Cultish

The Language of Fanaticism

By: Amanda Montell

Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.

What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join - and more importantly, stay in - extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has....

Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing”. But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear - and are influenced by - every single day.

Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish”, revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.

©2021 Amanda Montell (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Well-told

I'm fascinated by cults and have read a number of books about their manipulation tactics. If you have too, then you won't find any new material here. Even though the author focuses on the role of language in cults, I don't think that really falls within her expertise in linguistics; it's more rhetoric or psychology, I think, so she has to pull in the expertise of others for most of her content. Which is fine and she does a good job presenting the material, while adding in her own anecdotes.

While I liked the book and would recommend it to others, I won't be buying a physical copy to add to my bookshelves like I would if it had given me a new perspective.

Eye-Opening Perspective!

I have a new, more open-minded viewpoint on all things cult-ish just like the author!

Wonderful!

I thoroughly enjoyed this unique perspective on the language of cultism. I absolutely recommend it.

Really wake you up!

Cultish wakes you up to the manipulative language being pedaled all around. Montell demonstrates how corporations and religious groups derive their power by utilizing customizable in-group speech. Her research is very thorough and she lays out her information very clearly.

"optional" review headline

I'll forever think of MLMs as the "cockroaches of capitalism that just keep reincarnating" now 🤣! Fantastic book and an easy quick read!

The way language betrays us

this was a very Intresting read and does a decent job of keeping the book about the topic and not cultural ideas.

really enjoyed it

Podcast Brought Me

Found this book to be very thought provoking and informative. Can’t wait to see what else Montell has in store. Part two please!

Interesting perspective on defining cults

Well written and performed- this audiobook gives the listener some great food for thought about how cults are formed and how we define them. If you’re interested in how we can be swayed be charismatic characters then you need to listen to this.

Informative and fair

I wish the author had done the voice. I listen to her podcast, which is how I found the book. Other than that, I found this to be well researched, fairly presented and eye opening.

Insightful

I appreciate the way in which this book exposes the harms of serious cults and modern day cults but also allows us to have some empathy for the people who participate.