// Book comparison

How to Win Friends and Influence People vs The Psychology of Money

Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.

At a glance

How to Win Friends and Influence People The Psychology of Money
Rating ★ 4.9/5 ★ 4.9/5
Pages 288 256
Reading time ~7.2 h ~6.4 h
Published 1936 2020
Author Dale Carnegie Morgan Housel
Category Leadership Personal Effectiveness
Publisher Simon & Schuster Harriman House

Choose How to Win Friends and Influence People if…

  • You're interested in leadership.
  • You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).

Choose The Psychology of Money if…

  • You're interested in personal effectiveness.
  • You prefer a shorter read (~6.4 hours).
  • You want the more recent perspective (2020).

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 →

Key takeaways — The Psychology of Money

  • Prioritize Financial Flexibility over high returns, recognizing that the ability to survive market downturns is the prerequisite for benefiting from long-term compounding.
  • Understand the Role of Luck and Risk in every success story, ensuring you remain humble during booms and resilient during busts to maintain strategic clarity.
  • Adopt the Wealth Mindset by focusing on assets that provide control over your time, which is the ultimate measure of professional and personal effectiveness.
Read full The Psychology of Money summary →

The verdict

If you want the higher-rated, more acclaimed read, start with How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you specifically need personal effectiveness, The Psychology of Money is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.

❓ FAQ

Is How to Win Friends and Influence People or The Psychology of Money 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 The Psychology of Money focuses on personal effectiveness. See the verdict below.

Which is shorter, How to Win Friends and Influence People or The Psychology of Money? +

The Psychology of Money is shorter (256 pages, ~6.4 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 The Psychology of Money 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.