Book Review: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

How to Win Friends and Influence People will revolutionize your relationships with others

In his bestselling book How to Win Friends and Influence People, the American author Dale Carnegie offers readers practical tools to communicate effectively, strengthen their interpersonal relationships and master public speaking. While many of Carnegie’s suggestions were initially aimed at business managers and salespeople, they have also been successfully applied to relationships with family and friends. This clear and detailed analysis will give you the tools you need to understand and implement Carnegie’s powerful advice: it features a thorough explanation of his main ideas, including the importance of sincerity and humility and the value of diplomacy, and an examination of their applications in business communication and sales. It also provides an introduction to the social and economic context of the book, the main criticisms of his work and related approaches, giving you everything you need to understand this pioneering self-help book.

This accessible and insightful 37-page summary and analysis is structured as follows:

• A model of ideal behavior to influence those around you
• About the author and background to the book
  • The author: Dale Carnegie
  • Context and background
• Summary of How to Win Friends and Influence People
  • Carnegie’s ‘masters’
  • Sincerity
  • The futility of criticism
  • The art of persuasion
  • A cheerful leader
• Impact of How to Win Friends and Influence People
  • Criticisms of Carnegie’s approach
  • Similar approaches
• Recap of Carnegie’s main ideas

About How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to Win Friends and Influence People was first published in 1936, and its popularity and influence endure to this day. By the time of its author’s death in 1955, it had sold over five million copies and been translated into 31 languages; today, it is estimated that over 40 million copies have been sold worldwide. The book’s straightforward advice, clear and engaging style and instructive anecdotes have helped to make How to Win Friends and Influence People one of the most influential titles in American history.

About Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie is considered by many Americans to be the founder of the self-help sector, and he is certainly one of its best-known authors. After rising from humble beginnings to launch a successful career in sales, Carnegie studied acting and went on to deliver public speaking classes. He wrote a number of books on public speaking, sales techniques and persuasive communication, the most famous of which is undoubtedly How to Win Friends and Influence People. Through his writing and the work of the Carnegie Institute, which has delivered training to over 400 000 people, Carnegie has had a vast and lasting impact on self-help and personal development around the world.