// Book comparison

High Output Management vs How to Win Friends and Influence People

Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of High Output Management by Andrew Grove and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

At a glance

High Output Management How to Win Friends and Influence People
Rating ★ 4.9/5 ★ 4.9/5
Pages 272 288
Reading time ~6.8 h ~7.2 h
Published 1983 1936
Author Andrew Grove Dale Carnegie
Category Strategy & Management Leadership
Publisher Vintage Simon & Schuster

Choose High Output Management if…

  • You're interested in strategy & management.
  • You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
  • You prefer a shorter read (~6.8 hours).
  • You want the more recent perspective (1983).

Choose How to Win Friends and Influence People if…

  • You're interested in leadership.

Key takeaways — High Output Management

  • Understand Managerial Leverage, focusing your time on activities that provide the highest positive impact on the collective output of your entire team.
  • Implement OKR (Objectives and Key Results) to ensure that every individual's tactical goals are mathematically aligned with the organization's overarching strategic mission.
  • Treat Training and Motivation as the only two tools a manager has to improve performance, making employee development a core operational requirement rather than an HR task.
Read full High Output Management summary →

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.
Read full How to Win Friends and Influence People summary →

The verdict

If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with High Output Management. 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 High Output Management or How to Win Friends and Influence People better? +

High Output Management has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. High Output Management focuses on strategy & management, while How to Win Friends and Influence People focuses on leadership. See the verdict below.

Which is shorter, High Output Management or How to Win Friends and Influence People? +

High Output Management is shorter (272 pages, ~6.8 hours) compared to How to Win Friends and Influence People (288 pages, ~7.2 hours).

Should I read High Output Management or How to Win Friends and Influence People first? +

If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with High Output Management. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.