How to Win Friends & Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (15 February, 1990)
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Editorial Review

This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, 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." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price ... Read more

Reviews (371)

Buy friends and coerce people
This is a very funny book. It's not meant to be, but the ideas it tries to put across are machiavelian, childish and short sighted. The underlying theme is that one should do favours for others in order to receive the same from them: hardly a theme to build friendships on.

If you are currently paying people cash to be your "friend", you might find significant financial savings from the ideas in this book: you could be paying them in plenty of other ways.

It makes a great gag gift: you will find yourself passing this around to read out loud at parties.

A Charter Member of My Self-Help Collection
here are a number of KEY books that helped me to develop
the best aspects of myself as a man and as a person. This
book is one of those cornerstones of who I am. It is timeless,
universal, and comprehensive in its coverage of the subject
material.

Other books and self-help products which are on par with this book are:

NEW SEX NOW: Life's Ultimate Pleasure DVD
Giant Steps
Think & Grow Rich
Self Matters
7 Spiritual Laws of Success
Ageless Mind, Timeless Body
THE 4 AGREEMENTS
The Power of Concentration
GODDESS WORSHIP dvd

I believe that anyone who wants to be a great person would do well to study all of the above very sincerely.

It won me over.
Just a joy to read, this book is truly a classic. With its timeless stories the author uses to illustrate the principles of getting along with others, this book should be requires reading for all human beings. Other self-help books I liked include "The No-Beach, No-Zone, No-Nonsense Weight Loss Plan, A Pocket Guide To What Works."


... Read more

Isbn: 0671723650
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Communication - General    3. Business/Economics    4. Careers - General    5. Interpersonal Relations    6. Personal Growth - Success    7. Psychology    8. Psychology, Applied    9. Success    10. Self-Help & Practical Interests    11. Self-Help / General   

What Color Is Your Parachute?, 2004: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters & Career-Changers (What Color Is Your Parachute)
by Richard Nelson Bolles
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 2003)
list price: $17.95
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Reviews (18)

Pretty good book
This is pretty good.I received it as a gift from a friend.Unfortunately, it is a bit unrealistic toward the reasons most people seek jobs -- they need to pay their bills.

Paying the bills is the priority; finding your dream job is not.This job isn't going to work if you don't have a job, and need to take on whatever you can find to pay the bills (i.e., a temp job, or a Walmart job, or whatever).

A book like this only works if you have a job and can afford to take the time to plan ahead so you can quit your job for a better one.It is a good planning resource, but would be better if it was more realistic.

Simply the Best !
Better than all the rest.This is an annually updated guide to finding your next job.Your next career.Your next passion.

Read the book completely once. Then block off a day or two of your life and do the exercises.

If you don't understand who you are, and what you have to offer, how can you find the right vocation ?

Textbook way to find the right career for YOU!
As one of those people who never did figure out what I should do after highschool, I ended up getting a master's degree in a field I disliked and worked for years at a job that drove me crazy.I stopped working after I had my child and felt a relief you can't imagine.As my son got older, I felt it time to hit the workforce again - but was none the wiser about what to do.A friend suggested this book and I have to say - I am amazed at what this book has done for me.While the process is long - you have to work through many exercises - the end result is a better knowledge of yourself, your interests and skills.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who isn't sure what career path to choose, anyone who is unhappy in their current job, or people just looking for a positive change in their lives.

I didn't give this 5 stars as I periodically felt the exercises took too much time and I just wanted to "get the answer".Patience isn't really my strong suit and there is alot of work involved.Having said that - the end result is worth the effort! ... Read more

Isbn: 1580085415
Sales Rank: 7338
Subjects:  1. Applications for positions    2. Business & Economics    3. Career changes    4. Career/Job    5. Careers - General    6. Careers - Job Hunting    7. Careers / Job Opportunities    8. Handbooks & Manuals    9. Vocational guidance   

Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (12 May, 1987)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.19
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Reviews (260)

Okay--My 2 Cents
So many others have written so much about this book already, that I don't think I need to give any sort of descriptive summary...

I've always been wary of these sorts of positive-thinking self-help books, and so for the most part I avoid them.But this one has achieved "classic" status, and is cheap, so I thought what the hell.I'm not disappointed.I can't honestly say whether or not the methods in this book really work (methods which amount to what is taught in the weak-minded New Age community today--visualization, affirmation, etc.; maybe there's something to it, I don't know), but the book is well-written, and well-organized and overall very clear in its instruction.

I don't buy the anecdotal evidence Hill presents as evidence of anything--no one should--but Hill does manage to write himself into a pitch of sincere enthusiasm that is contagious.And I can't help but think that any reader who manages to maintain a certain level of optimism, hope, and perseverence that Hill ignites in him will benefit in at least some small measure.

