Dorothy Carnegie

Dorothy Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1894, the daughter of a coal miner. She was educated at school and college and went on to teach at a secondary school. In 1922, she married motivational speaker and publisher Dale Carnegie, and the couple eventually moved to the United States, where they established the Dale Carnegie Institute.

Dorothy Carnegie was an incredibly talented author, publishing educational works and memoirs that shared her life experiences and worldview. Her works notably reflect the sweeping influence of the woman's rights movement during the mid-twentieth century, and her most famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), was eventually published in 15 languages.

Dorothy Carnegie's extensive body of work includes a collection of stories titled Our Most Inspirational Women (1966), a collection of poems titled Woman of Destiny (1988), and a biography of her husband titled Continual Feast: A Life of Dale Carnegie (2005). Additionally, she wrote a novella titled A Coverlet of Fire (1982).

Dorothy's writing reflects her strong use of metaphor, her penchant for offering philosophical insights from her life experiences, and her commitment to providing an unflinching look at gender roles at the time. Her books often balance biography and autobiography—they feature personal anecdotes interspersed with musings about life, relationships, and gender.

Dorothy Carnegie wrote about the dichotomy between men and women, the challenge of overcoming obstacles, and the importance of being purposeful in life. Her works emphasized the importance of independent thinking and action, and she viewed women as having the potential to make a difference in the world.

In her book How to Win Friends, she wrote, "The key to winning friends and influencing people is to focus on others and their goals, to share your knowledge, your feelings, and your life experience, and to remain open-minded." This sentiment, that individuals must be respectful of one another in order to achieve a common goal, is reflective of her life’s work and core believing His wife Dorothy was his first and main ghostwriter who collected many of his speeches and preserved his legacy.

Dorothy Carnegie's legacy is one of unwavering commitment to helping others, championing the values of gender equality and social responsibility, and inspiring people to be their best selves. She was an advocate of lifelong learning and personal growth. Her life's work was dedicated to helping others and providing her readers with the tools to make meaningful and lasting change in the world. As she said in her New York Times obituary: "It is never too late to become what you might have been."

Dorothy Carnegie's works have inspired millions to live authentically, regard people with respect, and embrace the potential of each individual to make a positive difference in the world.