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

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.75

i really liked this for what it was. i think i was really wanting it to take a turn into abolition and land back ideologies, but the point of the book is to study language, and i really appreciated the different ways it connected so many topics, communities and influences. it reminded me of why i love language so much and does a good job of avoiding shaming anyone who has ended up in any cultish community, whether it’s scientology or a spiritual wellness instagram page. she also doesn’t shy away from the influence of colonization and white supremacy in culturally adopted language, though i would have liked it if she delved into it more. granted, it would make the book significantly longer, but still something worth the time. absolutely worth the read/listen - especially if you love rhetoric studies, linguistic anth, and tracing the inseparable protestant influence on american culture like i do. 
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