The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House

At last: a practical and relatable book for introverts, stand-offishs, sociophobes and awkwards. The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House is stuffed full of game plans for every excruciating social scenario.

Journalist and reformed sociophobe Jenny Valentish will help you extend your social battery life, tackle fear of judgement, form more meaningful connections, create an online presence that feels comfortable, express more of your body's own bonding chemicals, hit a party like a SWAT team, nail phone conversations, handle conflict, become a more confident manager and team player, hack public speaking, turn small talk into profound connections, reframe limiting self-beliefs, and navigate the overlap between social anxiety and neurodiversity.

Do we Wary Marys need curing? Of course not. But sometimes we can do with a few aces up our sleeves to navigate social interactions.

About the Author

Journalist Jenny Valentish is best known for her deep dives into the human psyche. Her new book, The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House, is a more introspective successor to Everything Harder Than Everyone Else, which explored the fine line between hedonism and endurance, and her mea culpa memoir Woman of Substances, which was nominated for a Walkley. She writes for the Guardian, the ABC and The Age, and has pressure-tested the wellness industry with her podcast Spirit Levels. Becoming immersed in her book topics has tended to spill over into real-life pursuits, such as Muay Thai fighting and competing in bodybuilding. Maybe this time around she'll become a game show host.