I should clarify--this is NOT New Age pabulum.Hill's directions do involve affirmation and visualization, but he also emphasizes action, and planning.He advocates practical methods, not pseudo-metaphysical mumbo-jumbo.

It's kind of amusing, too, to see him write in a tone of unconcealed adoration about the old robber barons.

A Cornerstone of Personal Excellence
This book is a Charter Member of my Self-Help Collection

There are a number of KEY books that helped me to develop
the best aspects of myself as a man and as a person. This
book is one of those cornerstones of who I am. It is timeless,
universal, and comprehensive in its coverage of the subject
material.

Other books and self-help products which are on par with this book are:

NEW SEX NOW: Life's Ultimate Pleasure DVD
Giant Steps
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Self Matters
7 Spiritual Laws of Success
Ageless Mind, Timeless Body
THE 4 AGREEMENTS
The Power of Concentration
GODDESS WORSHIP dvd

I believe that anyone who wants to be a great person would do well to study all of the above very sincerely.

It Works
Got me motivated so now I'm signing up for college at age 40 to learn to do what I really want to do.No excuses just plans. ... Read more

Isbn: 0449214923
Sales Rank: 147
Subjects:  1. Business Life - Inspirational    2. Business/Economics    3. Motivational & Inspirational    4. Personal Growth - Success    5. Psychology    6. Self-Help / Motivational   

Raving Fans : A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
by Ken Blanchard, Sheldon Bowles
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (19 May, 1993)
list price: $20.00 -- our price: $13.60
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Reviews (72)

Perhaps too simplistic, but helpful
Raving Fans is helpful in making you step back and think about your customer's wants and how to best address them.Told in the form of a novel, an "area manager" is visited by his fairy god-mother "Charlie" who proceeds to provide him with examples of "Raving Fan" service.This is then applied to his own job and the unique challenges the area manager faces daily with providing customer service.

Though not all the ideas in "Raving Fans" seem plausible or reasonable, it atleast draws the reader into asking the questions that all good managers should ask.What would Raving Fan service be in my business or organization? How would I know when we are providing "raving fan" service?

Not a heaveyweight book on management, it is never the less a good means of stepping back and asking the big questions about customer service.Not a bad book to give to managers to read and evaluate their own organization.

A quick read towards better service
I was given this book several years ago and read it a few times. I gave it to a client and have missed my copy so I will be buying another copy. Sure, the examples such as the service station and grocery store scenarios are simplistic and may be unrealistic, but they make you think about how you could improve your business. I have conducted my business on the principles in the book and I see the positive growth. Every business should have this book and make it available to every employee.

Not a "Raving Fan" of the book
Like other Blanchard books, this one presents its ideas in the form of a "novel."I guess because I read so much fiction (by authors who can WRITE), I have a hard time getting through these books.There are lots of lazy habits in the story-telling and even though RAVING FANS is incredibly short, it still feels like a slog getting through it.One example:one just one short page, two different characters have lines of dialogue, followed by "he laughed."As in, "'I never thought of that,' he laughed."Not many people laugh their words.They may say something and THEN laugh.Once or twice in a book it's okay, but twice on ONE PAGE!!The main character who is learning about the "raving fan" concept is "the area manager."It gets really annoying having him refered to in this manner from front to back.Would it really have hurt to give him a name?The darn "fairy godmother" has a name, after all.

But, the book is supposed to present business ideas, right?Well, it does this a little better than it tells a compelling story.The over-arching point is that "satisfied customers" aren't good enough anymore, because they are largely putting up with lousy service, but have simply come to expect and accept it.That's actually a simple but powerful idea.How many times do we all just take mediocrity as status quo?The idea that actually taking the trouble to please our customers...to SHOCK them into recognized they are being treated remarkably well and will in turn "rave" about this to others is compelling in its simplicity.

Because of the storytelling device of the book, some of the examples given of how to apply this are oversimplistic and not completely believable.Valet parking at a grocery store?I'm sure people WOULD rave about it...but with the margins at grocery stores, could they really afford a team of parkers?

So, from a business standpoint, the book gets a thumbs-up.From a readability standpoint, I have to give a thumbs down. ... Read more

Isbn: 0688123163
Sales Rank: 1128
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Customer Service    5. Customer services    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Finance    8. Management - General    9. Business & Economics / Management    10. Management & management techniques   

The Magic of Believing
by Claude M. Bristol
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 1991)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
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Reviews (44)

A summary
Other reviews of this book generally say things like "This book is so inspirational!" but none of the reviews really give a good idea of what this book actually says.The reviews for this book could easily be transposed with those for others, such as for books by Norman Vincent Peale, and no one would know the difference.Therefore, I would like to give a summary of what this book actually says.

