How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is an amazing book. I’ve adored it ever since first read it after getting it for Christmas in 2016. Carnegie first published this book in 1936 and it has absolutely stood the test of time.
The book was published decades before subjects like communication and persuasion were nailed down by science, yet Carnegie still got a lot of things right. He says a great deal about talking to people about things they enjoy, truly listening when someone else is talking, using their name whenever possible, and pointing out areas of agreement before moving to areas of disagreement. These techniques are used all the time by master communicators and they work wonders for helping shy people open up.
I’ve read the book four times now (taking Carnegie’s advice to read each chapter twice) and it has taught me a lot of useful information about communication and interaction with other people. As a natural introvert, I’ve struggled with interacting with others for most of my life. Carnegie’s advice has dramatically increased my confidence, reduced my awkwardness, and helped me truly connect with other people in meaningful conversations.
This was the first self-help book I ever read and it’s a great one to start out with. I highly recommend checking it out. Even if it’s the only one you read, you’ll be much better off for having read it. If you’re more reserved like I can still be at times, it’ll give you a lot of useful tools for conversations, meeting new people, and handling difficult people. If you’re more outgoing, it’ll give you some great things to think about and may still offer you some new perspectives. Either way, How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic book that has improved the lives of countless people and is well worth a read.