Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsPractical for many, impractical for some, and antiquated for all
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2015
One of my biggest problems with this book is that I didn't really need it in the first place. I don't worry very much, at least not in the sense that this book addresses. This book is for people who are paralyzed by fear, either due to a destructive mental attitude or some unintended external factors. Since I am generally confident in myself, am mostly concerned with school or other work that I am intrinsically motivated to handle, and have thankfully never had to deal with anything I would call a real tragedy or highly traumatic experience, I don't find myself in the desperate situations that plague the many subjects of "How to Stop Worrying". Similarly, most of the advice on "How to break the Worry Habit Before it Breaks You" (Part 3 of the book) is not particularly useful for me.
That being said, for people who do need to stop worrying (as I wish my parents would), Carnegie's advice is mostly sound. True, it's nothing we all haven't heard before (e.g. "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade"; "count your blessings"; etc.), but it's nevertheless worth internalizing and practicing in our daily lives. Some of Carnegie's tips are more practical. When you're faced with a tough decision, he suggests writing out your problem and logically evaluating your options for how to proceed. Carnegie also recommends putting a "stop-loss order on your worries," exercising to alleviate stress, and not expecting gratitude from people, all solid methods to reduce worry and frustration. I found the section on "Six Ways to Prevent Worry and Fatigue and Keep Your Energy and Spirits High" (Part 7) especially useful.
Many of Carnegie's suggestions, however, are too abstract and idealized to be useful to highly rational, analytical-type people. (It's worth noting that scientists and engineers seemed to make up a very small percentage of Carnegie's examples; he mostly focused on businessmen and housewives.) For example, Chapter 16, "Find Yourself and Be Yourself" warns against emulating role models, but this is an essential part of the path to success for many great people. Chapter 18 outright claims that one can "cure depression in fourteen days" by simply doing good deeds for other people, which is ridiculous to anyone with even a partial understanding of the complex disease that is depression.
But undoubtedly the worst offense is the unrelenting promotion of Christianity (despite some failed attempts to seem liberal and open to all faiths). I was able to ignore these references, chalking them up to the book's age, until I got to Part 5, "The Perfect Way to Conquer Worry". The entire section is literally a sermon proclaiming that the ultimate solution to all of life's misery is to resign all our worries to God and trust His judgement on how things should turn out. What if God is too busy to heal your dying child? What if you're forced to turn to a medical doctor? Or worse, what if you yourself have to take responsibility for your own life? Carnegie even recommends going to church on weekday afternoons to pray, as if the rest of us have nothing better to do. He goes as far as asserting that even people who don't follow the Christian faith are Christians simply by virtue of being decent people. This is both infuriating and absurd. All Christians are supposed to be good people, but not all good people are Christians. After forcing myself to read through the whole section, I quickly lost my patience with the constant Jesus references. If you're already devoutly Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, or are looking to be converted, none of this will be a problem for you. If you fancy yourself the more open-minded, self-reliant type, you've been warned.
In the final analysis, this book deserves at least an "okay" rating for offering some sound advice and helping millions of people in the many, many decades since it was written. As much as Carnegie's religious vitriol angered me, I will have to keep some of his more practical suggestions in mind. If nothing else, the book is a quick and easy read, even when rereading and marking up each chapter. If you find yourself worrying frequently or severely, this book is absolutely for you. If you consider yourself more legitimately concerned than irrationally worried, I would recommend turning instead to books on productivity.
