I have a conflicting relationship with "How to Win Friends and Influence People," and maybe some of you may relate to this.
Disclaimer: I only read a small, initial part of the book, and I'll explain the reasons behind this.
For one, I liked the initial parts of it; for example, remembering first names is a nice and very attentive thing to do, and in general people appreciate it when I can remember their first name after meeting them a second and third time.
On the other side, I found it to be of a very manipulative nature (shouldn't be a surprise; the title contains an "influence people" part), which rubbed me the wrong way; the book presents some techniques that help you get "what you want," but are quite superficial and hollow, i.e., you only pretend to be interested. That's why I decided to stop reading the book.
The conflicting part in all this is the fact that I see this book recommended all the time (and it's one of the best-selling books of all-time), but I just cannot ignore its manipulative nature.
It might be that I'm simply not part of its target audience or that I'm misinterpreting the messages in the book.
Nonetheless, I'd be interested to read your (and other fellow HNers) comments on this book.