How To Win Friends And Influence People.jpg 3This is the title of one of the best-known self-help books, written by Dale Carnegie in 1936. A bestseller when I was looking for help and likely still high on the list of books for those who are hoping to improve themselves.

It’s curious though that I remember reading the book, I clearly remember the author’s name and the provocative title, but until I started researching for today, I didn’t recall anything that was in the book.

Twelve Things This Book Will Do For You

This section was included in the original 1936 edition. The 1981 edition omits points 6 to 8 and 11.

  1. Get you out of a mental rut, give you new thoughts, new visions, new ambitions.
  2. Enable you to make friends quickly and easily.
  3. Increase your popularity.
  4. Help you to win people to your way of thinking.
  5. Increase your influence, your prestige, your ability to get things done.
  6. Enable you to win new clients, new customers.
  7. Increase your earning power.
  8. Make you a better salesman, a better executive.
  9. Help you to handle complaints, avoid arguments, keep your human contacts smooth and pleasant.
  10. Make you a better speaker, a more entertaining conversationalist.
  11. Make the principles of psychology easy for you to apply in your daily contacts.
  12. Help you to arouse enthusiasm among your associates.

The book has six major sections:

 

  • Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
  • Six Ways to Make People Like You
  • Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
  • Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
  • Letters That Produced Miraculous Results
  • Seven Rules For Making Your Home Life Happier

Even without re-reading the book, these categories seem dated, a bit quaint and in today’s world of political correctness I am sure we would be offended somehow.

The point of today’s Education Moment? All of us need to continually look for ways to improve ourselves. We could all use some help in our communications with others. So, go out there, find some self-help books or there must be an “app” for that. Or simply communicate with others, listen to others and use your common sense.

Well, How To Win Friends And Influence People must have helped me out somewhat. I read it in the late 60s or early 70s and I do have a couple of friends and maybe I have even influenced some people along the way. HAPPY SELF IMPROVEMENT.