How to Influence People and Make Friends

This book was a self-help book that focuses on people skills. Rather than follow one person or a group of people, it used a large sample of short anecdotes that the author had learned throughout his life time to help teach value lessons on how to handle people. One of my favorite was his study of Abraham Lincoln, who according to the book was not always the mellow man he is made out to be. In his youth he was known for publicly bashing and criticizing people to the point that they were embarrassed out. He would do it every time he grew angry with some who made a mistake. Well there was one instance where he criticized the wrong man and was challenged to a sword duel. The book doesn’t go into detail on how the situation was resolved but after that he learned to control his temper and words. Even when faced by a general who during the Civil War had the forces of the South and general Lee against the river and could’ve ended the war at that attack waited and to the despair of President Lincoln escaped. Rather than blame and criticize the general he told him he forgave and understood his rational of following orders and felt he more than likely would have done the same in his shoes. I highly recommend this book it has lots of great advice and teaches you a lot about the way others think.