Not self-help, just a discussion of how we're influenced and made to "comply," citing numerous academic studies.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_Science_and_Practice

Well, it can help you, but it's not "self-help." Just a lot of information on how persuasion works and how to influence people. It's considered one of the classics in that area and is - IMO - definitely worth a read.

it's totally not a self-help book, although lots of life problems can be solved through applying influence techniques.

it's basically a series of case studies about how different external factors influence people's decision making. there's chapters full of examples on things like social proof, liking, reciprocity, etc.