As haraball says in http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3130306 - it's really important that the ideas and techniques from HtWF&IP are not just used as rules to follow, but are internalized and applied faithfully and sincerely. Without that you do simply become a manipulative bastard, and people will work that out and then hate you even more than they otherwise might have done.

Sincerity works though. If you can fake that, you've got it made 8-)

Sorry, in all seriousness, yes, the sincerity is a critical component, which is why you can't just read the book and have a checklist of things to do and follow. It has to be internalized and become a natural part of the way you interact.

The results can be dramatic. They were for me.