About the Author Dale Carnegie (November 24, 1888 -- November 1, 1955) was a celebrated American author and self-improvement guru. Born in poverty on a farm in Missouri, he built himself a successful career as a traveling salesman before moving on to teach public speaking at a New York YMCA in 1912. His course was a hit, and within two years he had moved out of the YMCA and founded the Dale Carnegie Institute to accommodate the huge demand for his classes. His 1936 book HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE was a global bestseller, selling almost 5 million copies during his lifetime and becoming a staple of business curriculums around the world.