Without having read the book in question, I feel this advice is good but partial. A lot of what he mentions in this post is mirrored in Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People". I feel that Carnegie goes much more in depth than this blog summary.
One thing: the deli example he gives makes it seem (whether on purpose or not) that you should just say the words to get what you want rather than to actually care about what the other person is saying. You aren't trying to manipulate the other person; instead you should sympathize with them. I personally prefer this attitude change rather than a strictly behavioral change.
Agreed. I think "How to Win Friends and Influence People" is a must read for everyone. And yes, its not about using it to get what you want, it is more about making engagements with other people more pleasant. If you instinctively sympathise with other people, even if they in the end don't "sway" to what you want, you had a great experience with another person.
I find "How to Win Friends" a bit dangerous. It's great if you use it in moderation, but the people who are most likely to need it will not understand that.
After reading it, it suddenly became very clear to me why certain people, particularly aggressive salespeople, are so annoying: they take the stuff in that book (e.g. "use people's names when you talk to them") and turn it up to 11, where it's very obvious how they're trying to manipulate you with it.
One thing: the deli example he gives makes it seem (whether on purpose or not) that you should just say the words to get what you want rather than to actually care about what the other person is saying. You aren't trying to manipulate the other person; instead you should sympathize with them. I personally prefer this attitude change rather than a strictly behavioral change.