How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to Win Friends and Influence People was written in 1936. Dale Carnegie decided to write this book due to a lack of material on the subject while teaching business classes. Simply, people did not know how to interact with people. However, the book utilizes language and words not often used, words that may be outdated by today’s standards and leads to dull reading that may turn people away. 

The book is filled with anecdotes that deal with practical events regarding the daily nature of people which are unchanged by time because we all seek the same pleasure and avoidance.

The book  does show its age with its lack of medical and psychological knowlage

The book has 24 key points across 4 sections.

The book takes up the fact that it is better to appeal to the senses and emotions of those you interact with, in order to ultimately get your desired result because people innately think with and pursue their own desires.

In this book you’ll learn:

How to compliment

How not to criticize

How you correct behaviors and problems

Among others.

We can take away key points in arguments as well:

Finding common ground

Listening to counter points

And thanking the other person

How to Win Friends and Influence People has a variety of anecdotes covering the 4 sections to give example of how these lessons reinforce the premise.

Being a sincere, agreeable person that people want to be around also gives them the subconscious desire to help, be helped and feel important

People want praise and to feel important. It is something that goes beyond a physical need and often requires outside validation. I feel as though Dale Carnegie accomplished what he set out to do, create content and a set of ideals to better help people in business and life. However, that is not to say that the book is not without flaw.

What I take issue with is that the book IS a product of it’s time. Its solves a problem fixed by education and manners that isnt such a problem in 2020.

I know this book gets praise and I can see why, I’m just not quick to give it such praise due to advancements in medicine and psychology as well as knowing that the target audience are poorly educated from a hundred years ago.

The book is also culturally based in 1930s America. That’s where it stops. Dont get me wrong, there ARE lessons in there but these lessons were novel points for the time and may not cross over into other cultures.

If you want some good anecdotes about people and past presidents, read it. It’s interesting. However, I do not think you’ll come away with earth shattering information. It just boils down to being nice and seeing others people’s point. I feel as though the book is over engineered for simple examples and concepts.

If you struggle with conversation and social situations, there’s helpful material. If you are in sales, there’s some helpful material to help with social situations and build better team-oriented skills.


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