// Book comparison
How to Win Friends and Influence People vs Think and Grow Rich
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
by Dale Carnegie
★ 4.9/5
Think and Grow Rich
by Napoleon Hill
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| How to Win Friends and Influence People | Think and Grow Rich | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 288 | 238 |
| Reading time | ~7.2 h | ~6.0 h |
| Published | 1936 | 1937 |
| Author | Dale Carnegie | Napoleon Hill |
| Category | Leadership | Finance & Investment |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster | The Ralston Society |
Choose How to Win Friends and Influence People if…
- → You're interested in leadership.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
Choose Think and Grow Rich if…
- → You're interested in finance & investment.
- → You prefer a shorter read (~6.0 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (1937).
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 — Think and Grow Rich
- ✓ Develop a Definite Chief Aim for your organization, ensuring that every strategic decision and resource allocation is aligned with a singular, compelling vision of success.
- ✓ Utilize the Master Mind Principle by surrounding yourself with a diverse group of experts and advisors, creating a collective intelligence that is greater than the sum of its parts.
- ✓ Cultivate Unwavering Persistence, recognizing that the ability to maintain effort through temporary defeats is the primary psychological trait that separates high-achievers from the rest.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, more acclaimed read, start with How to Win Friends and Influence People. If you specifically need finance & investment, Think and Grow Rich is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is How to Win Friends and Influence People or Think and Grow Rich 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 Think and Grow Rich focuses on finance & investment. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, How to Win Friends and Influence People or Think and Grow Rich? +
Think and Grow Rich is shorter (238 pages, ~6.0 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 Think and Grow Rich 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.