// Book comparison
How to Win Friends and Influence People vs Ogilvy on Advertising
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
★ 4.9/5
Ogilvy on Advertising
by David Ogilvy
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| How to Win Friends and Influence People | Ogilvy on Advertising | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 288 | 224 |
| Reading time | ~7.2 h | ~5.6 h |
| Published | 1936 | 1983 |
| Author | Dale Carnegie | David Ogilvy |
| Category | Leadership | Marketing & Sales |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster | Vintage |
Choose How to Win Friends and Influence People if…
- → You're interested in leadership.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
Choose Ogilvy on Advertising if…
- → You're interested in marketing & sales.
- → You prefer a shorter read (~5.6 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (1983).
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.
Key takeaways — Ogilvy on Advertising
- ✓ Prioritize Market Research as the foundation of your creative strategy, ensuring that your organization's messaging is based on what actually motivates the consumer to buy.
- ✓ Develop a Big Idea for every campaign—a singular, arresting concept that makes your brand stand out and provides a unified strategic direction for all marketing assets.
- ✓ Focus on Informational Persuasion, recognizing that 'the more you tell, the more you sell,' especially when dealing with high-stakes or complex product offerings.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, more acclaimed read, start with How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you specifically need marketing & sales, Ogilvy on Advertising is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is How to Win Friends and Influence People or Ogilvy on Advertising better? +
How to Win Friends and Influence People has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. How to Win Friends and Influence People focuses on leadership, while Ogilvy on Advertising focuses on marketing & sales. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, How to Win Friends and Influence People or Ogilvy on Advertising? +
Ogilvy on Advertising is shorter (224 pages, ~5.6 hours) compared to How to Win Friends and Influence People (288 pages, ~7.2 hours).
Should I read How to Win Friends and Influence People or Ogilvy on Advertising first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with How to Win Friends and Influence People. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.