Charles Manson’s Favorite Book

By Dianna Dilworth 

UnknownWhat book most influenced cult leader and serial killer Charles Manson?

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, according to a new book The Life and Times of Charles Manson by author Jeff Guinn. Manson took courses in Dale Carnegie Training in the late 1960s and the theories he learned were critical in his manipulations. Bloomberg has the scoop:

Manson became especially obsessed with Chapter Seven, on how to get cooperation, and often practiced key lines in his cell, a former prison mate told Guinn. Carnegie’s advice—”Let the other fellow feel that the idea is his”—became vital in helping him recruit and control a band composed mostly of young women. Former “Family” members Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten (who was denied her 20th bid for parole last month) both say Manson mastered the technique: Not only did he often solicit and praise his followers’ advice, he was careful to frame every killing as a Family decision.