re: Should I read Howard Zinn’s “ people’s history of the United States”?

Yes. But also read several different points of view. In my humble opinion, Zinn's take is not only existentially horrific, it is intellectually weak af, based on documentation.
Similar to Said's Orientalism, Zinn is important in understanding the Leftist ideology toward history, and the foundational texts it is based on. Regardless of your personal ideology, it is important to understand where they are coming from.