How to Win Friends and Influence People

Derek Sivers (Founder/CDBaby)

It's got one of the worst, slimiest titles ever, the title is really a shame, don't let the title of the book turn you off. I think it really should have been called "How to be considerate" because it's really the best book I've ever seen about how to think of things from the other person's point of view. That's what the whole book is about. It was written back in the 1930s, it's a classic. And I think that that's really the underlying thing behind all of the best marketing, it's thinking things from other person's point of view, it's thinking how to be considerate, it's... you know, when somebody wants to find some new music, what are they thinking when they're looking for new music? Are they thinking about your introspective lyrics or your great drum fills? Or are they thinking about having some shockingly unique sound that doesn't sound like what they've heard before? Learning to think things from the other person's point of view, I think "How to Win Friends and Influence People" - that book is my top recommendation.

Cal Fussman (Best-selling Author)

"I [note: Tim Ferriss] asked Cal, "If you were a billionaire and could give 2 to 3 books to every graduating high school senior in the country this year, what would they be?" His answer (updated since the podcast) is: "For everyone: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. For females: West with the Night by Beryl Markham. For males: The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. That's a good start for a journey".

Nick Janetakis (Founder/NickJanetakis.com)

Despite its name, it's not necessarily about going out and making friends, but instead, it will alter how you communicate with people in general. This makes it very valuable for anyone to read.

Tracy Osborn (Founder/Wedding Lovely)

Crucial for helping humans get along with other humans (and being a good human in general.)

Ola Olusoga (Co-founder/Populum)

There was a moment where I was on a quest for self-discovery. I felt lost and wasn't sure if I was who I was because I made the decision to be me, or if my identity was programmed by culture, society and setting. Because of that, I started reading self-help books to reconstruct identity and mold who I wanted to be. This book helped me.

Joel Gascoigne (Co-founder/Buffer)

I first read How to Win Friends and Influence People perhaps a year before I started Buffer, around 5 years ago. It instantly had an impact for me, both on how I wanted to improve my character and how I wanted to run a company.

A lot of what Carnegie proposes doesn't seem all that profound, and can even seem like common sense. Simple things like "Don't criticize, condemn or complain.", "Smile", "Become genuinely interested in other people." and "Ask questions instead of giving direct orders." What I've found is that it is incredibly difficult to put into practice. On top of that, this is not about a few tricks to get ahead, as Carnegie puts it, this is "a new way of life".

For myself personally, I have become so convinced that the How to Win Friends way of life is the one I want to live, that I now try to read this book every few months, both on Kindle and via audiobook, in order that I can completely engrain the principles and they can become who I am. I'm up to around 12 reads of it so far, and I don't imagine ever stopping re-reading.

Kris Reid (Founder/Ardor SEO and Media Factory)

Business books, I also recommend the classics. Anything that can stand the test of time is proven great knowledge that is effective. How To Win Friends And Influence People, constantly on the Amazon best-seller list.

Michael Herrmann (Founder/Terminerinnerung)

Small hacks to make people you just met like you better. Sounds manipulative but actually makes you genuinely appreciate them more.

Scott Keyes (Co-Founder/Scott's Cheap Flights)

Reading How To Win Friends And Influence People when I was young and realizing how important empathy is. Putting something in someone else’s best interest rather than your own. Few books that were written nearly a century ago are still as true and eloquent today as they were then, but Dale Carnegie’s work is certainly one of them.

Irina Nica (Senior Marketing Manager/HubSpot)

My favorite book is usually a recent one that helped me with a particular task or question. In the last year, I’ve been working (and studying) more about online influencers. In this context, two books come to mind: one that really inspired me on how to work better with people -- the classic How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie.

Bernard Tan (Founder/ReCactus)

Now that I look at the books listed, they seem to carry an existential theme. I guess I like to understand humanity and human behaviour ultimately to better understand myself. I find reading a means to connect with people who may have lived before my time, or in a distant country, that I may never have had the chance to connect with in real life. As three-dimensional humans, we are all made up of so many faces and emotional layers that we find it hard to dissect them all, and when we find writers who can explain these thought processes in a way that’s tangible and digestible, there’s this incredibly comforting eureka moment of feeling understood.

Sanja Zepan (Co-Founder/Homey)

The book that helped me almost instantly was How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. It's a book from the 40s, I believe, and I was reluctant to read it because of its title. The title sounds like a self-help book mixed with magic spells and incantations. But in reality it offers very easily digestible tips on how to be approachable, how to negotiate, how to diffuse conflicts... Everything that's very useful for founders who are navigating their team, investors, and users. I used the advice in the book first when I started doing customer support, and it was pretty incredible how easy it was to take a user that's angry and aggressive, and make him happy and an actual supporter who posts about our product and good customer support on their social media. Dale Carnegie explains how to understand where people are coming from and how to react to that, instead of reacting to their words.

Neal O'Gorman (Serial Entrepreneur)

Dale Carnegie's, How to Win Friends and Influence People is an old book from the 1930's but its simplicity on an important topic will always be relevant. It was nice to read that subconsciously I was applying many of the recommended techniques but certainly made me more aware being sure to apply them. In particular, I do try to help people first and when networking at an event, listen more about them than talking about myself.

Darren Chua (Co-Founder & CEO/Markedshot)

When asked what books he'd recommend to young people interested in the same career path, Darren Chua mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Andrew Elliott (Founder/GoDesignerGo)

The classic! Really enjoyed his writing style and provided an interesting perspective on expanding business and personal relationships.

Catherine Molloy (Director/Auspac Business Advantage)

I am also reading How to Win Friends and Influence People as this is who I have been a likened too. I run workshops in How to Influence and Persuade…and it's great to see how these concepts from 1936 are still the same today. - as I always say - human behaviour worldwide has not changed. We still feel and buy the same way - you think by now we should all be masters at communication and yet I still meet so many business owners world-wide that haven’t implemented these concepts.

