I believe that HTWFAIP is derided because people think that what it says=20
is obvious, because what it says is obviously true.  But, if it WAS=20
obvious, we wouldn't live in a world where people, for example, go into=20
the town clerk's office and pound on the desk and shout that the clerk=20
MUST work through lunch to register their car, OR ELSE!  When that=20
fails, they try "Well, would you do it as a personal favor to me?" =20
Hilarious, but it happens every day.

You might also try Ben Franklin's autobiography.  It has something to=20
say on the subject.

Kerry



RussellMc wrote:
> FWIW, I found Carnegie's classically derided book (probably with very
> little relevance to the course) "How to win friends and influence
> people" to be one of the best motivational books I've seen. veryone
> derides it but few seem to have read it. I try to avoid most of these
> and over the years have managed to succeed. But this book, which is
> arguably the mother of the motivational literature industry, is
> actually IMO very good. It says many things but to me had one
> overwhelming core lesson:  Q: HTWFAIP? - "Be genuinely interested in
> people". Not so easy.
>
> Another book which I found to be excellent (and the only motivational
> industry book I have ever bought (and I bought a second for a friend))
> was Covey's original "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".
> What makes this book great is that it is quite unlike the Flash-Harry,
> slick answer, special handshakes, dress this way, walk/talk/think this
> way rubbish that has been trotted out by so many for so long. Instead
> it prescribes  an utterly foundational look at how life works, how we
> get things done, what is important to us and why.  To succeed at what
> it offers is to transform your life or to be doing the right thing
> already. Needless to say, we mere mortals must walk softly away from
> such with our hands in view - but it offers enough to help change
> happen.
>
> While I'm on a roll (or a hiding to nothing),  Maxwell Maltz's 1960
> book "Pschocybernetics" (do not be scared by the title)
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho-Cybernetics is remarkably good.
> Allegedly it is the foundation of the methods of some of the more
> worthwhile motivational gurus. Another "method" that I honour as much
> in the breach as the observance (or more) but worthwhile.
>
> Mention in passing:  I long ago got to skim a book which I was sure I
> would deride -  Jose Silva's "The Silva Mind control Method". A quick
> skim revealed much good stuff and a perspective quite different to
> what I'd expected.
>  =20
--=20
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