The Friend Lottery

Today is Sunday night, the end of the first week of June, and therefore the deadline for my first book of the week. If you recall this week's book was How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie... Or as I like to think of it:

'How to Strike The Friend Lottery.'

To break it down, the book was a good reminder of the importance of considering the perceptions of those around you before taking action and of the necessity to use diplomacy when developing relationships with others. To illustrate these ideas, Carnegie used a series of historical examples, which not only emphasized the practical use of his suggestions in human relations but also made things seem a bit more applicable. It's really quite good. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially to those of you entering the business profession or...

*the socially inept.*

My advice? Read it.
Don't have time?... Here's my cliff notes:

To make people like you... Show interest in them, Smile, and Listen

To persuade... Avoid argument, Respect the opinions of others, Admit when you're wrong, and Be sympathetic to the other person's ideas

To encourage change... Begin with praise, Acknowledge your own mistakes first, Praise improvement, and Use encouragement.

To make your home a happier place... Avoid nagging and criticism, Don't try to change your partner, Show Appreciation, and... Carnegie says: Maintain sexual harmony.

Sound a little sketchy to you? Well, it's really quite good. Give it a read and let me know what you think?

**And that's book #1 of my Book of the Week extravaganza.*

Happy Reading!