Day 230: Book Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

If there is one book every single person in the world should read no matter what, it would be this book. "How to Win Friends & Influence People" is one of the most insightful reads when it comes to dealing with those around us. It give practical tips and example that help you cement in various ways of being successful with people.

This old (published in 1936) yet timeless book is divided into four different parts. Without stalling the true content of the book with length introductions, you are instantly thrown into the thick of it. The first part gives you three fundamental techniques in handling people. In the second section you are given six ways to make people like you followed by the third sections where you are shown twelve distinct ways to win people to your way of thinking. And the book is finished up with a section giving you nine tips to being a leader that is able to change people without giving offense.

All in all you are given with an incredible set of tools to add to your arsenal when dealing directly with others. We all have conversations, we all meet new people, and we all have people who we lead. It is so important in our lives to be able to win friends and influence people without forcing or demanding certain types of behavior.

No matter what area of work you are in, you need to have the ability to deal with people wisely. As Mr. Carnegie says, "The person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people - that person is headed for higher earning power." If you desire to advance in your career you have to know how to deal honestly and genuinely with people.

The first time I read this book and many books like it, I was quite young and hardly understood the true meaning behind every chapter. Now that I have has the opportunity to revisit it later in my life, I appreciate it even more. Along the bottom of each chapter you are given a simple sentence summing up the entire contents of the last few pages in a way that's easy to remember and apply.

You are given tips such as these: "Don't criticize, condemn, or complain", "Give honest and sincere appreciation", and "Arouse in the other person an eager want." These key phrases are at the bottom of every chapter and it gives you the building block of social interaction in a way that is easy to remember for a long time.

If you deal with people, and if you're currently reading this I trust that you do, you desperately need to read this book. It will change how you fundamentally interact with those around you and help to become a people person. The best way to get where you're going is by following the advice listed in this book, you won't regret it.

Rating: Five Starts 
Re-readability: Extremely High  
Get It Here

Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt