How to Win Friends and Influence People

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Part 1

Reading Check

1. According to the book, what can 85% of financial success be attributed to?

2. What does everyone feel the desire to be?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the outcomes of people using the book’s techniques?

2. Why didn’t Lincoln send his scathing letter to Meade?

3. What does the author advise regarding criticism?

4. What advice does the author give to those who wish to get something they want from someone else?

5. What is the difference between flattery and appreciation?

6. Why is empathy important when attempting to influence others?

Paired Resource

“5 Tips for Giving Effective Feedback to Your Team”

• This article offers tips for providing feedback to others and connects to the theme The Power of Appreciation.
• What is the difference between constructive feedback and criticism? What should the intention behind constructive criticism be? What is the value of positive reinforcement in giving feedback?      

Part 2

Reading Check

1. To what does the author compare people who easily make friends?

2. What is the most popular word in phone conversations?

3. What does the author claim is the sweetest and most important sound in any language?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. C. M. Knaphle Jr. at first could not land a fuel account with a chain store operation. How did he ultimately land the account?

2. What is the first principle of being liked?

3. What are the benefits associated with smiling?

4. How might someone help another simply by listening?

5. Why was Teddy Roosevelt successful as a conversationalist?

6. Why should you make others feel important to be well-liked?

Paired Resource

“To Be Happier, Should You Focus on Yourself or Others?”

• This article describes the results of one study that compares the benefits of self-care with care for others.
• What emotions were associated with focusing on others and focusing on yourself? What does the study suggest regarding the benefits of self-care and care for others? How is this article’s content related to the novel’s theme of The Power of Appreciation?

The Benefits of Smiles and Laughter

• This article describes the different types of smiles and laughter and the psychological benefits of each.
• What is the difference between a genuine smile and a polite smile? What are the reasons people smile? What are the benefits of smiling and laughter? How is this article related to the novel’s themes of The Power of Appreciation and Leadership as Inspiration?

Part 3

Reading Check

1. According to the book, what is the only way to get the best of an argument?

2. What might an admission of guilt incite an authority figure to do?

3. What newspaper published its contents in book form?

4. What principle is exemplified by getting on one knee to propose?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why did the Shakespeare expert lie about where the quote came from?

2. What can be said to disarm an argument?

3. What does the author suggest is the best way to help others accept your viewpoint?

4. What does Aesop’s fable of “The North Wind and The Sun” illustrate?

5. How is the Socratic method used?

6. What does bragging do, and how can it be corrected?

7. Why is it beneficial to see things from another’s viewpoint?

Paired Resource

How to Handle Arguments

• This article describes the appropriate ways to handle conflict.
• Why is listening important during an argument? What are the benefits of accepting responsibility and apologizing? How do questions help to resolve conflict? How is this article related to the novel’s theme of Sidestepping Arguments and Leadership as Inspiration?

Part 4

Reading Check

1. Who wrote to Union General Joseph Hooker to encourage him to refrain from mutinous talk?

2. What did Charles Schwab hand workers who were smoking beneath a “No Smoking” sign?

3. What is an alternative to giving direct orders?

4. Rather than pointing to faults, what principle does the author point to?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are ways a person in authority can address a problem indirectly?

2. How can pointing to one’s own mistakes be beneficial in instructing others?

3. What is the importance of praise?

4. What does the author mean when he says, “Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to”?

5. How might you motivate others to do what you want?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

• This self-help book discusses the use of positive energy to live a healthy and happy life.
• Shared topics include leadership tactics, motivation, and healthy living.
• Shared themes include Leadership as Inspiration, Sidestepping Arguments, and The Power of Appreciation.
• The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy on SuperSummary

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

• This self-help book describes the key principles required to be successful.
• Shared topics include communicating effectively, efficiency, and perspective.
• Shared themes include The Power of Appreciation and Leadership as Inspiration.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on SuperSummary