Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

38 reviews

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: 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

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but don’t join that MLM. 

In all seriousness this is EXPERTLY done and I’m blown away. I’ve always been drawn to cult history and I really, really appreciate the work the author did here to include “cultish” behavior (hence, the title) of non cult entities- MLMs, fitness & CrossFit culture, MAGA, etc.- along with the obvious identifiable cults like Jonestown, Heavens Gate, and Nxivm, among others. 

Super important to give language to the behaviors and vernacular that are big red flags 🚩 so people can engage carefully and make informed decisions. Highly, highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Sexism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt

kshertz's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Fascinating. It’s all a cult, just choose yours wisely. The psychology behind cults and the different cults we have gone through waves of as Americans were so interesting. I was interested in the MLMs the most. It’s depressing how entrenched in our government they are. It was very interesting! I recommend for anyone who has an interest in this area. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Bullying, Child death, Alcoholism, Cursing, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Death

jes312's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.0

Definitely interesting. I wish it had been organized differently; sometimes the description of a cult or cult-like organization came a couple chapters after it was referenced. Each chapter could have been its own book. In some sections, the linguistics elements felt like more of an afterthought because so much page was spent on background.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Suicide, Death, Violence, and Bullying

seanml's review against another edition

funny informative medium-paced

4.0

Cultish is a fascinating look into the the social pillars that made up organizations ranging from Heaven's Gate, to multi-level marketing,  to QAnon. Filled with interesting anecdotes and stories from former 'cultists,' Montell's voice is unique and inviting enough to keep you engaged (but hopefully not devotedly so). 8/10.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Murder, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Cancer, Gun violence, Self harm, and Suicide

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

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.

librarymouse's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

Well written and engaging, the narrator's voice is conversational while giving factual information and leaving space for herself to reflect on what she's learned. Amanda Montell comes at this information from an interesting perspective, being the child of a father who was raised in and resisted a cult before escaping as a teenager. The content centered around religion, belief systems, and process 1 and 2 thinking specifically really interested me. As a former catholic, I always thought that I was just a very cynical child because I didn't quite mesh with the religion in a way I thought my peers could. The author's explanation of prayer as perceiving one's own post-prayer thoughts as answers from God really put how I've relied on process 2 thought in religious spaces into perspective. This is a book that begs reflection from readers, but doesn't condemn piety or belief in any form it may take so long as it doesn't cause harm.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Fatphobia, Trafficking, Suicide, Bullying, Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.0

I love books about language and I find cults fascinating so this was a real hit for me. I enjoyed Montell's previous book so I knew I liked her type of pop science. The information was quite basic, but since I didn't know that much about the cults and organisations covered I found that quite helpful. I did occasionally lose track of the structure but that might just be because I listened to the audiobook. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence

parkerluck's review against another edition

funny informative fast-paced

3.75

I enjoyed the first half of this book, which discussed literal cults (Jonestown, Heavens Gate) and the use of indoctrinating language the most. These sections were well researched, empathetic, and had a bigger focus on the actual linguistics at work (which is what I signed up for). I appreciated the grounded way these groups and members were discussed, since I always find the sensationalized gossipy way we tend to talk about cults/true crime exploitative and patronizing. 

The shift to modern groups lost me a little, especially since the author seemed to fall back on just... giving examples of language (ie: here's a fitness slogan!) without much analysis. I read another review that pointed out how skewed these sections were towards women-dominated spheres (or at that the author equated with women) like yoga, wellness influencers, etc. which I also noticed. There was almost a condescending tone to these portions, and we spent a lot of time talking about things/women the author finds cringy (we get it, you live in LA! Lots of yoga studios! Lululemon!) vs. dangerous groups that are a lot more cult-adjacent (QAnon, Incel culture etc). The conspiracy theory stuff in particular felt extremely surface level and tacked on after spending so long on the fitness and wellness sphere. 

I did find the comparisons between cult language/beliefs and early Protestantism, (and how those are baked into American culture) quite interesting! The section connecting the dots between that belief system, MLMs, and American politics was also a very informative ride for me personally.  

Overall, the book is at its best when actually focusing on real cults, language and what makes people susceptible to indoctrination. The more "formal" aspects are much more engaging, and I wish we had gotten a bit more of an in depth linguistic examination. I understand the temptation to write for a more general, pop culture obsessed audience, but it ended up losing focus and spinning out on that effort. 

Would still recommend, especially to people looking for a quick and accessible intro to these topics. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Suicide, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Racism