Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

22 reviews

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Essential reading for everyone, this non-fiction text explores how linguistics, gaslighting, and thought-terminating cliches used in cults can be used to prey on vulnerable individuals, whether it be in traditionally harmful cults, or the mainstream ones online. It is a call to arms about keeping your curious without ignoring your intuition and natural instincts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Cultural appropriation

Be aware that this book addresses extreme cults, “brainwashing,” mental abuse, mass suicide, financial abuse, and gaslighting through language.

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad fast-paced

5.0

I accidentally joined a cult in college and managed to extricate myself and my friends from it within a couple of weeks as soon as I realized this wasn’t a regular church. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by what makes people tick, and book’s like this one is very helpful in my journey.

It was good to get a broad spectrum of cults versus just the ones deemed deviations of mainstream Christianity. By including fitness cults, social cults, New Age cults, and pyramid schemes, it makes it really obvious that we are all much more susceptible than in previous times. I would be really interested in reading an extra chapter devoted just to the MAGA cult at some point, if the writer were ever to update the book with one.

I give it a five because I’ll want to read this again later, rather than because it’s as good as a five might be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

growintogardens's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

claireh6's review against another edition

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

aysha_blake's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

bashsbooks's review against another edition

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

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

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

bethancy's review against another edition

dark informative fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Body shaming, Racism, and Xenophobia

trippyotter's review against another edition

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

ramhog's review against another edition

dark funny informative fast-paced

4.5

This put into words so many conversations and thoughts I've had with my partner and friends! I don't feel like I particularly learned anything groundbreaking or new but having this exploration of the language of cults laid out so neatly and in an engaging way makes it a must-read imo. Bought at Firestorm Books.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Since this is all about various cults and their abuses I'm sure I missed some warnings. From my memory none of the descriptions longer, but it does deal head on with dark themes.

tamara_joy's review against another edition

challenging informative

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, and Classism