The first, and one of the best self-help books, Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People has helped millions of people improve their personal and professional lives. First published in 1936, the book continues to prove invaluable because of the timeless questions that are answered by Carnegie. The techniques and principles of the book have proved their efficacy over the years. According to Carnegie, our success depends greatly on our communication skills and tactics, and our ability to manage our relationships. In this book, Carnegie guides us to improve these very skills. The book discusses the techniques of handling people, Carnegie points out that we should not criticize or condemn anybody, and should always give our honest appreciation. While pointing out how we can make people like us, Carnegie advises us to be good listeners, show genuine interest in people, and make people feel good about themselves. To come across as a pleasant and friendly person, the most important thing to do is to smile.
The core lesson is that the best and most disruptive companies go “from zero to one,” from non-existence to existence, from no solution to solution, from nothing expected to something expected. Most companies, though, go from 1 to 1.1, or 1.1 to 1.11, they don’t make a huge disruptive change. To have a lasting impact, you must find zero and create a new paradigm.
The stories featured in this book display Holmes’s detective skills, his ability to solve difficult cases quickly, his knack for using logical reasoning and forensic science, and his talent at disguising himself. And not too far behind is Dr. Watson, Holmes’s ever so wise and loyal partner, who religiously pens down all their adventures. This collection contains four novels and fifty six short stories. The titles of the four novels are A Study In Scarlet, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of The Four, and The Valley of Fear. Some of the titles of the short stories included in the book are The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. Many of the stories featured in The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 4 Novels And 56 Short Stories were turned into Hollywood movies. The movie titled Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, was released in 2009. It was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2011, A Game of Shadows was released featuring the same Hollywood actors.
