// Book comparison
Ego Is the Enemy vs How to Win Friends and Influence People
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Ego Is the Enemy
by Ryan Holiday
★ 4.9/5
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Ego Is the Enemy | How to Win Friends and Influence People | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 256 | 288 |
| Reading time | ~6.4 h | ~7.2 h |
| Published | 2016 | 1936 |
| Author | Ryan Holiday | Dale Carnegie |
| Category | Personal Effectiveness | Leadership |
| Publisher | Portfolio | Simon & Schuster |
Choose Ego Is the Enemy if…
- → You're interested in personal effectiveness.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~6.4 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (2016).
Choose How to Win Friends and Influence People if…
- → You're interested in leadership.
Key takeaways — Ego Is the Enemy
- ✓ Maintain a Lifelong Student Mindset by intentionally seeking out mentors and peers who challenge your strategic assumptions, preventing the 'stagnation of success'.
- ✓ Prioritize Action over Talk, recognizing that the public narrative of your achievements is often a distraction from the deep work required to sustain your organization’s competitive edge.
- ✓ Utilize the Plus, Minus, Equal framework to ensure your professional development is balanced, allowing you to learn, teach, and compete with humility and clarity.
Key takeaways — How to Win Friends and Influence People
- ✓ Practice Radical Appreciation by identifying and acknowledging the sincere strengths of your team members, which is the most effective way to inspire high performance and loyalty.
- ✓ Master Empathetic Perspective-Taking by always seeking to understand the motives and needs of your stakeholders before attempting to persuade them to your strategic viewpoint.
- ✓ Avoid Direct Criticism and instead use indirect methods to point out errors, ensuring that you preserve the other person’s dignity and maintain a collaborative work environment.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. If you specifically need leadership, How to Win Friends and Influence People is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Ego Is the Enemy or How to Win Friends and Influence People better? +
Ego Is the Enemy has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Ego Is the Enemy focuses on personal effectiveness, while How to Win Friends and Influence People focuses on leadership. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Ego Is the Enemy or How to Win Friends and Influence People? +
Ego Is the Enemy is shorter (256 pages, ~6.4 hours) compared to How to Win Friends and Influence People (288 pages, ~7.2 hours).
Should I read Ego Is the Enemy or How to Win Friends and Influence People first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with Ego Is the Enemy. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.