Book Review – How to Win Friends and Influence People

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a title that I had honestly been avoiding for a good while. One, due to its cheesy title and the kind of people who had been recommending it where the sales orientated person that I love to hate. However, I gave in not long ago, and the book is a great read.

Carnegie’s biggest triumph on the book is highlighting how we can grow ourselves by interacting in a correct, responsible, ethical and empathetic way with other people. Rather than the false unnatural way many of us fall into.

Strange thing is, when you read much of his advice, it dawns on you how much of what he is saying is pure common sense, but that you’d somehow forgotten to act in that way. I recommend to everybody to take a concerted effort to utilise some of his suggestions for a few days and I guarantee you will notice differences in your day to day and business life.

Carnegie’s principal message is that empathy is the magical ingredient to success and fulfillment. He reiterates the ancient sound advice of

“do to others as you would have them do to you.”Author Unknown

This book will support you in becoming less self centered, and more understanding, to the extent that in any encounter you have with somebody, both of you will benefit.