How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
My review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was expecting this book to be geared more toward salesman and those interested in self-help books, but what it turned out to be for me was a reminder on what leadership really is: influence. The overall premise of the book is that you should treat others not only as you’d like to be treated, but as if they’re actually more important than you are. There were a number of useful ideas, such as:
– Become genuinely interested in other people.
– Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
– Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely.
– Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
– Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
– Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
– Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the otherperson.
– Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish inyour praise.”
I’d highly suggest this book to almost everyone.