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Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism Hardcover – June 15, 2021

by Amanda Montell (Author)

4.3 3,012 ratings

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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.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper
Publication date

June 15, 2021
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.05 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0062993151
ISBN-13

978-0062993151
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Popular Highlights in this book

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A linguistic concept called the theory of performativity says that language does not simply describe or reflect who we are, it creates who we are.
Highlighted by 2,328 Kindle readers
But with a glimmer of willingness, language can do so much to squash independent thinking, obscure truths, encourage confirmation bias, and emotionally charge experiences such that no other way of life seems possible.
Highlighted by 2,028 Kindle readers
Language is a leader’s charisma. It’s what empowers them to create a mini universe—a system of values and truths—and then compel their followers to heed its rules.
Highlighted by 2,020 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

A fascinating, enthusiastic narrative on the loaded language of cults. — Kirkus Reviews

“A rigorous and fascinating examination of the power of language to spellbind us all. Montell’s command over cultish language makes her as mesmerizing and charismatic as the gurus she dissects.” — Molly Ringwald, actress and author of When It Happens to You

“You will never think of cults the same way again—this is an unforgettable look at human nature and the power of language. I couldn’t put it down. Amanda Montell blends true journalistic sorcery with her trademark humor and intrepid curiosity to create a linguistic narrative so delicious and searingly smart, you will wonder, like I did, can we join her cult? If so, count me in as a follower for life. I’ll read anything this woman writes.” — Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot

“Whip-smart, engaging, and utterly intriguing. Cultish is a witty and thorough examination of power, community, words, and the junctures between them.” — Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

“A playful but canny exploration of the ways language can entrance and beguile us—sometimes past the point of no return.” — Elisabeth Thomas, author of Catherine House

“One of those life-changing reads that makes you see— or, in this case, hear—the whole world differently.” — Megan Angelo, author of Followers

“Compulsively readable and startlingly of-the-moment, this witty, slick, and self-assured book is as intriguing as the spellbinding groups it examines.” — Andrea Bartz, author of The Lost Night and The Herd

“At times chilling, often funny, and always perceptive and cogent, Cultish is a bracing reminder that the scariest thing about cults is that you don't realize you're in one till it's too late.” — Refinery29.com

“We’re all susceptible to coercion, and Montell’s phenomenal book that chilling point as clear as can be.” — Bitch Magazine

About the Author

Amanda Montell is a writer and language scholar from Baltimore. She is the author of two books: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, about the language of "cults" from Scientology to SoulCycle (forthcoming from HarperCollins, June 2021), and the critically acclaimed Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (HarperCollins, 2019). Amanda's books have earned praise from the New York Times, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, and Publisher's Weekly, among others, and Amanda is currently developing Wordslut for television with FX Studios, serving as creator, writer, and executive producer. Her forthcoming podcast, Sounds Like a Cult, will premiere June 2021. As a reporter and essayist, Amanda's writing has been featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, The Rumpus, Byrdie, and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper (June 15, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062993151
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062993151
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.05 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #8,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Religious Cults (Books)
- #9 in Feminist Theory (Books)
- #26 in Communication & Media Studies

Customer Reviews:
4.3 3,012 ratings

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Amanda Montell

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Amanda Montell is a writer, linguist, and podcast host living in Los Angeles. She is the critically acclaimed author of three nonfiction books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, and The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality (forthcoming April 9, 2024 from OneSignal). She is also a creator and host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Amanda’s books have earned praise from The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR, was shortlisted for several prizes including the Goodreads Choice Awards and getAbstract International Book Award, and is currently in development for television. Sounds Like A Cult won “Best Emerging Podcast” at the 2023 iHeart Radio Podcast Awards and was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Marie Claire, and others.

Amanda’s essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and elsewhere. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell.

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Christa M Hines, author of Happy, Healthy & Hyperconnected: Raise a Thoughtful Communicator...

Wow, this was a fascinating read!

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

An excellent and somewhat alarming read when you consider how easy it can be to get drawn in by innocent sounding rhetoric during a time when so many people are seeking connection, a sense of belonging and healthy community. This fascinating and timely book underscores the need for us to be critical thinkers. (I see you, love bombers! ;))

Cultish is a must-read especially in a day and age when we are bombarded with an overwhelming amount of information--much of it garbage -- along with oily influencers and shady "thought leaders."

I also appreciated Montell's pragmatism and sense of humor, including her explanation around the differences between a dangerous cult and a community that engages in cultish but overall harmless behavior.

An entertaining, well-researched read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

2 people found this helpful

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Kevin Davis

Could have easily been a 500 page book…

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023

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This could have easily been a 500 page book moving into the more modern era of consumerism and fanaticism around entertainers and athletes and even going deeper into cultish support for brands. Amanda did a good job of keeping it relatively concise and showing the interconnectedness of belonging and the language leading to blind allegiance.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023

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I found this book to be a fascinating look into the psychosocial and linguistic dynamics in a variety of cultish behaviors. From Jonestown and Heavens Gate to Soul Cycle, MLMs and Instagram influencers, the author shows how language is a key variable in the creation and maintenance of cultish dynamics

Helpful

C

Casual discussion of cults, and the types of language they use

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021

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This book about cults and “cultish” language was written by Amanda Montell, an author with a degree in linguistics, and the daughter of a former cult member.

