About 75 years after its publication, How to Win Friends and Influence People was named Time magazine’s 19th most influential book in 2011. It is one of the best-selling novels of all time, with over 30 million copies sold globally (“How to win friends & influence people,” 2022). In this book, self-improvement guru Dale Carnegie shares methods and strategies that help improve one’s interactions with others. The book offers advice on how to win over others, influence their point of view, and excel as a leader. It is not about forcing people to do things a certain way, but about persuading them sincerely and ensuring one is considerate of others. He keeps the narrative straightforward by providing approaches that are simple to use and thoroughly described. The work exemplifies an ideal self-help book, capable of attracting a reader base and answering their struggles with honest advice.
Even though this book was published over a century ago, I believe everyone may benefit from reading it. It would be best if one reads this book regardless of how wealthy or attractive they are. How to Win Friends and Influence People is something I view as an investment. First, it is capable of helping people better navigate social situations. Talking with others, giving speeches or presentation is a skill people must master in order to succeed in casual and professional settings. Therefore, mastering the art of conversation and persuasion can be highly beneficial. Even I can personally see the value of Carnegie’s work, and apply its lessons to myself. I possess many personal qualities that can be considered undesirable or inconvenient. For example, I feel uneasy in social settings. Works like these help me, and others like me, to better navigate social situations. Even in cases where the individual does not want to explicitly excel at giving speeches or convincing others, the book’s lessons are also a great tool for building character. Gaining the capability to understand interpersonal relationships is invaluable, as it gives people resilience against emotional manipulation. When an individual sees they are being persuaded or convinced of something, they can actively intervene in the process and take hold of the narrative. Knowledge and the sense of control that comes with it are capable of giving people more confidence. When a person understands how the world around them operates, they will feel more comfortable in their day-to-day life, capable of seeing opportunities in new places. Carnegie’s book can be a paradigm-shifting experience for people who lack a sense of control over their lives.
There are also other reasons someone would do well in picking this book up, aside from those already noted. How to Win Friends and Influence People is very convenient to read. In the world where people are exceedingly busy, it is difficult to read books. With the concerns of daily life, education, work, and relationships, it becomes too rigid of a hobby, even for those who enjoy it. There is a rising demand for books to be more flexible, capable of being consumed in-between tasks, or quickly absorbed. That is why Carnegie work still remains relevant in today’s world, and perfectly fits in the rhythm of people’s daily life. The typical reader will finish this book in little more than five hours. Even if one is unable to finish the whole read, the incremental lessons within its chapters are more than enough to find something useful. The book that does not require much background knowledge, time, or effort to read, while also being genuinely helpful is rare to find.
In closing, it can be said that Carnegie is a seasoned self-help author, one worthy of being read to this day. Despite the book being old by today’s standards, its lessons still hold up, and Carnegie continues to be an icon in the personal improvement community. In his lifetime, he had a truly remarkable influence and improved the lives of countless people. He is more knowledgeable than most other self-help gurus. It equips the audience with basic conversational techniques that make the seemingly unattainable much more understandable.
Reference
Carnegie, D. (2022). How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated for the next generation of leaders (Updated ed.). Simon & Schuster.