I’ll go with the low-hanging fruit: Mein Kampf. I’ve read it, cover to cover. As a piece of propaganda, it’s good. As an example of good writing? Absolutely not (though I will admit I have only read it in translation). Oh, and the whole fascist, racist, and generally shitty worldview of the author that he infuses into the text. And the fact that the author is literally Hitler. You 5-star that book? You’re a Nazi. Period. And as a Jewish person, I don’t look too kindly on them.
I think this is an interesting one, because I think it’s another somewhat misunderstood book. It shouldn’t be selfishly used, and it shouldn’t be high ethics (pretty simplistic takes).
It’s not supposed to be about manipulation, but actually just doing some basic stuff. Remember people’s names, be interested in other people (not ‘act’ interested, which is how some people misinterpret), etc. People who are like, “Oh, I’m terrible with names,” often are just too self-involved to make the effort.
I feel like this book is helpful for a lot of people who didn’t learn basic social skills for whatever reasons, but is misused by many who think the ‘Influence People’ part is a game (which is understandable from the title).
Unfortunately, I have been encountering more and more people that keep it for its influencing aspects. Thoughtful folk, I suspect, give it a 4-star rating and consider how to best use its stories.