Blog Post
9/16/21
My Personal Copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: Why You Should Read How to Win Friends and Influence People
Author: Kenny Ong
The Short and Sweet
How to Win Friends and Influence People...
Serves as an exercise in mindfulness about respecting and caring about those around you
Teaches you to present information in a more empathetic manner, which unequivocally leads to more success
Helps you foster a sense of genuine interest for those that you interact with on a daily basis, whether they're complete strangers or those closest to you
Teaches you how to get people to understand your way of thinking through compassion and understanding
If any of these reasons seem interesting, I strongly encourage you to scroll down and understand why I (and you) should read How to Win Friends and Influence People every year
My Relationship With How to Win Friends and Influence People
I remember back in 2018 when I first came across the idea of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and immediately dismissed after thinking "Isn't that one of the guys who ran a monopoly on steel?" After a bit of research, I realized there was no relation between the two and watched a few videos (as I always do) before deciding whether it was a worthwhile purchase.
After reading summaries (and the fact that it only cost me $12), I decided to pick it up due to my evergrowing curiosity in non-fiction and self-help literature.
The Book that Really Started it All
The Video at Hand!
However, it wasn't until 2019 where I really decided to pick it up after hearing it mentioned again from one of my favorite content creators, Anna Akana!
Although it was a passing joke in the video, it reminded me to give the book another shot (as my first attempt resulted in me reading the first section and being afraid of the commitment, more on that in a bit). This, alongside my hesitancy due to the manipulative implications of the title, eventually led to me reading it in its entirety!
Along the way, I was pleasantly surprised as
a.) The book was much nicer and richer than the Youtube summaries suggested
b.) The book was extremely relatable
c.) Despite its title, its formula to "win friends and influence people" stems from interest in one's common man as well as general ideas of compassion!
Why You Should Read How to Win Friends and Influence People!
I like to make a habit of reading through this book at the beginning of each year (as Carnegie suggests) in order as a refresher on outwardly treating people with respect and understanding. Although everyone is bound to fall back on old habits, every January is a nice reminder and moment of mindfulness.
In order to help inspire others, I've gone ahead and outlined the four major parts (each of which are comprised of several chapters) of the piece below!
Part One: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Part Two: Six Ways to Make People Like You
Part Three: How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
Part Four: Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment
Over the next few posts, I hope to go over the main takeaways from each part as well as why I find them interesting based off of my life experience! If you are interested in improving your relationships with those you care about, those you interact with on a daily basis, or simply the strangers you meet while walking down the street, I strongly recommend you check out How to Win Friends and Influence People!