cady_sass's review against another edition
5.0
In all seriousness this is EXPERTLY done and I’m blown away. I’ve always been drawn to cult history and I really, really appreciate the work the author did here to include “cultish” behavior (hence, the title) of non cult entities- MLMs, fitness & CrossFit culture, MAGA, etc.- along with the obvious identifiable cults like Jonestown, Heavens Gate, and Nxivm, among others.
Super important to give language to the behaviors and vernacular that are big red flags 🚩 so people can engage carefully and make informed decisions. Highly, highly recommend.
Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Sexism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
bootsmom3's review
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Child death, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol
elspeth_h's review
3.5
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Self harm, Murder, and Emotional abuse
As this book details the harm that cults and cult-adjacent groups have on their members, it covers a lot of sensitive topics. A section is devoted to suicide cults including Jonestown and Heavens Gate. The bullying, abuse, body shaming, etc. comes from quotations of cult leaders and wellness/fitness leaders (e.g. soulcycle).dealingwithdragons's review
4.25
Graphic: Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Ableism, Body shaming, Classism, and Cursing
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Stalking, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Vomit, Alcohol, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Racism, and Trafficking
Cults and "cultish" organizations do a lot of terrible things.cghegan's review against another edition
4.25
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Sexism, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, and Slavery
j_squaredd's review
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Rape, Ableism, and Racial slurs
caseythereader's review against another edition
4.0
- Particularly, the emphasis on the fact that someone getting tangled up in fringe religious groups or MLMs isn't necessarily a sign of stupidity or gullibility, rather that these organizations have carefully calibrated their pitches to bring in the most driven, committed people.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism, Rape, and Religious bigotry