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Comment by Balgair | Hacker News Reader

A LOT of people are put off by the name of the book. I would highly suggest you not judge Carnegie's book by it's cover. It is filled with brass-tacks advice and concrete examples of how to improve your own life and the lives of others around you. Though the title may seem 'manipulative', the book is anything but that. Consider the title as a marketing gimmick from 1933 and read the book nonetheless.

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Indeed. The central point of the book is really the importance of human empathy. If you want to influence people, you have to consider their needs and wants rather that just being self-absorbed and entitled all the time.

True, but it's hard to force oneself to care about other people, to be honest. Many are naturally self-centered, and it's not easy to trick/convert one's mind into not being self-centered. There are some tips like finding a common interest, but not enough. The book has gaps in that aspect.

incidentally, Dale Carnegie didn't write that title. The main title and all the chapter titles were written by an advertising copywriter named Vic Schwab. Arguably the titles made it the publishing phenomenon it is. Schwab also wrote a book that probably changed the lives of many marketers. It's title is "How to write a good advertisement"

I found the content manipulative and I honestly can't understand why this book is so revered. Maybe my expectations were set too high but reading it left me feeling underwhelmed.

I agree. The content was in sync with the title. There were some decent advises and observations for example regarding how to be more tactful, but in general the book seemed to be about faking and manipulating your way to victory. It's very sad if people feel they have to cut corners this way by programming themselves to react certain ways, instead of trying to find genuine happiness that delivers the genuine smile and interest towards people etc.

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