Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: July 2022
Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong; to find a deeper meaning in life; to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff’s edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it’s this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it’s that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick.
The premier storytelling podcast studio Parcast has been focusing on unearthing these mechanics—the cult leaders and followers, and the world and culture that gave birth to both. Parcast’s work in analyzing dozens of case studies has revealed patterns: distinct ways that cult leaders from different generations resemble one another. What links the ten notorious figures profiled in Cults are as disturbing as they are stunning—from Manson to Applewhite, Koresh to Raël, the stories woven here are both spellbinding and disturbing.
Cults is more than just a compilation of grisly biographies, however. In these pages, Parcast’s founder Max Cutler and national bestselling author Kevin Conley look closely at the lives of some of the most disreputable cult figures and tell the stories of their rise to power and fall from grace, sanity, and decency. Beyond that, it is a study of humanity, an unflinching look at what happens when the most vulnerable recesses of the mind are manipulated and how the things we hold most sacred can be twisted into the lowest form of malevolence.
I'm a big fan of true crime, well who isn't? I was really looking forward to reading Cults. I haven't listened to the podcast, but I expect it's as well researched as this book. The book is comprised of well known cults and some not so well known. at least by me.
I did, for the most part, like the book. It covers the well known cult leaders like Charles Manson, David Koresh, and Jim Jones. I have read a lot of material and watched a lot of documentaries on the well known cults so I didn't feel like I learned anything really new. But the ones that I had not heard of were an interesting read. I think this is a fairly good comprehensive summary of each of the cults. I felt like they did delve into the motivations of the leaders fairly well. This is a book you could skip around fairly easily if you want to skip the cults you have heard about. I would recommend it.
I've read and watched a good bit on some of the more well-known cults, but I'd be fascinated to see the ones that are lesser known.
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