I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to read more, so last week I started reading the book “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. The book has sold over 15,000,000 copies since being published in 1937. The book was written after teaching over twenty years worth of educational courses on the topic in New York City. The book is divided into four parts, each part ending with a set of principles that Carnegie suggests are the keys to remember when dealing with people. The four parts of the book are:
- Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
- Six Ways to Make People Like You
- How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
- Be a Leader: How to Change People without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
Each principle is examined by looking at real life examples either from famous personalities such as Abraham Lincoln and Charles Schwab, to everyday people who he taught in his courses. Carnegie gives examples from business, teaching, parenting, and many other avenues to show that his principles apply to every part of your life. Carnegie gives just enough information about each principle to make his point, but doesn’t bore the reader by repeating the same thing over and over. Carnegie suggests that each chapter should be read twice and I agree.
I was so impressed by this book that I made a cheat sheet with every principle and formatted it onto a single piece of paper. I plan on referencing this cheat sheet on a daily basis so that the ideas will stay fresh in my memory.
