I recently started streaming Young Sheldon, a good-hearted, hilarious show. This book had a starring role in the second episode. I remembered reading the book, but I had forgotten reviewing it. Here's my review--a bit dusty but still relevant, I think.
When two different friends in completely separate settings mentioned
Dale Carnegie to me, I decided I needed to learn more about
him. I discovered that many business majors are exposed to his writings in college or later in manager training.
I found the book interesting, and I
really enjoyed the first few chapters. However, as I continued reading, I began
to worry about the "How to" part of the book and the idea that some
individuals might use it to learn persuasion
techniques while discarding the richer message--that you get
the most from relationships when you genuinely treat others the way you
want to be treated and when you make sincere efforts to understand and
appreciate others' viewpoints, motivations, and needs.
Overall,
an interesting and thought-provoking read. If people walk away from the
experience more self-aware and more considerate of others'
feelings, great. Awesome! However, if people try to use it as a roadmap
for successful sales and employee management without also absorbing the
wider message, I think most of us will see through their insincere
efforts--or I hope we will!
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