May Book Club: How to Win Friends & Influence People

It's the end of May and time for another book club read! Here's my review of How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. 

Stars: 4.5/5

 

Synopsis on Goodreads: 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!

Since its release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People has sold more than 15 million copies. Dale Carnegie's first book is a timeless bestseller, packed with rock-solid advice that has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

As relevant as ever before, Dale Carnegie's principles endure, and will help you achieve your maximum potential in the complex and competitive modern age.  

My thoughts: I had no idea when I chose it, but this book was written in the early 1900s. That made me love it all the more, because the writing was a little "old-fashioned" while still speaking straight to me. Carnegie's book is split into four sections with information on handling people, ways you to make people like you, how to win people over, and how to influence people without offense. 

For someone like me, who really struggles to befriend people, this book is full of practical advice for how to be more likeable. He also has a section on how to work through disagreements, which is something I tend to struggle with. And it's not quite what you would think, which is how to "win" the argument. In fact, he says that you can't actually win an argument and the only way to come out on top is to yield. 

The book is full of thousands of stories that demonstrate ways to work better with people. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the advice that I am going to use in my everyday life.

Read this book if: You want to be a better "people" person. 

Inspiring thoughts from the author:  

Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when that someone is under pressure from his bosses, his customers, his teachers or parents or children, a smile can help him realize that all is not hopeless-- there there is a joy in the world. How to Win Friends & Influence People, pg 102

So what did you think of the book? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And don't forget to stop by next month for June's book, The Nesting Place.