Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

75 reviews

backyardroses's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Murder

bashsbooks's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

This is an extremely cool linguistic exploration on how language impacts how people decided to join and stay in manipulative groups (broadly termed 'cultish'). From murder-suicides like Jonestown and Heaven's Gate to MLMs to fitness groups like Soul Cycle, the spectrum is wide, but Montell convincing demonstrates on how all these groups employ similar rhetorical strats to recruit people.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Murder, Religious bigotry, Racism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

litematcha's review

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Cultural appropriation

risemini's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Child death, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, and Violence

amandamethot's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Trafficking, and Murder

balfies's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

3.0

About the language used by cults, and defining what makes something culty.

The first few chapters hewed a bit too close to true crime for me (I am very squeamish and the Jonestown murders are deeply distressing), but it picked up a bit in the chapters in MLMs and SoulCycle.

I'd greatly enjoyed Montell's first book Wordslut, about linguistics from a feminist lens, and was really keen to read this. It has its moments, but overall this is the weaker book, I think. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Suicide

divine529's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

Cults are something I've been finding myself fascinated by more and more lately, especially given how much we hear about them on a regular basis. This is an absolutely fantastic book and a topic I've been interested in for awhile - language. This book really opened my eyes to a variety of things, expanded upon things I've believed, learned about and understood for awhile, and allowed me to view choices and experiences I've made and had in a different way. 

That said, tread lightly if you have triggers as this book deals with heavy and difficult topics at times. 

I highly recommend this to everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Murder, Racism, Confinement, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

remimicha's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Homophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Fatphobia

trippyotter's review

informative medium-paced

4.0

This book... I knew about several of the things mentioned, but the few I didn't, yikes...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry

alsoapples's review against another edition

dark funny informative fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Racism, and Torture