Who?
Everyone should read this book.
When?
At the earliest, when you’re in high school. Early in your career is best though.
Why?
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie will help you understand why, despite their best intentions, people sometimes do not do what you want, or ask them, to do. Recognizing this will help you get ahead in personal and professional situations.
Best Quote
Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Review
I didn’t want to read How to Win Friends and Influence People honestly. The title makes it sound way too much like a stereotypical self-help book. “Do good things and good things will come to you,” “Think positively, and you’ll have success,” etc. Thankfully, it was not like that at all.
How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most valuable books you will ever read. Applying the principles you learn in this book will help you be perceived as a more sympathetic person, make better decisions about people’s motives, and have greater insight into interpersonal dynamics.
Without giving too much away, here are a few highlights of the book:
- Criticizing others will always come back to bite you. Use metaphors to call out others’ flaws and mistakes. This will help them see their own problems without feeling like you’re saying they have a problem.
- You can’t influence others by telling them what you want. Ask questions. Get them to want to do what you want.
- Most people have a huge need for sympathy from others. Fulfill that, and you will get their sympathy and attention.
Final Word
The most valuable thing you will learn from How to Win Friends and Influence People will be how to be a happy, healthy person that has happy and healthy relationships that lead you more quickly and easily to success, and while the title might make the book sound hokey, I wholeheartedly recommend that you get it and begin reading today.
