America’s best-selling self-help book had an unexpected and chilling association with the notorious cult leader and murderer, Charles Manson. Manson, known for his manipulation and control over his followers, adopted the book as a manual, using its teachings to further his malevolent influence within the Manson Family.

According to authors Andy Tillett and Dylan Howard, Charles Manson’s first encounter with Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” occurred while he was serving time in prison for a parole violation in 1956. The book’s content, which aimed to teach interpersonal skills and persuasive techniques, seemingly left an impression on Manson, who later twisted its principles to manipulate and control his followers within the Manson Family.

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“Manson was imprisoned in the Terminal Island facility in San Pedro, California,” authors of The Last Charles Manson Tapes: Evil Lives Beyond the Grave wrote. “The prison offered a course based on Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, which codified sales and communication techniques—techniques Manson would soon hone to manipulate others.”

Chapter seven of Dale Carnegie’s book contained a significant lesson that would eventually become a hallmark of Charles Manson’s manipulative approach. The chapter emphasized the tactic of allowing others to feel that an idea was their own, even if it had been subtly planted by someone else. Manson, while building his cult at an isolated ranch, demonstrated exceptional skill in employing this technique. Those who were acquainted with him during this time attested to his mastery of making others believe that they had independently generated ideas that, in reality, were subtly planted by Manson himself. This artful manipulation played a pivotal role in his ability to control and influence his followers within the Manson Family, contributing to the notorious and tragic events that unfolded under his influence.

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Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” holds a remarkable legacy since its initial publication in 1936. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, it has left an indelible mark on readers and is recognized by the US Library of Congress as the seventh most influential book in American history.