Self-help books are often written but not all are as popular as this one, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. Dale Carnegie wrote this book in 1937 and later on it was revised and become an all time popular International best seller. This book is always on demand that 16 million copies are already sold worldwide. The book has been translated into many languages. The publishing business got a real boost with the increasing popularity of this book.
“How to win….” is actually a sequel to another book of Dale Carnegie, “Effective Speaking and Human Relations”. After writing this useful book, he thought of writing this one for common people. The book is presented in a very interesting way. This is based upon personal experiences of the author. Thus, it becomes interesting for the readers. Another interesting aspect of this book is, after every chapter there are “nutshells”, which help the readers to brush up the previous chapter. It is certainly very important, as the book should be read chapter wise. Some readers have the tendency to skip one or two chapter and go on; this is not advisable for this book.
“How to win….” is divided in four parts and all of them are equally interesting.
Part One - Fundamental techniques in Handling People.
Part Two - Six Ways to Make People like You.
Part Three - How to win people to your way of thinking.
Part Four - Be A Leader: How to change people without giving offence or arousing resentment.
The book is descriptive and very much reader friendly. The author describes things and later he puts them in a nutshell. This helps the reader to brush up the chapter and proceed with the next. The examples are taken from real life, which has made this book more interesting. The nutshell comments are made in such way that the reader gets a taste of the facts he/she just explored. It is easy to remember and recollect later.
Though the title itself speaks a lot about this book, yet it is necessary to describe the contents a little more. If you have an interest to read self-help books, then this is a must read for you. However, if this is the first time you are grabbing such a book, you will find this useful. The book recommends a couple of exercises after every chapter. If you can religiously try to follow those, your life will be changed. The book is not made for a particular category people; rather everyone should go through this book. Professionals, students and others also, should read this. It is a thought provoking book which cannot be ignored. People, who are interested in human psychology, would love to read it at once. The incidents, which were used as examples, are awesome.
As the book is divided into many chapters, you should read this likewise. Start from the beginning, read one or two chapter at a time and leave the rest for the next day. This practice won’t make your reading boring or monotonous. Even you will become comfortable to apply the methods slowly and steadily. This is more important than just reading it. The book is written quite a few years ago, so at times you might not get accustomed to the suggestion. This is indeed very natural, but try to alter a couple of things to make use of the golden suggestions. This way you will be able to take the main essence.
Throughout the book, there is considerable supporting anecdotal evidence that embellishes the main text. These examples are subtly incorporated which contributes to the fluency and depth of the arguments presented. Examples of case studies used include Theodore Roosevelt, Sigmund Freud, Abraham Lincoln and Al Capone. Dale Carnegie also uses true stories from participants of the original course. These wonderfully dated scenarios add a classic touch to each chapter.
“How to win friends and influence people” is a timeless classic. Its wonderful charm enlightens you while reading, encourage you to accept the suggestions. The depth of this book will surely impress you. When applied with enthusiasm the many concepts explored in this book will undoubtedly enable you to win friends and influence people.