How to Win Friends & Influence People

By: Dale Carnegie

Narrated by: Andrew MacMillan

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

You can go after the job you want...and get it! You can take the job you have...and improve it! You can take any situation you're in...and make it work for you!

Simon & Schuster Audio is proud to present one of the best-selling books of all time, Dale Carnegie's perennial classic How to Win Friends and Influence People, presented here in its entirety.

For over 60 years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this audiobook has carried thousands of now-famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

With this truly phenomenal audiobook, learn:

The six ways to make people like you

The twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking

The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment

And much, much more!

There is room at the top, when you know...How to Win Friends and Influence People.

©1936 Dale Carnegie; 1981 Donna Dale Carnegie and Dorothy Carnegie, all rights reserved; 1964 renewed Donna Dale Carnegie and Dorothy Carnegie (P)1988 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. SOUNDIDEAS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Don't judge by the title

The title doesn't do it justice. I was half expecting some slimeball manual of how to fake being a sympathetic person. On the contrary, this is a classic. Its message is that if you want to do well with people, you'd better become interested and considerate and pleasant to be around. The book tells you how, over and over, with principles and examples and anecdotes.

The book was written in 1936 and listening to the audio version is rather like watching an old black and white movie. It's a little corny nowadays, but in an extremely charming way. I found myself enjoying the politeness of a byegone age and looking forward to the next installment.

After listening once and becoming inspired, I requested a job upgrade, and my boss was smiling as he agreed. Wow! I was so shocked that I think I instantly forgot everything I learned. You bet I'll be coming back to study this one.

Oldy but a Goody

I read a lot of self help books and find most of them silly, formulaic, and/or unrealistic. This is perhaps the best self help book I have read, and was one of the first of the modern era. The tone is very straightforward and practical with enough detail to be useful but not at all boring. The suggestions seem trivial, yet, as the author points out repeatedly, they are actually unnatural to the vast majority and seldom practiced successful without attention and effort.

This books is dated (referring to contemporary characters that are no longer contemporary and may not be recognized by younger readers) but this does not distract very much from the core message of the book. See Ralph's review for an excellent outline of the suggestions in this book.

This book had leaped to the top of my favorite self help books, which also include Critical Conversations and Stumbling on Happiness. Most other self help books are either intrinsically worthless or subsumed by one of the above.

The narration was just about perfect with a very clear delivery and excellent positive tone without any sappiness.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, particularly young adult readers.

Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
1. Don't criticize.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

✦ Six ways to make people like you
1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember a person's name.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

✦ Win people to your way of thinking
1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10. Appeal to the nobler motives.
11. Dramatize your ideas.
12. Throw down a challenge.

✦ Be a Leader
1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

I should have read this years ago!

If you don't need this book, then chances are you don't talk to people. You do talk to people right? This book is well worth your time, if you don't learn anything from it then you probably have people skills to rival those of Charles Schwab or Abe Lincon.

I had heard about this book for years in various circles, in fact, I was even amused when it was referenced in the game "Baldurs Gate". I knew about it, yet I never took the time to read it. Well, I have now listened to it twice, and it will certanly get a third listening. I can't believe that I got this far in life and was unaware of some of the simple people skills presented in this work. Fortunately, I have done some of them naturally, and some have developed over time as I have grown up - still, had I had this book 20 years ago my life would have been a whole lot easier.

This book is not filled with "tricks" to get people to like you, rather, it is how to develop your own character so that people like you naturally, and you like them naturally as well. No "tricks" involved, but it certanly gives you better insight into the nature of people, and I can testify that it works incredibly well.

Finally read the book!

I know it's a classic, but it is also very repetitive, drilling the same point home in 30 different ways. By the time you get halfway you kinda know what's expected of you:

It would be cool if they came out with a 2019 version featuring narration by somebody energetic like Gary Vaynerchuck and modern examples of the last 20-30 years.

Dad Was Right

Like most children I ignored my father's advice, given years ago, that I should read this book. At age 45 I picked it up and can see Dad was (once again) right and I was wrong. Some of these ideas will sound familiar to you because you may already practice them. Old ideas like personal integrity, connecting with people on a thoughtful and personal level, being able to admit your mistakes, being forthright, candid and authentic in your dealings and being actually interested in people and what they want (instead of just what you want!) are powerful and timeless. Read this book with an open mind, noting that it is an old book and the references are from a man's world of old - but the principles apply to all genders. I apply these concepts to my law practice every day and find they have increased my income and grown my referral network. Put this one on your shelf, it is worth the subscription price.

Highly Recommended

A nice selection of social skills to improve the quality of your life.

WOW

I love this book! This is indeed an "action" book. It was so interesting that I did not want to put it down!

A classical that will always be necessary

This book really changed my life when I first read it. It says some obvious and simple things, but that we never pay attention on... until we read it somewhere. I think this is the kind of book that should be given to people to read in school, as it is so intructive! The audiobook is also good and if you like the book, surely you must keep an audio copy to listen whenever you want!

Simple steps that will change your life

I should have read this book years ago. it has helped me in many ways.

Fantastic

This book is really good. If you mastered half of the suggestions on this book your life would be amazing. A must read for anyone wanted to become a better person.