Antonio Eram (Founder & CEO/NETOPIA mobilPay)

When asked to name some books that had a big impact on him, Antonio mentioned How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

James Stanley (Founder/SMS Privacy)

Favourite business-related book is "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. When I got my first internship the boss recommended it to me, and I didn't read it for ages because the title sounded a bit manipulative. But the content is not about manipulating people at all, it's about how to be a better person. Lots of good advice, although I don't apply it as well as I should. I get lots out of it each time I re-read it.

Omar Taheri (Founder & CEO/Spark Plus)

The reason I enjoyed this book many years ago is that I had suffered with social anxiety. The book allowed me to understand that I should not be afraid of speaking my thoughts, putting ideas out there and sharing stories with friends. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get out of their shell and develop their confidence.

Dr. Monali Y. Desai (Cardiologist & Founder/If We Were Family)

Also, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen R. Covey) and How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie) had a big impact on how I interact with other people at work and in my personal life.

David Kramaley (Co-Founder/Chessable)

When asked what books he would recommend to youngsters interested in his professional path, David mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Lewis Smith (Entrepreneur & Developer/BodyTracker)

For business it's harder to pick a clear winner, but I've read "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie quite a few times. It is very rare for a business book that it is packed with invaluable advice, to be so easy and enjoyable to read. The fact that the tone and style is quite dated just adds to the fun in reading it and proves how valuable it still is. I recently recommended this book to my brother who has never read a business book before, and he said it totally changed how approaches dealing with everyone.

Daylon Soh (Product, Growth & Design Architect)

Self-help classics like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People teach principles I still apply today at work. Books didn't change my career path, people whom I knew and interacted with did.

Chris J ''Mohawk'' Reed (Founder/Black Marketing)

In How to Win Friends and Influence People the light switched on as how I should network and build relationships on and offline.

Lex Na Wei Ming (CEO/Bountie.io)

I would strongly recommend these two classics.

• How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie
• Think and grow rich! by Napoleon Hill.

Vincenzo Ruggiero (CEO/Prospect.io)

Question: What books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path?

Answer:

• Rework, Getting real and Remote - The combo from Fried and DHH.
• Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
• From Impossible To Inevitable by Aaron Ross & Jason Lemkin
• How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross
• Content Machine by Dan Norris
• Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
• Contagious by Jonah Berger

Jose He (Chief Performance Officer/Bountie.io)

I believe it takes tonnes of understanding, motivation, wisdom & competence to become an extremely successful entrepreneur. To reach that high level is tough, to remain at that level is even tougher. I reckon that these books should be able to provide a basic fundamental to young peeps on what to expect before deciding to hop on to join us as a tech startup.

Catrinel Hagivreta (Co-Founder & CEO/MEDIjobs)

How to win friends and Influence People; Dale Carnegie – because you need to understand people before trying to sell them something.

Boban Dedovic (Serial Entrepreneur)

Question: What five books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path & why?

Answer: Here are the main five I would recommend (in chronological order):

• Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• No More Mr Nice Guy by Robert Glover

Thom Singer (Podcaster/Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do)

Question: What five books would you recommend to young people interested in your career path & why?

Answer:

• 7 Habits Highly Effective People - life blueprint
• Swim with the Sharks - realize people and how you relate to them are key
• How to Win Friends and Influence People - a classic that matters a lot in our digital world
• A Curious Mind by Brian Grazier - we all need to put curiosity higher as a priority
• Peak Performers, by Charles Garfield - examples of greatness

Most of these books are 25 years old or more (Not A Curious Mind).... But the books you read when you are young set the patterns and habits that impact you. I read these when young and they had real impact on my succes.

Nicolae Andronic (Founder/Echoz)

Another book that influenced the way I think is the classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. I only wish that I’ve read it sooner. If you know any 17-18 years old, give this book to them as a present!

Foti Panagio (Founder/GrowthMentor)

Honestly, it’s not really as simple as following a career path, at least not anymore. I’d recommend instead reading books on innovation and leadership because that can give you the confidence you need to blaze your own trail and to take your career as it comes. I’d suggest that a good background reading list would include How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Jeff Gibbard (Chief Brand Officer/From The Future)

The first time I put down How To Win Friends and Influence People, I realized that books have the potential to change our lives by altering our perspectives.

Ayush Kumar (Founder/YourBroStore.com)

While I was reading "How to Win Friends and Influence People" I suddenly started to realize what people are saying beneath their words and what they actually wanted to say rather than what they said. This really helped me in filtering out the best people in my life.

Anant Jain (Co-Founder/CommonLounge)

This book is like an "Interpersonal Skills 101" course. It was published in 1936, but is still highly recommended by most successful people today!

Mark Moses (Founder, CEO/CEO Coaching International)

[Mark Moses listing five books he would recommend to young people interested in entrepreneurship]

Ronn Torossian (CEO, Founder/5W PR)

How to Win Friends and Influence People, referred often times as the Public Relations Bible, has remained an incredibly important book since its release in 1937. In my profession, I am consistently reminded of this essential concept presented by Carnegie: “Success is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people.”

Bill Widmer (Freelance Content Marketing & SEO Expert)

I'd say one of the highest-impact books of my life so far has been How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I've literally read that entire book cover-to-cover at least six times, including taking notes and marking pages! It helped me to understand what people really want and give it to them, which has "won" me countless business relationships and friendships.

Chris Goward (Founder/WiderFunnel & GO Group Digital)

Here are some of the books that have been very impactful for me, or taught me a new way of thinking: [...] How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Aidan Connolly (CEO/Caithus)

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a very old book that could be republished today and all of the lessons would be just as relevant.