Alan Loy McGinnis (10 November 1933 in

Friendswood, Texas Friendswood is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The city lies in Galveston and Harris Counties. As of the 2010 census, the population of Friendswood was 35,805. In 2007, CNN/''Money'' magazine listed Fr ...

– 9 January 2005 in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

) was an author,

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

, and founder and director of the Valley Counseling Center in

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States. He was the minister of Grandview Presbyterian church around 1970. Today there are over 3 million copies of his books in print. His 1979 book The Friendship Factor has sold over 1,000,000 copies and his 1985 book Bringing Out the Best in People sold over 600,000 copies. His books have been translated into over 14 languages. His books are characterized by a clear writing style using simple, short sentences. He was a family

therapist Therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counsellors, life coachers and others. They are helpful in counselling individuals ...

, corporate consultant, and speaker to television, radio, and corporate audiences. His books include: * The Friendship Factor (1979) * Bringing Out the Best in People (1985) * Confidence (self-help-book) (1987) * The Power of Optimism (1993) * The Romance Factor * The Balanced Life

References

Obituary
in the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGinnis, Alan Loy 1933 births 2005 deaths American self-help writers People from Friendswood, Texas People from Glendale, California