An analysis of Dale Carnegie’s 1936 book How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The paper assesses Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” which was first published in 1936. The author of the paper shows that although it may be hard to imagine that a book written so many years ago is still relevant today, it’s clear why this book has stood the test of time: The basic, down-to-earth techniques for dealing with people (for example, Don’t criticize, condemn or complain; Give honest and sincere appreciation) still work today. The paper shows how Carnegie shows he has a true understanding of human nature, how to make people like you, and how to deal with them so you can be an effective leader and that those types of skills are never outdated.
In some parts of the book it’s very obvious that it was written many years ago. Some of the stories Carnegie tells to illustrate his points seem a bit outdated, and I’m not sure the things he said would work today, although the basic idea is still valid. For instance, Chapter 6 is “How to Make People Like You Instantly.” In this chapter he tells the story of going to the post office and wanting to say something to the postal clerk that will make the clerk like him. Because the clerk seems to have a very tedious job, as well as one that doesn’t seem to require specialized skills, Carnegie chooses not to build up the clerk by commenting on how well he does his job. Instead, he tells the clerk, “I certainly wish I had your head of hair.” In today’s society, that sort of comment might be misconstrued and taken the wrong way.