434 Book Roulette: How to Win Friends & Influence People
Tom is back from Japan, about to get on a plane to France, and feeling pretty damn good about life—which seems like the perfect time to talk about how not to be an asshole. This episode, Tom cracks open Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, a 90-year-old book he picked up for a dollar and fully expected to be outdated. Instead, he finds himself underlining advice that feels remarkably useful in 2026: remember people's names, listen more than you talk, give people genuine appreciation, control your temper, and avoid arguments like snakes and earthquakes. Along the way, Tom remembers the sales advice his father gave him that became surprisingly good comedy advice, the relationships that taught him to shut up and listen, and why sometimes the most compassionate response to someone's problems is simply, "Dirty bastards." There's also Abraham Lincoln's furious letter he wisely never mailed, Benjamin Franklin learning to stop correcting everyone, a near-death encounter crossing the street in Bangkok, an elbow to the ribs on the Tokyo Metro, French dinner-table wisdom, Los Angeles rage management, and the enduring human desire to feel important. It's Dale Carnegie the Tom Rhodes way: comedy, travel, relationships, anger, empathy, questionable encounters with strangers, and some genuinely useful advice for getting along with your fellow humans. Hooray for humanity! We're dropping new episodes every Thursday-ish. Connect! Be part of the Rhodesies team and get goodies: https://patreon.com/tomrhodessmartcamp https://patreon.com/ashnarodjan More Tom https://www.instagram.com/_TomRhodes More Ashna https://www.instagram.com/ashnarodjan
