Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

3.91 AVERAGE

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marimeadow_s's review against another edition

4.5
informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
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lydiamarilee227's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 10%
I got bored 😔

cappog's review against another edition

4.5
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mattrose's review against another edition

2.75
informative slow-paced
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laurenalv's review against another edition

5.0
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sweetpeajoelle's review against another edition

4.0
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swedepeepaw's review against another edition

4.0
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sienriquez's review against another edition

3.25
informative medium-paced

eternalsamnation's review against another edition

5.0
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Masterfully blending meticulous research with anecdotes ranging from entertaining to terrifying, Cultish was positively engrossing. Amanda Montell weaves a history of cults from the harmless to the apocalyptic, from the early sects of Christianity to Jonestown to contemporary faux-shaman influencers, with a specific focus on commonalities in the language they use. I was particularly interested in the use of thought-terminating clichés as a means to quash dissent or cognitive dissonance, and moved by the throughline that cults prey on the desire for community and meaning inherent to being human, and that being skeptical of cultish language shouldn’t preclude us from being open to new experiences. A really fascinating read, and Montell is a wonderful writer!
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werkapaluch's review against another edition

4.0
funny informative inspiring medium-paced