How to Win Friends and Influence People audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Dale Carnegie’s 1936 guide to getting on with people, with three full-length English recordings to choose from.
Short answer: for the How to Win Friends and Influence People audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). The book is one author’s voice, read by one narrator, which favours audio. Nothing on the print side could be confirmed, but only one check counts in all, so confidence is held at 65%.
Listen on Audible
It's written in one author's voice and told through his anecdotes, built from his course lectures, so a single reader carries it naturally. Richard Bhakti Klein reads it all in just over 8 hours.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above. Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Richard Bhakti Klein | Richard Bhakti Klein |
| Length | 8 hours 2 minutes (8h 2m), unabridged | 8 hours 2 minutes (8h 2m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 5h 21m | about 5h 21m |
| At 2x | about 4h 1m | about 4h 1m |
| Audio publisher and date | HarperCollins India, 25 May 2026 | HarperCollins India, 25 May 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £5.02 on Audible UK | $11.69 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £3.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Vermilion paperback, 304 pages | Simon & Schuster updated hardcover, 320 pages, 17 May 2022 | |
| Listener rating | No ratings yet | Performance 4.2 from only 5 ratings |
Two other unabridged recordings are sold on both stores, each with one narrator. Robert Petkoff reads the 2022 updated edition (8h 18m, Simon & Schuster Audio). Andrew MacMillan reads a 2004 recording (7h 15m, Simon & Schuster Audio), the most rated, with a Performance rating of 4.71 from 81,734 ratings on Audible US. The newest recording is scored; no check changes between them.
Ratings and prices checked 2 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 2 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Dale Carnegie
- Genre
- Self-help
- First published
- 1936
- Length
- 304 pages (Vermilion paperback)
- On audio
- 8 hrs 2 mins, Richard Bhakti Klein
- Other recordings
- Robert Petkoff (2022), Andrew MacMillan (2004)
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 7 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Richard Bhakti Klein, HarperCollins India, 2026, 8h 2m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- Robert Petkoff (2022 updated edition); Andrew MacMillan (2004)
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
How to Win Friends and Influence People is Dale Carnegie’s guide to dealing with people, first published by Simon & Schuster in 1936 and built from his course lectures. It is arranged as a set of principles, each told through anecdotes.
A 1981 revision updated the language and cut two sections, and a 2022 edition, revised under Carnegie’s daughter Donna Dale Carnegie, restores some 1936 material. How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age (2011) is a separate book.
The case for reading it
No print feature could be confirmed. The UK paperback is 304 pages, arranged principle by principle, which suits dipping back in to find one.
The case for listening to it
It is one author’s voice throughout, read by one narrator, which is easy to follow by ear.
At 8 hours 2 minutes it comes down to about 5 hours 21 minutes at 1.5x. The 2004 recording, at 7 hours 15 minutes, is the shortest.
The audiobook in detail
Three full-length English recordings are on Audible UK and US, all unabridged with one narrator. Richard Bhakti Klein reads the newest (HarperCollins India, 25 May 2026, 8 hours 2 minutes); which text it uses is not confirmed, and it has almost no ratings yet.
Robert Petkoff reads the 2022 updated edition (Simon & Schuster Audio, 8 hours 18 minutes), rated 4.77 from 954 on Audible US. Andrew MacMillan reads the 2004 recording (Simon & Schuster Audio, 7 hours 15 minutes), rated 4.71 from 81,734 on Audible US. No PDF is listed for any of them.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards print if you want to keep the book by you and look up a principle when you need it. On audio, pick the recording that suits you: the 2022 Petkoff edition for the updated text, or the 2004 MacMillan recording, the one most listeners have rated.
Audiobook
- Read by Richard Bhakti Klein
- 8h 2m, or about 5h 21m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; two other recordings available
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
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Another self-help classic on audio.
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A full cast of actors and letter writers reading their own letters, with nothing confirmed pointing to the page.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
The charts and study sessions in print edge out one clear voice on audio: a close call.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the How to Win Friends and Influence People audiobook?
There are three recordings: Richard Bhakti Klein (2026), Robert Petkoff (2022 updated edition) and Andrew MacMillan (2004).
How long is the How to Win Friends and Influence People audiobook?
Between 7 hours 15 minutes and 8 hours 18 minutes, depending on the recording. Richard Bhakti Klein’s recording is 8 hours 2 minutes.
Is the audiobook abridged?
The three recordings on Audible UK and US are listed as unabridged (as of November 2026).
What is the difference between the 2022 edition and the original?
The 2022 edition was revised under Dale Carnegie’s daughter, Donna Dale Carnegie, and restores material from the 1936 text (Simon & Schuster).
Is “in the Digital Age” the same book?
No. It is a separate 2011 book by Dale Carnegie & Associates and Brent Cole.
How many pages is How to Win Friends and Influence People?
The UK Vermilion paperback has 304 pages.
Is there a film?
No film had been announced as of November 2026.
Should I read or listen?
Listen, at 65%, leaning. It is one author’s voice read by one narrator, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Australia, Open Library and Wikipedia.
- Verdict last reviewed: 2 November 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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