In the first chapter, the author tells how he was on a cruise ship and suddenly made up his mind that he would be invited to sit at the captain's table.I thought the power of belief was just to motivate your own actions, but sure enough, your beliefs can cause other people to behave the way you want them to, because the next day the Capt. invited the author to sit at his table.The first chapter also suggests that perhaps a person can regrow a lost arm or leg if he simply makes up his mind to.In Chapter 5 he tells a story of a woman who found that all the traffic lights always turned green as her car approached them!

A word of caution, however.The author says in Chapter 3, "in order to awaken these marvelous powers you must ask for something that is rightfully yours (?) and is within your ability to handle" "For the subconscious manifests itself only in accordance to the capabilities of the person.Well, this seems very obvious.Naturally you'll only be able to accomplish what is within your capabilities.But I thought the whole purpose of this book was to extend your capabilities. Hmmm, seems kind of like an easy "out," or an excuse for the author if it doesn't work.

Also the author says that once the solution occurs to you, you must carry it out with no hesitation, deliberation or mental reservation.But this contradicts the advice he gives on page 110 of the paperback edition where he says "Beware of hunches that would lead you into untried fields that may not be hunches at all, but just sudden fanciful longings"!

In chapter 5 the author says "Many engaged in wishful thinking, but wishful thinking in itself is without effect simply because the power factor is missing," but was not the idea of the captain would invite him to sit at his table merely wishful thinking? So why did that work?

This book also contains advice that could be dangerous: in Chapter 5, the author tells of a woman who took a long automobile trip against the advice of her mechanic who suggested that her tires were bald and should be replaced.Nevertheless, she took the trip anyway and, because she "believed", her car did not suffer a blowout.She never did replace the tires, even though she admitted they were "in pretty bad shape".

In anotherpart of the book, the author talks about a great military leader who strongly believed he would triumph, but failed anyway.This is because the belief of the opposing side counteracted his own beliefs.So beliefs can be counteracted by opposite and opposing beliefs.But surely 250 million Americans never believed their country would be attacked on September 11th 2001, so why did the beliefs of a few hijackers counteract the beliefs of 250 million people? Also, why did the Titanic sink when the 3000 or so passengers on board believed it was an unsinkable ship? These may be silly questions, but they're no more silly than believing that the Capt. will invite you to his table just because you think he will.

Disappointing
I read by the same author his other book TNT - THE POWER WITHIN YOU, and I was so impressed with that particular book, that I didn't hesitate to order a copy of THE MAGIC OF BELIEVING.

However, I was very unimpressed with this book. It seems to be more of a collection of essays on the power of belief, rather that a practical how-to-do book. It also does seem quite repetitive in its message and approach.

Personally I found TNT - THE POWER WITHIN YOU to be a much more exciting and dynamic book. It has an abundance of varied information and advice, and also benefits massively from the writing style of co-author Harold Sherman.

My suggestion is don't bother with THE MAGIC OF BELIEVING. Go straight from TNT - THE POWER WITHIN YOU. This book covers everything that is in the first, but also a lot more.

Don't Just Read...try it and see
The application of the principles in this book can change your life. I heard about this book through an online egroup I belong to. I found an egroup dedicated to the study of this book and read about a number of people who had read the book and applied the principles. I have seen these principles work in my own life. Ironically, a six figure education is not likely to have given you the real knowledge of self outlined in this and similar books.

I recommend reading and applying the principles in this book with the short book "It Works" by RJH and "Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy. If you are interested in interacting with others who have applied these principles, do a search on yahoo groups using the title of the books and read some success stories.

Try it and see! ... Read more

Isbn: 0671745212
Sales Rank: 11388
Subjects:  1. Extrasensory perception    2. New Age (Self Help)    3. New Age / Parapsychology    4. Personal Growth - Success    5. Thought transference    6. Thought-transference    7. Self-Help / General   

Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
by W. Stone
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 February, 1991)
list price: $7.99 -- our price: $7.99
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Reviews (26)

Great book in addition to Think & Grow Rich
I have a library of many of Napolean Hill's books. Think & Grow Rich is my favorite. Law of Success is my second favorite and this one is next.

What I liked about this book is the addition of comments by Clement Stone along with Hill's prowess. Interesting, Stone credits Napolean Hill's philosophy for helping him amass his huge fortune.

At first glance, Success Through a PMA may appear to be just another version of Think & Grow Rich. There are some similiarities, but plenty of differences to make this book a worthwhile read.

When I first got into network marketing in the 70's, I met a guy who made over $2 million in 18 months (in 1970 $$$!!!) and credits this book along with the right opportunity as being his secret to success.

