How to Win Friends and Influence People

By Dale Carnegie, Dorothy Carnegie (Editor), Arthur R. Pell (Editor)

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Average Rating: (See all 4 reviews) Format: Paperback, Revised Edition Published In: United States, February 1990 Ships within 6-11 days You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for "you!" For over 50 years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives. Now this phenomenal book has been revised and updated to help readers achieve their maximum potential in the complex and competitive 90s! Learn: The six ways to make people like you The twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment and much, much more! Publisher: Pocket Books ISBN: 0671723650 EAN: 9780671723651 Dimensions: 17.32 x 10.57 x 2.06 centimetres (0.14 kg)

This classic book by Dale Carnegie was originally written back in 1937. You might ask yourself, "how could a book from the 30s possibly help me with my current modern problems?" This is probably the same question asked by the other 15 million plus people who have bought the book. The answer is simple. This book is NOT about how to run your business, how to choose a cell phone or laptop. It is about interpersonal dynamics. It is about how to talk to that employee of yours in order to get them to perform well. It is about how to discuss issues with the person you are selling to, in order to get them to agree to the sale. If you read historical books, you'll find that humans had the exact same emotions back in the days of the Greeks and Romans - love, envy, jealousy, self pity, pride, hope. It is these basic human needs you need to understand. Once you do, your daily business problems become MUCH easier.

There are a ton of thoughts in this book that are clearly important. Dale will first explain the issue, and then often will give a real life example of how handling the issue properly helped a real person in a real world situation. It really helps to make the image stick in your mind. None of these are complex, algebraic formulas. They are all straightforward, simple tasks - but once you practice and master them, they can make a huge difference in how others interact with you.

For example, if you have an employee or contractor that simply isn't doing their job properly, you have many options available to you. You can scold them or hound them. Those of us in business who have tried this approach find that it rarely works, especially in the long term. Dale explains what techniques DO work - and work reliably - in these situations. It's a matter of expanding your roster of options, so that when you hit a problem, you have a group of ideas to work with in order to solve it.

If I were to have a criticism about this book, it would be that everything is portrayed as being "solvable". It is put forward as if one of these solutions to a given problem will surely work. In the real world, that just isn't true. You could hit a cranky employee who already is looking for another job and who could honestly not care less about fixing his current job's problems. I really wish there was a section of the book that helped you know when it was just time to cut your losses. That being said, for the other 99% of the issues you face in your daily work life, this book is truly invaluable.

Some of the stuff is outdated, but I consider it to be the best business book I have in my library. Rather than focus on debt and cashflow it focuses on the fundamentals that are rarely talked about: the people. Lots of Dales principles are echoed in modern business theory but nothing is like the best and the original.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Review by: Benji Raymond (2002)

Reviewer’s Note: Understandably, the title of this book may turn you against buying or borrowing it. I, myself, had a hard time building up the confidence to ask for it at the library. But getting your hands on this book is the first step to solving your worries with communicating with other people. So if you’re already thinking about acquiring this book, you’re well on your way to reaching your goals.

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Pros: Laced with significant quotes from prominent individuals
Cons: Principles are difficult to put into practice in reality
Rating: 4 stars out of a possible 5
The Bottom Line: Should be required reading for all individuals aged eighteen and over.

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Take two handfuls of dazzling writing, then mix it with pure brilliance and you have one of the greatest books of all phases. This book stood and will continue to stand the test of time. This is chiefly because of the universal thoughts expressed by Carnegie. Almost all readers will be able to relate to it and thus learn from it, no matter how their popularity rates on the general scale. No wonder it went on to sell over fifteen million copies in a space of sixty odd years.

The primary reason why I admire Carnegie’s writing is because he always, always backs up his ideas with examples and past accomplishments based on the same specific thoughts. This makes it easier for the reader to understand the suggested principles. True, the book could have been shortened to half its size, but what good would that have done?

Carnegie has laced his incredible thoughts with quotes from well-known individuals and this assists to make the book far more interesting than others in its self-help category. It boggles the mind to think how many connections Carnegie had in his life.

It’s interesting to note that the author wasn’t a pure success in his early days. He explains that his family were at the bottom of the economical scale and it took him years to discover what he so eloquently writes about. In fact, it took him around fifteen years to write, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” In that time he interviewed hundreds of successful people and accumulated knowledge of their sensational victories and accomplishments. A reader tends to gain more from self-help books knowing that the author wasn’t always a genuine success and that he essentially had to work his way up the ladder of self-achievement. It conveys the message that success is achievable and that anyone with determination and diligence can achieve theirs hopes and dreams.

Some have attempted to read this book thinking that it will be an easy journey, an effortless feat, so it’s imperative to note that a person cannot change without persistence and perseverance. Carnegie mentions early on that to get the most out of his words, you will need to have a “deep desire” to learn. Everything we do in our existence goes hand in hand with how much passion we have. This book will not change your life, unless you willingly make it change your life. The main beliefs he outlines are understandably difficult to carry out in reality, but with practice and continued determination, it will almost inevitably help you on your odyssey. He also suggests that you may need to read this book not only once, but every now and then. This will help you to absorb the necessary skills and assist in making you an eloquent communicator in your chosen field.

Some have mentioned that the thoughts Carnegie expresses can be written down as common sense. While this is often true, most people don’t tend to realise the true meaning of courtesy and lack essential people skills.

This book is fantastic! It is basically just a book of condensced common sense and home-grown wisdom. Applying the principles in this book has helped me immeasurably with my relationships, particularly in business and dealing with people who are upset with me. It is almost like a wordly Bible, full of (very true) suggestions for a happy and productive life.