Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

14 reviews

glitterdeww's review

informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

Excellent dive into the power of language and how cultish groups everywhere use it to coerce and condition their members. I never liked MLMs, but I will definitely be looking at them even more sideways after this read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Violence, Cultural appropriation, and Suicide

thursdd4y's review

informative fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Police brutality, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Cursing, Terminal illness, Classism, Drug abuse, and Grief

mi7sma's review

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

It was a very insightful book. You know those types which you're intrinsically aware of the things being discussed but you don't actively think about when it actually happens irl. Amanda retold a very profound series of accounts from survivors of various cult groups and presented them in a very digestible manner. The premise of the entire book revolves around cult affiliation(group affiliation), human psychology, brainwashing, unjustified prejudice, glossolalia, genocide and language performativity theory. It also tells us how everyday people end up in cults just to find a meaningful connection as we(humans) are programmed to be seekers of the unknown and social communes are a way to satisfy our emotional and religious needs. The book was written in the light of the writer's father's experiences which gave it a personal and professional outlook. Overall it was a good read but it was long overdue due to uni. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Confinement, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, and Racism

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

alsoapples's review

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

angreadseverything's review

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

I think it could have been organized better overall

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual assault, and Child death

tamara_joy's review

challenging informative

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

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

ashleycmms's review against another edition

challenging informative fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Racism, Death, Confinement, Cancer, and Emotional abuse

mateoj's review

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.75

at once informative and genuinely funny (but never disrespectful), Cultish is right at the intersection of two things I've pondered studying seriously: sociolinguistics and religious studies. such a fascinating, engrossing book and a rare look at cults of all types with both criticism and empathy. 
also learned that the mom of one of my childhood friends, who is a well-respected professor with a PhD, was involved in an MLM scheme (LuLaRoe), which I think cements Montell's thesis that it isn't only the uneducated who fall prey to "cultish" schemes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia

dealingwithdragons's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

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.