The Program

Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM

By: Toni Natalie, Chet Hardin

Narrated by: Toni Natalie

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

As seen in the HBO docuseries The Vow: A jaw-dropping insider look into the world of the so-called "Hollywood Sex Cult" NXIVM chronicling the rise of enigmatic cult leader Keith Raniere from its "Patient Zero", his former girlfriend and test subject for his coercive control techniques.

Many have heard of NXIVM and its creator, Keith Raniere, the unassuming Albany man now prosecuted for ensnaring tens of thousands of people in the US, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere to do his bidding and pay millions of dollars to participate in his self-improvement methodology. But where did Keith Raniere begin?

Enter Toni Natalie, Keith's Patient Zero, the first one indoctrinated into Raniere's methodology and the first one to escape. The Program begins with the origin story of NXIVM, follows its rise to international prominence, and takes the listener into the downfall of Raniere through Toni's eyes. During this time, she bore witness to the evolution of his methodology, including his use of sex, blackmail, and employment of psychological tools such as neuro-linguistic programming to control and punish those who would not heed his wishes. She uniquely details the fortunes lost and the lives left in disarray that she witnessed contemporaneously, including members of DOS, a group of women coerced into sexual acts under the guise of a "women's empowerment" inner circle, whom Raniere exercised extreme control over directly and through his lieutenants.

But far from being a victim's story, in the spirit of Erin Brockovich, Toni's is a nuanced narrative of a multi-dimensional woman saving herself, and then working tirelessly to help other women do the same for themselves. Today, Toni is happy, reunited with her son, and surrounded by friends and family - it is this perspective that makes her such a unique storyteller.

©2019 Toni Natalie and Chet Hardin (P)2019 Grand Central Publishing

Proud of you !

I truly cannot believe how much hell “Vanguard” put Toni Natalie through… and so many others. I am so happy that he will be in prison the rest of his life. I am listening to ALL of the Nxivm survivors’ stories through podcasts and audio books. I hope you can find peace and joy going forward for the rest of your life. ❤️👏❤️

Well written and extremely compelling

Toni Natalie's book was very interesting. I found it to be engaging and very informative. This is not about Toni Natalie's entire life and that I wish I knew more. As a cognizant human being, she has led a very aware life despite being lured into a gross organization that evolved into a cult. There was no time that I was bored or not engaged in this book; it is worth a read. While Frank Parlato has trashed this book, I have yet to find a reason for his disdain; Natalie treats Parlato with reverence and is very generous in her praise of people who helped end NXIVM's reign of terror.

Interesting but redundant

This is a fascinating look at the anatomy of a cult. I found it engaging throughout, although the way that some ideas were repeated within sentences from being reported felt odd and disjointed.

Evil has many faces and many shwed theirs

It took many faces to grow and nurture the evil this story from Toni Natalie tells. Heartbreaking, horrifying and impacting so many. I bought the audiobook to get the deeper scoop told in the HBO documentary The Vow since I couldn’t understand how a scrawny little greasy geek with an ill designed mullet could be yet another cult building monster set out to destroy for his own gain. It was nice to hear Toni tell it…offering not only the backstory but the levels of depravity this demon and his minion enablers were capable of. Faith is restored when good conquers evil but in this one, cavalry of good…really? What took you so damn long?

Amazing Story

The Program is an excellent chronicling of Toni Natalie's time in ESP/NXIVM. Everything about her experience is personal and incredibly detailed, and shows a background to Keith Raneire that we may not have otherwise seen.

Amazing!

This books me goosebumps everytime. Have read it at least 3 times! Toni is very brave.

Well written

This book is very interesting and engaging. It is amazing to me that people can be convinced to participate in such things. Cults certainly know how to manipulate the mind.

A must read

This book provides so much information regarding Keith and his pre Vanguard years. It provides insight into his warped mind and makes you realize his behavior was consistent throughout his life. Nancy Salzman allowed his ego to play out his wicked fantasies on a much larger scale. I also enjoyed Toni Natalie’s narration.

excellent

Toni Natalie had so much information this book is only a part of what really happened to her. She should write part 2. Thank you both for telling the story and showing it to the world the way you did because people have to be informed on what is a cult and how it can destroy your life without you knowing it.

5 stars

Great, interesting book. The book describes the initial period of the cult's creation and details beyond what is discussed in the HBO series The Vow. I wish the writer happiness and peace after the suffering they have inflicted on her