Dale Harbison Carnegie (November 24, 1888 – November 1, 1955) was an American writer and lecturer who became virtually synonymous with the idea of self-improvement as a result of his books and courses on public speaking, salesmanship, and improving personal skills.  He was born to a poor farm family in Missouri, obtained an education at State Teacher’s College, and worked as a salesman before moving to New York to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and pursue his ambition of becoming a Chatauqua lecturer.  His first attempt at teaching was a course in public speaking offered at the YMCA in New York City in 1912, earning 80% of the net proceeds that soon earned him over half a million dollars per year in today’s dollars. Ever the marketing maven, he changed the spelling of his last name from the original Carnaygey to Carnegie in 1922, playing on the recognition and association with Andrew Carnegie.  The Art of Public Speaking written as an outgrowth of those lectures, and was followed by several other versions targeted to specific audiences.  His best known works are How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), which had sold over 5 million copies in 31 languages at the time of his death, and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948).