I’ve actually heard Nodder lecture and he really is pointing out some evil methods but he’s up front about it. How we use the information is not his doing.
The book really gets more into the psychology of western capitalist consumer culture and how we enjoy being manipulated into certain actions. Those actions can be benevolent or evil. It’s up to the designer. Nodder does a really good job of connecting the psychology -> the intent -> the design -> result. He also spends a lot of time with ethics without telling readers what their ethics should be.
What tipped me over the edge was Nodder’s convenient point summaries. Every time he explains a concept there’s a simple bulleted list of exactly how to execute that concept in your project. He seems to have mastered the ability to jump from research text, to essay, to workbook without blinking an eye. Great format and definitely worth a read.