Dale Carnegie first penned his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, in 1936. I’m reading it as part of my Program Mentor training with the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. Imagine my surprise when I sourced a copy at the Toronto Public Library, I found there were 17 copies and all were on loan or on reserve.
I highly recommend this read. It is easy to get through with short, succinct chapters. The material is as relevant today as I think it must have been over 75 years ago. The behaviour Carnegie recommends of us does not take a university course to apply and could be initiated by anyone immediately. A surprising amount of his directives are good common sense that we fail to remember and therefore neglect to apply with authenticity and sincerity.
Happy Birthday “How to Win Friends…”
Archive for books
If you or someone you know is involved in downsizing their home, or even a spring clear-out project, then you or they are familiar with the problems of finding homes for the things you once loved or used and which you are now ready to pass on. Some of these items truly belong in the garbage. As one client once said to me “Even good treasures left long enough become garbage.” This next series of posts will address organizing for downsizing, particularly finding new homes or places to sell previously cherished and potentially valuable items.
Today’s items are books. In one client’s home we uncovered a storage room with many, many boxes of books. Some were over 100 years old. Some were mouldy. Some were signed by the authors.
Here are three websites to which I was directed to try and find the value in some of these books:
- How to Find the Value…
- Archives and Collections Society (Canadian and US resources)
- Evaluating your old books…
While it is sometimes hard to part with things we once loved and used, separation can be easier if we know the item is going to a good home. If time and simplicity are issues for you, consider finding a local book reseller or book dealer in your area. If all else fails, you will at least have found someone with compassion for your love of the written word.
Peter Walsh’s most recent book Enough Already is now available on Amazon. I highly recommend this to those of you who are overwhelmed not only by your clutter, but by your life in general. True to his character, Peter handles not just the stuff in our lives but the issues of emotional and mental clutter.
Whether you are tackling little clutter, big clutter at home or at work, I recommend this read to you.
