Tangential: a friend of mine growing up refused to read Ayn Rand, because he said that everyone he knew that had read her books turned into assholes, and he didn't want to become an asshole too.
I've read enough to find this statement to be largely correct. I found myself fully aware of the kinds of people who admired the thought patterns they wrote about that now I wonder why more assholes haven't read the stuff, it seems like they'd like it.