The must-read analysis of the key insights from "How To Win Friends And Influence People" by Dale Carnegie — presented by Athena. The secret of success lies in respecting other people’s opinions, genuinely appreciating their points of view and making them feel important. Published in 1937, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People gave readers hope after the Great Depression had left millions feeling that they had little control over their lives. Carnegie’s personal story is the driver supplying much of the book’s charm. He grew up the son of a failed farmer in Missouri, but had grander aspirations despite his humble beginnings. After college and a brief career in sales, he changed his last name from Carnagey to Carnegie — to hint at a connection with steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie — and moved to New York to become an actor. Carnegie supplemented his income by teaching adult education courses. How to Win Friends and Influence People started out as a talk he gave to people looking to improve their relationships with others. In writing the speech, Carnegie and his researcher pored over newspapers, magazines, psychology articles, philosophy texts and biographies, and interviewed contemporary figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas Edison — all with the aim of fully understanding leaders known for their exceptional people skills. The talk eventually grew into the book, published in 1936 with 5 million copies sold by the time Carnegie died in 1955 — a number that’s since grown to 30 million worldwide.
