I almost think reading just a bit of Marx does more harm than good, because idealism and liberalism fills in the gaps if you don’t thoroughly purge them with an understanding of Dialectical and Historical Materialism first, rather than the usual path of understanding his critique of Capitalism and advocacy for collective ownership.
You get this a lot with people reading only the Manifesto and dismissing Marxism as childish.
This is why when I suggest texts, I give a damn list lol. You can’t know it all by just reading the Manifesto. I also specify that my list is an intro. I haven’t read it all and don’t know it all but I have stuff I can suggest to get the ball rolling if they are willing to put in the effort.