Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

As someone who has identified as shy, an introvert and social anxious I was interested to discover if these are all the same afflictions, just with different names. Informative, with insights from others on how shyness is not necessarily a bad thing and can actually work to your advantage, this gave me plenty of food for thought.

'Shy' by Annie Ridout is part information book, part memoir and part self-help book on the subject of shyness. As someone who has always been shy, though less so now than when I was younger, I was interested to read Ridout's take on the subject. She very sensitively explains the causes and symptoms of shyness, and how to deal with it in unwanted situations. But what I most liked about the book was that she didn't see shyness as a negative, but rather as a positive emotion. Being shy makes you a better listener, better observer, better empathizer, and we shouldn't always assume that being shy is a bad thing. I very much enjoyed this easy to read book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Fourth Estate for the advance copy of this book.

The book takes a look at shyness through different perspectives and anecdotes, including those of the author, professionals and a few celebrities. I felt elements of the book were very relatable (particularly when Annie references her childhood experiences), and it provides some food for thought.

Being a shy person myself I really liked this book. A lot of the annecdotes the author recounts I could absolutley relate to.

I wouldn't say it`s anything groundbreaking but defintely gave me hope for the future and took away some of the shame and discomfort regarding my shyness.

All in all I'm very glad I read it and would recommend other shy people to do so, too.

Thank you NetGalley and 4th Estate for the ARC.

A short book about beging shy, mainly at the work place. It was well written, but nothing really new to me.

I would like to thank 4th Estate and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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“It’s sometimes our actions and determination that matter more than the volume of our voice.”

A part memoir, a part collection of studies on shyness all written in an easily digestible form. The readers learn where shyness can come from and the differences between shyness, introversion, and social anxiety. The book goes on about the merits of shyness in personal and professional life. While the author maintains throughout her book that being shy is okay, she also suggests some tools that could be helpful to those that are not okay with being shy. Annie Rideout also tackles the topic on dealing with shyness in workplace.

I was surprised to learn that some celebrities like Beyonce and Andrew Scott have struggled with shyness. The book also features interviews with other shy people that are more-low profile. With all these anecdotes, the author aims to drive home the point that shyness doesn’t have be the thing that holds you back from success.

The reference index at the end of the books leads to a nice rabbit hole to fall into. I was also happy to see interesting references to the lockdown and the surprising effect it can have on shy people.

Overall, it is one of these books that is not meant to fix you but to remind you that you are not alone in your struggles. Though, I wished it included more stories from people not involved in the creative industry.

As someone who can relate to being shy this was an interesting informative book.Full of interesting advice and personal tales by shy people,A book many people will relate to.#netgalley #4thestate

Shy: How Being Quiet Can Lead To Success by Annie Ridout incorporates personal experiences and expert opinions on living with the trait of shyness.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this title - I loved Annie's book The Freelance Mum and as someone who has always been shy, it was interesting reading this book and that it highlighted the positives of being shy.

As a peer and self-diagnosed “Shy” person, I was really interested to read how I can use that trait to my advantage. I think this book highlights some positive characteristics that I took for granted. Definitely in my career, I’m considered shy, and work alongside colleagues that are very outspoken, confident and full of ideas. This book helped me realise that it’s ok to take a quieter approach because by doing so you learn to observe, to listen and then to present your ideas in a confident and creative way because you’ve listened and taken in the information rather than speaking for the sake of speaking.

I recognised my fear of rejection and fear of being wrong or being judged as my reason for justifying my shyness to myself, and the book discussed methods to help get over that, even in a challenging lockdown situation.

I’d recommend this book more for parents of a shy child or for someone who works with or knows a shy individual to help get a sense of how they can be supported to feel safe to contribute to discussions as I’ve realised how much emphasis is put on my speaking in meetings recently.