Shy

Annie Ridout is the author of The Freelance Mum and Shy, founder of The Robora (online courses for women in business) and she works as a freelance journalist for national news and women's magazines including The Guardian, Grazia, Red Magazine, Stylist and Forbes. She lives with her husband and their three children in London.

Society tells that us that being shy is a fault, but Annie Ridout says it's a gift. Shy: How being quiet can lead to success teaches us how to embrace this misjudged attribute, instead of trying to fix it.

Most of us have some understanding of shyness. From birthday parties as children to office Christmas parties as adults, from an old friend's wedding to a group presentation, we've all experienced it in some form or other. Shyness may be ever-present or it may come and go.

Partly genetic, partly environmental, shyness is largely viewed as a character flaw, something that needs to change, but why is no-one talking about the benefits of being shy? For example, shyness usually equates to being an excellent listener, considerate speaker and thoughtful observer.

Interweaving personal experience with expertise from clinical psychologists, Annie explores why shyness affects some more than others, and offers tried-and-tested tools to help the reader deal with elements of shyness that can feel debilitating. Shy recasts our understanding of this often-misunderstood attribute, celebrating it as a pathway rather than a barrier to success and happiness.

Society tells that us that being shy is a fault, but Annie Ridout says it's a gift. Shy: How being quiet can lead to success teaches us how to embrace this misjudged attribute, instead of trying to fix it.