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Re:Ask HN: How to win friends – 70 years later by _RPM on Tuesday November 25, 2014 @08:02PM (#8660722)
Has anyone actually read this book? Is it effective?
Re:Ask HN: How to win friends – 70 years later by hackerboos on Wednesday November 26, 2014 @07:47AM (#8662074)
I've read it and didn't care for it.

The entire book boils down to basically listening to people instead of waiting for your turn to talk. Carnegie gets this point across using a bunch of questionable anecdotal stories. He then linked this trait to success which is the prime motive for people to buy the book.

It reminds me a lot of 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' in that it falsifies stories as 'evidence' to reinforce what a reader already believes.

Re:Ask HN: How to win friends – 70 years later by OGiR on Tuesday November 25, 2014 @10:47PM (#8661021)
Yes and yes. I am not a fan of "self-help" books, though this book could or could not be labeled as such. As someone who has for most of my life been quite socially inept, have found it very useful.

After reading this book, I try to make every conversation I have into a little game, where the goal is to get the other person to talk more, and about themselves, than I do. I tend to love to talk about myself, and think almost everything I say is very important.

Re:Ask HN: How to win friends – 70 years later by ponyous on Wednesday November 26, 2014 @12:09PM (#8663299)
It definitely is, but I guess if you are already "cool" person you are doing most of the stuff described in book. I would still recommend reading it.