Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives

by J. W. Ocker

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Description

"A pop history of notable cults, the attraction of these dangerous groups, and the motivations of those who join them"--

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Member Reviews

2 reviews
This was a really good surprise to me. I was interested going in, and I enjoyed it! If you've ever wanted an intro or a quick refresher to a bunch of cults, this is perfect for you. It's a good jumping off point to research further too.

Thank you LibroFM for this copy.
That was a lot to unpack, and I enjoyed every bit. There was one minor mistake regarding a reference to Jonestown in a different country, yet the country is correct in the chapter about Jim Jones.

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Author Information

35 Works 1,391 Members
J. W. Ocker is an author who wrote Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe which won an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 2015 for Best Critical Biographical. (Bowker Author Biography)

Common Knowledge

Dedication
To Christian Haunton For both literary and life reasons
First words
Cult is a scary word. Like terrorist. Or leprosy. Sharknado. Even people in cults don't like the world cult. Dictionary definitions do little to encapsulate the fear and loathing the word inspires. Merriam-Webst... (show all)er simply describes a cult as "a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious." The Oxford English Dictionary gets us a little closer to the creepy connotation with "a relatively small group of people having (esp. religious) beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister, or as exercising excessive control over members." -Introduction
The story of Raelism involves a volcano, aliens, sex with said aliens, and claims of the first-ever-human clone and eventually goes on to ensnare Kanya West. All because of the strange teachings of a French race care driver. ... (show all)-Chaper 1, Extraterrestrial and Extra-sexual
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Which means that as long as there are people on that rock, there will always be cults.
Canonical DDC/MDS
209
Canonical LCC
BP603.O29

Classifications

Genres
Sociology, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction, Nonfiction, History
DDC/MDS
209ReligionThe Bible & ChristianitySects and reform movements
LCC
BP603 .O29Philosophy, Psychology and ReligionIslam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc.Islam. Bahai Faith. Theosophy, etc.Other beliefs and movements
BISAC

Statistics

Members
88
Popularity
367,521
Reviews
2
Rating
(3.75)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
6
ASINs
2