Book Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People
- May 13, 2018
- 2 min read

Entertainment Value – 8/10
Life Value – 9/10
Purchase: https://amzn.to/2rDfcaY
Published in 1936, this is a timeless classic that has served millions of people. The basic principal is that being a decent, authentic human being will lead to people being attracted you and your message.
Dale Carnegie’s most recognised book, although written nearly 100 years ago still outsells the majority of psychology, sales and communication books even to this day. There are far more technical books on the market, however I think this is by far and away the best book of its kind. It comes highly recommended, for anybody who wants a brief overview of the text, I will leave it below.
Principals Overview
Fundamental techniques in handling people:
Don’t criticise, condemn or complain
Give honest and sincere appreciation to the listener
Arouse an eager want
Six ways to make people like you:
Become genuinely interested in other people
Smile
Remembering a person’s name is the most important thing
Be a good listener – encourage others to talk about themselves
Talk in terms of the other person’s interests
Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely
Win people to your way of thinking:
Only way to get from an argument is to avoid it
Show respect for others’ opinions (never say “you’re wrong”)
If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically
Begin in a friendly way
Get the other person saying “Yes, yes” immediately
Let the other person do a great deal of the talking
Let the other person feel that the idea is his/hers
Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view
Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires
Appeal to the nobler motives
Dramatise your ideas
Throw down a challenge
Change people without arousing resentment:
Begin with praise and honest appreciation
Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly
Talk about your own mistakes before criticising the other person
Ask questions instead of giving direct orders
Let the other man save his face
Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.
Give a man a fine reputation to live up to
Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct
Make the other person happy about doing the thing that you suggest
You can purchase the book here for £6.99 - https://amzn.to/2rDfcaY
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