How To Win Friends And Influence People Review

How To Win Friends And Influence People Review

by Catherine Pulsifer

The book, How To Win Friends And Influence People, written by Dale Carnegie was originally published in 1936.

From The Book Jacket
The book jacket of the book I have states, “In this book, Dale Carnegie probes that something CAN be done. He proves it with tested techniques that have worked for thousands of men and women in every walk of life. He offers you here a set of practical formulas that can be put to work tomorrow, and can last a life time.”

A 1936 Review
I also found this review, which is a bit humorous, written on Wednesday, December 30, 1936 by John Selby, in The Corsicana Daily Sun.

After reading Dale Carnegie’s: How to Win Friends and Influence people” this reader decided to try one or two of his precepts. Mr. Carnegie says that one of the six ways to make people like you instantly is to make them feel important, and to do this sincerely. He gives his experience with a registry clear in the post office at 33rd street and eighth avenue to show how it’s done. Sincerely, that is.

This chap looked tired and grumpy and bored. While waiting in line, Carnegie decided to pep him up. So he studies the fellow; and the only thing he could find to praise was the man’s hair. When he got to the window Carnegie said, I certainly wish I had your head of hair.”

Well sir, would you believe it, the man was just pleased to death! Mr. Carnegie is convinced that he went home to his wife, if any, and was as pleasant as could be all evening. All in a glow from this happy example, I decided to try the same medicine. Our wire-haired fox terrior came in the room at the moment, so I smiled at her, and said:”My, Dido, I wish I had a nice wiry coat like yours!”

And believe it or not, Dido was pleased as punch, and jumped right in my lap. She’s still there and using a typewriter with a wire-haired on your lap is quite a feat. But nothing to a Carnegie trained man.

Mr Carnegie is quite serious. He has six ways of making people like you, described, illustrated and stated on pages 83 to 145 of his book. He has 12 ways of winning people to his way of thinking, these duly set forth on pages 149 to 241. And the nine ways of changing people without giving offense or rousing resentment occupy pages 245 to 283. Thus it will be seen that the latter feat is simples, occupying much less space as it does.

You can read all the text, or if you bog down, you can compromise on reading the rules in question. These are stated simply, and printed in black type so they can be located in even a dim light. Or, if you want, you can take the book and throw it smack at Dorthea Brande, the author of that fountain of “inspiration,” “Wake Up and Live,” next time you see her. Only that would be very rude and contravene one of those rules.

“How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Simon & Schuster.)

More Than 50 Years Later
The copy of the book that I have was published in 1952 and the jacket of the book states “now over 3,825,500 copies sold, a world’s record for Non-Fiction books. The book is still being sold and used today. Imagine how many books have been sold today! The internet states over 15 million copies have been sold. The principles and practices Mr. Carnegie suggests in the book have truly stood the test of time.

A great book to read and apply to your life.

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