European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The gospel according to Dale Carnegie by Nancy Shulins associated Pressa t the height of inc great depression a Middle aged Man irom Missouri who taught Public speaking at a new York Myca scoured the City s libraries and bookstores Tor a textbook to accompany his courses finding none he wrote his own thai done he handed the manuscript Over to a student who had persuaded him to let his employer. Simon and schuster publish the Book the Man irom Missouri sceptical about its chances in the marketplace bought he entire Lisl printing of 5,000 copies and tucked them away in his attic for the author. Dale Carnegie who had already parlayed a tireless Energy and unwavering optimism into a series of successful careers it was a most uncharacteristic act it was also unnecessary soon after it was published. How to win friends and influence people priced Al $1 98, was Selling 5,000 copies a Day thanks to a direct mail Campaign aimed at the nation s businessmen at last count the Book As those whose livelihoods revolve around it tend to Call it has sold More than 15 million hardcover copies and has been translated into 40 languages it remained a new York times Best seller for a decade last year american heritage Magazine described Ilas one of 10 books that shaped the american character. In sales among non fiction Best Sellers it ranks close to the Bible in influence it ushered in a new Era on self help and human potential Hal continues to thrive. Its message which threw a Welcome spotlight into the dark recesses of american business and Industry was simple and upbeat Nice Guys. Carnegie believed can indeed finish first How to win friends celebrates its 50th birthday in october and while the Man who wrote it has been dead for More than 30 years. Dale Carnegie & associates. The organization that bears his name continues to spread his gospel to a worldwide class in human relations students in 68 countries enrol in Dale Carnegie courses at a rate of More than 2.000 a week. Those who have fallen under Carnegie s influence number among the world s most influential people. Pope John Paul ii is a disciple. Lee Iacocca quotes Carnegie Wall Disney was a believer. So was Franklin d Roosevelt j Oliver Crom. Carnegie s son in Law and president of the company says 400 of the Fortune 500 companies Are paying customers of Dale Carnegie courses his biggest accounts the big three automakers ism and at to. According to Crom projections for the fiscal year that ends in August indicate new cause for Celebration Between 135,000 and 140.000 students will graduate from Carnegie courses a new record for a single year if you re going to sell Success you should be successful says Crom a genial Man who greets each employee by name in keeping with Carnegie principle no. 6 remember that a person s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any  Carnegie himself read the Book hundreds of times. Crom recalls. He did t profess to have invented the principles. But he came As close to perfecting them As anyone i be Ever known. I never once saw him  Crom believes the Success of the Book lies in its use of relevant examples. Indeed the 276-Page paperback is peppered with them. Case histories run the Gamut from the life of Abraham Lincoln whom Carnegie studied extensively to that of Al Capone who contrary to Public opinion saw himself As a kind hearted victim As do most people. The message behind the examples Don t criticize condemn or complain is principle no. 1 the Only negative Rule and the hardest to follow says Crom the others become genuinely interested in other people  be a Good listener Etc. Are equally timeless which explains Why in ils 50-year life Span the Book has been revised Only once in 1981. Dale Carnegie father of the modern self help Book precursor of the human potential movement and Dean of american adult education was clearly ahead of his Lime his was the quintessential american Success Story unlike his Distant Cousin Andrew of the Rich Carneg Edale Carnegie grew up poor on a farm in Maryville to. As a kid he picked strawberries for a Nickel an hour. His Mother however had plans for her son. And moved the family to Warrensburg enabling Dale to attend the state teacher s College. He could t afford to live on Campus so he commuted on horseback. That and his threadbare clothes Small stature and limited athletic ability contributed to an inferiority Complex that he battled by making a name for himself As a College debater. His Early jobs Afler College were in sales. First he hawked an International correspondence course with moderate Success. When a fellow Salesman told him he d do better with a product people actually needed he switched to Bacon soap and lard transforming Armour & co s worst sales territory the badlands of South Dakota into the company s biggest moneymaker within a year. With the $500 he saved As a Star Salesman Carnegie moved to new York to try acting he toured with a Road show for a year Ihen decided to find a steady Day of so he could write a novel at night. Carnegie already an accomplished Hustler persuaded the Myca to let him teach Public speaking at their 125th Street Branch he launched his teaching career in 19 2, working on a $2-pcr-student commission. The novel never materialized but within three or four years he was successful enough As a teacher to afford his own office. Figuring the name could t Hurt he moved his operation to Carnegie Hall. The Guy was no Dummy says Crom. About the same time. Lowell Thomas then an associate professor of speech at Princeton University came to Carnegie Lor help in putting together a travel talk on Alaska. Carnegie eventually became Thomas business manager a Job he held for several years. He supplemented his income by writing a newspaper column and doing a syndicated radio show consisting of interviews with celebrities. Carnegie knew precisely what his depression Era listeners wanted to hear his interviews zeroed in on successful people s suggestions on How to get ahead his popularity soared. Several Early books by Carnegie including five minute biographies and Little known facts about Well known people were published by the Myca press. The books now out of print did t exactly make their author Rich but they did help make him famous later j. Oliver Crom la the president of Dale Carnegie 4 associates today. Page 14 the stars and stripes sunday