How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I would give this book 3.5 stars, however since I can’t add half points on Goodreads and I cant justify it at 4 stars it seems that a 3 is more fitting.
There is no doubt that this book contains snippets of wisdom and good techniques to better deal with your fellow man, however I felt that every single principle was illustrated by either:
– An employee that was under performing but then over performed
– A salesman who couldn’t get a customer to buy, but then did
It felt very rarely as though these techniques were described as having worked with actual people. Don’t get me wrong they were there but only buried under the examples of sales and work. This makes the book feel a bit lifeless and the tactics a cheap way to get what you want out of someone you want to take advantage of.
The chapters are titled in such a ‘clickbait’ fashion that it feels as though the author is desperate for you not to put the book down and read something else. Really felt unnecessary and cheapened the value of the advice to me personally.
Undoubtedly this is due to the fact that this book was written a while back, but it seems that its age is finally starting to show.
On the plus side, the book contains valid techniques and ways to improve your relationships with people and is one of those books that need to be studied, not just read to attain the full benefit.
Overall I am glad I read it and feel like I have benefited from it.