious folk who love researching exotic topics as they strike our fancy. Well, my fancies right now are business, organizational behavior, and personality type. So, I thought I'd check this book out. I was interested to find out that introverted biochemistry is slightly different than that of extroverts. Apparently, "outies" get their "hap hits" from adrenaline, while "innies" get theirs from dopamine. This also makes for a little bit of a difference in where innies and outies find their joy-- innies love to be alone, relaxing, processing, reading, while outies love exercise, socializing, parties, shopping, etc. I'm not sure I buy that. Apparently innies are supposed to have a lower energy level and move more slowly than outies. Funny tho', I find that I walk a LOT faster than most people (heck, I only had one person pass me on sidewalks or at the mall in the last month or so), and have lots of energy at the gym. I love to work out, and feel absolutely wonderful after a workout, despite Laney's assertion that I should only feel a minor buzz unlike the intense high that outies are supposed to get. Some of the information and advice on how to handle crowds, mingling, and extraverting was useful for me, but there was a lot more that seemed to be aimed toward a far different type of innie. I think ISFJs, INFJs and INFPs will find this book to be far more helpful than I did, mostly due to the advice on listening to feelings, tuning into gut emotions, and the like. Additionally, I found a lot of the suggestions, like incremental goal setting, and creating personal mission statements to be more than a little silly, especially since I don't think in details, more in a "big picture" fashion. Any IJ types might find that portion to be helpful in motivating them to work with their introversion a little more in this extroverted society. I really didn't, honestly. But, I will say this: some of the information was helpful, generally, in trying to understand why introverts think and process things differently than the majority of the US population. I'm quite proud to be an "innie," and find that a lot of times, it allows me to think and process information better than the average outie. Laney mentions that 60% of the truly gifted in the US come from the innie population. Hehe... I wonder if it comes from actually taking the time to think before you speak... <---sorrie, pro-innie prejudice I'm only a mild introvert, so maybe this book wasn't designed so much for me as for those who are very pronounced. If you find yourself overstimulated by going to the fair or spending the day at the shopping mall, this book might be just the book the doctor ordered.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book
Review: Please check out this book if you don't like socializing. I never understood my moods and the problems with extroverted family members. You will find this very useful and enlightening even if you are not a psychologist.
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