A review by univalence
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

adventurous informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Cultish is a fascinating look at all things, well, cultish. The author's own father grew up in a cult called Synanon, and her fascination with both the creepy aspects of cults as well as the humanity of people in cults stems from her father's stories. I learned about the most well known tragedies--Jonestown and Heaven's Gate--and how cult influence depends on language. The linguistic characteristics of cultish enterprises include thought-terminating cliches (e.g. "it is what it is") and us-versus-them dichotomy. The book also discusses things like multilevel marketing (pyramid) schemes, fitness "cults", and QAnon. I developed more empathy for people who end up in cults, and more awareness of how cultish language is used for good, for evil, and for profit.