Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

39 reviews

yeojinqueen's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

aklovekorn's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, and Toxic friendship

elenatamsen's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Cultural appropriation, and Emotional abuse

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

'Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism' by Amanda Montell is an engaging book that looks at the language used by cult and cultlike groups. Montell delves into different ways that cults use language to entice and ensnare members from the more insidious to the common place. 
What I appreciated most about this book is that it not only delves into the more well known fringe cults like Jonestown and Scientology but that Montell also explores how similar language techniques are used by popular fitness workouts, brands, and multilevel marketing schemes. 
By starting with the most insidious cults and then branching out into the more common day examples, Montell does a great job of cementing a base understanding of how cults use language and how this has been coopted for everyday uses. Montell balances interrogation of methods and language uses with empathy, which I felt gave the book a more open view of how people get involved with cults. Montell also includes stories from people who have been in cults to provide first hand experience on how language can manipulate perception. If you have any interest in linguistics or have ever wondered how people get involved with cults, I recommend this book as a great source of information. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying

lindseyrenee's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

I found this to be very interesting. I’ve known cultish language is used for cults and MLMs but this made me think about the language used in seemingly everyday conversations or when being “sold” on something. So many things I never thought about that I am more aware of now.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, and Racism

cghegan's review against another edition

dark informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Sexism, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, and Slavery

imstephtacular's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Suicide

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

informative mysterious medium-paced

4.0

What a fascinating dive into the language of cults, both traditional (Jonestown, Heaven's Gate) and not (MLM schemes, SoulCycle). Montell uses her references in such a way that it reads like a long magazine article, and so if I have one complaint, it's that I often felt that she was just skimming the surface of all there is to discuss (the rise of QAnon could have filled a whole book!). All the same, my linguistics-loving brain dug it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Rape

sjanke2's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, and Toxic friendship