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hongjoongie's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
sunnydreads's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Heartbreaking but informative. The author writes each person involved like an actual person, not a character, and gives a realistic idea of how a tragedy like this could have occurred without vilifying those involved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
agrinavich's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.75
The early Jim Jones years were a bit of a slog for me to get to; not because it wasn’t well-written, I just wasn’t in the right mind frame to read it at this time. But things pick up once they get to Jonestown, and I got sucked in. Wild. Really wild. And Jim Jones is a loser.
emrodav's review against another edition
4.0
A very thorough recounting of the life and times of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple. It can at times be a little dull because there is so much information, but it is a testament to author Jeff Guinn's research into the subject. I think Guinn's real strength is analyzing how Jones was able to use his gifts as an orator and manipulator to convince people to follow him.
If you are already familiar with aspects of this story, there will certainly be new things to learn, and if you only know of Jim Jones in relation to "drinking the Kool-Aid," there's so much to find out.
If you are already familiar with aspects of this story, there will certainly be new things to learn, and if you only know of Jim Jones in relation to "drinking the Kool-Aid," there's so much to find out.
crlopez2013's review against another edition
I don’t know how to rate this one. How can a book be so long and yet say so little? Incredibly detailed, a bit too minute for my preference. The author glossed over some major events. He causally referred to rape of underage girls as “statutory” or saying “she resisted sex” instead of calling it what it us. Would have appreciated more of the female voice. There’s also some pretty blatant racial bias in the writing with constant references of “the Blacks” (as one example). If you’re interested purely in the chronology of events, then this book is for you. Personally I’d hoped for a deeper dive into the psychology of Jim Jones’ behaviors and the members of the people’s temple.