Timeless Value

I can't escape. My Talbots bill yells at me. Firm resolutions to control my clothes addiction are as futile as my vow to give up chocolate. But rationalization is easy: Clothes from Talbots are classic. They last forever.

How to Win Friends & Influence People is another classic in my life. Dale Carnegie wrote this powerful treatise on human relations 70 years ago. Admittedly, the prominent people he writes about no longer make headline news, and the examples are quaint. But its message never goes out of style. Selling more than 15 million copies, it is one of the all-time international best sellers.

Let's admit it: Our biggest challenge is how to deal effectively with people. Carnegie reminds us that 15 percent of our business-and, quite frankly, financial success-comes from technical knowledge. This leaves a whopping 85 percent "due to skill in human engineering-to the ability to lead people."

Friends & People is an action book-a book gilded with 30 basic principles that when practiced regularly are guaranteed to help us "discover, develop and profit" from a classic understanding of human nature.

Old stuff? Yes. But take a fresh look. Approach it from our modern perspective. You will discover simple, but often forgotten niceties that you can use immediately to improve your business, social and home life. Carnegie's premise is if we want to influence other people, we must make them feel important and appreciated. Although simple, it's not easy. The motivating desire to make it work is, "Just this: a deep driving desire to increase your ability to deal with people."

The Amazon.com sticker price for this invaluable volume is $7.99-far less than the glaring bottom line of my Talbots bill. What they share is a timeless, priceless investment.

-Judith Kolva, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, International College