I wasn’t sure what to expect from Giles Kemp and Edward Claflin’s book “Dale Carnegie: The Man Who Influenced Millions.”
Having been a member of several speech clubs in the past, as well as having made a lifetime worth of presentations, I really didn’t think there was much to be learned from Carnegie’s course.
I came across a review of Carnegie’s book that mentioned that Carnegie left out a chapter on dealing this toxic personalities. This is the book referred to.
To some extent, I find Carnegie’s life to be ironic. To the public, he’s perceived as being the the perfect speaker and someone at ease in any situation. In reality, he was uncomfortable outside of his “school’s” environment. He created a mechanism that allows people to be more self-assured and better at dealing with others. But, being able to teach others does not imply mastery of the techniques being taught.
In my reading of impactful individuals from the last 300 years, I am saddened that there is very little possibility for someone to replicate their path in today’s world. Carnegie never completed junior college ant yet was able to achieve great success teaching even the captains of industry.
Unlike the traditional biography, vignettes are presented from contemporary (1989) Carnegie classes.
The book is well worth the read.
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