Since following Hill's advice in this and Think and Grow Rich, I have achieved success far greater than I could have otherwise.

Great book in addition to Think & Grow Rich.

Even better than Think and Grow Rich
I loved Think and Grow Rich, without a doubt one of the best personal development and most influential books of all time. But there is something special in Success Through A PMA that at least to me makes it even better than Think and Grow Rich.

The contributions by Clement Stone certaintly help. Sucess Through a PMA is a power full book and worth your consideration.

An amazing novel
Perhaps the greatest novel I have ever read.Who is the most important person in the world to you?You are.I determine how I react to every situation.I determine if I view problems as oppurtunities.It is up to each individual to make every occasion a great occasion.This book is awesome, and is probably the best motivational book I have read.The best self motivator I know, "God is always a good God."My next favorite self motivator is "Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, the human mind can achieve with a positive mental attitude."

I love reading the stories of other people who made a positive mental attitude work for them.I have also found that action does over rule emotion.The Do It Now section was also good.Instead of putting things off, I Do It Now.I plan on reading this book again, but until I do I always remember that I control whether a situation is good or bad.This is the most influential book I have read, and I recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Isbn: 0671743228
Sales Rank: 22099
Subjects:  1. Business Life - Inspirational    2. General    3. Personal Growth - General    4. Psychology    5. Self-Help    6. Success    7. Literary Criticism & Collections / General   

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R. Covey
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 October, 2001)
list price: $29.95 -- our price: $19.77
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Editorial Review

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.

Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more.

This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. --Joan Price ... Read more

Reviews (582)

Good Principles to Live By!
These are good principles to live by.Covey reveals the principles people use who are at the very highest levels of success.My boyhood hero Bart Starr is a big fan of Covey's seven principles, how can I go wrong?? If you think seriously about these ideas, your life is bound to improve in the long run.It will make you realize it is YOU and only YOU who can change the course of your life.With patience and perseverence, a person cannot lose.Thanks Stephen for your advice.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Difficult - Beyond the Point

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is full of interesting points and the habits are laid out in an intelligent and easy to follow manner.Even if you go into this book knowing, on some level, all of the habits and their respective value, the mere presentation of them will spark motivation, or at least insight.

The really difficult part of this book is not the content or even the application (though difficult it is sure to be) but the suspension of cynicism.For me the hardest part of getting into, through, and out of this book was ignoring my overly critical instincts and taking the book for what it is--gleaning such insight as is available.

If the reader is willing to suspend cynicism and just blindly (more of a premeditated willingness) apply the tenets to their life, this can, and probably will be a life changing work in a positive way.

Addresses the Core of Our Character
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People has been a bestseller in the field of personal development since its publication in 1989. A new fifteenth anniversary edition was recently published. I bought my copy in 1994 and it's been one of my most referenced books ever since, second only to my dictionary, I think.

Unlike other self-help books, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People has a timeless quality to it, as if it is addressing the core of what makes us human beings. It is not a quick-pick-me-up kind of book, and because of that, some may find it dryer and more difficult than the latest pop psychology best-seller. Covey does not speak down to the reader; he expects the reader to pay a reasonable price in time and energy for the knowledge he imparts. But his personality comes through in the sincerity and earnestness of his message, not to mention the numerous examples he uses from his own life (he and his wife have nine children, a sufficiently large enough data sample from which to draw plenty of examples that are both on-point and quite funny).

The individual habits are invaluable. They are explained clearly and compellingly, and by the end of each chapter, the value of each habit seems as fundamental as the value of oxygen. Exercises accompany each chapter so the reader can begin applying the lessons and building the habits.

But my favorite lesson comes from the overall structure of the seven habits. The first three habits are the habits of Private Victory, the habits of independence: Be Proactive; Begin with the End in Mind; Put First Things First. The second three habits are the habits of Public Victory, the habits of interdependence: Think Win/Win; Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; Synergize. Covey shows us that there is a natural evolution from dependence to independence to interdependence. Independence will serve you up to a point. Then it is necessary to collaborate if you want to continue to grow. An interdependent relationship creates a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts.

And the final habit is the habit of renewal, which Covey calls Sharpening the Saw, a metaphor so vivid it needs no further explanation.

©2005 Curtis G. Schmitt

(The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is featured in the Turn On to Life! home-study course. The Turn On to Life! Free Newsletter features a new self-help book review each month.) ... Read more

Isbn: 188321937X
Subjects:  1. Audio - Business / Professional    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Business Life - General    4. Motivational    5. Personal Growth - Happiness    6. Personal Growth - Success    7. Self-Help    8. Self-Help / Motivational    9. Business Life