The book is divided into six parts. In the first part, Montell discusses the language that we use to describe cults, and how difficult it can even be to define the word “cult.” Part 2 looks at suicide cults, like Heaven's Gate and Jonestown, to try to determine what they have in common, and what examples of “cultish” language were used. Part 3 follows the same format; this time focusing on religions. Part 4 is about multi-level-marketing and pyramid schemes, Part 5 cover fitness movements, and Part 6 discusses social media gurus.

Montell approaches this book as more of a reporter than an expert; interviewing former cult members, and asking questions of experts in fields like psychology and language. Her style of writing seems to be targeted toward a teenage to 20-something demographic, and is more casual than most non-fiction books that I've read. This isn't a super technical discussion prepared by a linguistic psychology expert; just a few stories and examples collected by someone that is fascinated by cults, and the power of “inside” language to make people feel like they are part of a group.

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I did learn a bit about various cult groups, and certain similarities between them. The style of writing wasn't my favorite, and I felt like I some of the author's descriptions and trendy analogies were lost on me, but that is just personal preference. Overall a decent book, I'd give it a 3.4 / 5.

115 people found this helpful

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Syd the Savage

The vast majority is worth the read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021

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I was pleasantly surprised by how well written this book is in several ways, and disappointed in others.

The good:

1. The author successfully made her point: Language has an incredible ability to inspire fanaticism. Full stop. Whether the organization is a cult, a MLM, a fitness org, or individuals on Instagram, Montell has successfully shown that they all use language in various yet similar ways to obtain recruits/followers.

I read through some of the other reviews and feel those that made negative comments did not fully grasp this. Some reviewers stated they felt she was alluding that all organizations and the individuals that participate in them are cultish in the worst connotation: this clearly isn't true if you read the book all the way through. The author even commented how some of them are good and inspire unity, friendship, and camaraderie. She points out the pros and the cons (or potential cons, in some cases).

2. As a 36 year old woman who made a decision to remove myself from all social media platforms many years ago, I realize I am completely out of the loop when it comes to virtual social activity. I looked up some of the figures mentioned in the book (Teal Swan, Heather Hoffman, Benhito Massaro) and I was shocked at what younger folks are watching/commenting on. It's completely foreign (and a bit scary to me), but this book has helped me understand the draw younger crowds have to it. I won't seek out this material myself but it helps to be able to communicate with and understand others better.

3. Overall, I was impressed with Montell's mastery of vocabulary and sentence structure. She's a talented writer.

4. If you're looking for writing that provides fundamentals to what a cult is, what an MLM is, how pyramid schemes work, and how money can (surprisingly) flow into an out of the hands of the powers that be, how religion and work ethic have created the American way of life, etc., this book gives brief but clear definitions and examples.

5. I like the definitions and examples given for the areas where language and psychology overlap: Montell provides understanding of concepts like "thought-terminating cliches", "confirmation bias", "sunk cost fallacy".

The bad (which is minor and thus minus only one star):

1. At times the author's sarcasm was off-putting. It was distracting and degraded the quality of the thought/meaning.

2. Montell's youthfulness shines through at times; I had to look up some of the portmanteaus or abbreviations. (Ex. Spon con = sponsored content). A little less cool-kid vernacular and abbreviations would be appreciated.

Overall, I recommend this book to understand the impact of language and fanaticism. I enjoyed it, and feel I learned some valuable information.

And yes, Montell comments on Trump a few times. So what. She dings Clinton, too. The woman has an opinion - I'm glad she shared it.

84 people found this helpful

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Toma K

Got my money’s worth!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2024

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Only got a paragraph in and I already got my money’s worth. I know this is the best book ever!!

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Apolonio Morales

Great read, very insightful!

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2023

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I enjoyed this book very much. Language can have such a powerful effect on our perception of the world. The author gives us a glimpse of the most severe and benign versions of its many uses.

3 people found this helpful

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Rossanna Huerta Romero

Inicio espectacular, Final decepcionante

Reviewed in Mexico on August 16, 2023

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En un inicio el libro te atrapa y parece muy interesante pero conforme pasas la mitad del libro empiezas a ver qué todo se repite pero con palabras distintas o ejemplos similares y termina aburriendo

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Anita

A juicy summer read

Reviewed in Canada on July 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is very compelling. The author has an interest in the language of cults in both religious and non religious contexts.

I bought this title to learn more about how fitness and wellness have used a special set of buzzwords to create community and exclusivity.

I liked the author's description of a cathartic experience with intenSati. After watching one of Patricia Moreno's videos, I could see how there is an almost cult aspect to lot of modern fitness.

This was a quick summer read. I gobbled up the book in one sitting.

3 people found this helpful

Marloes

As expected!

Reviewed in the Netherlands on January 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

The book arrived in good state. Apart from the delivery and quality, I loved the book, very interesting to learn more about cults and how linguistics play a role in them.

Becca

Fascinating, accessible, already putting some of the knowledge to good use

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2021

Verified Purchase

Brilliant book. A thoroughly-researched, fascinating and accessible exploration of the language used by different groups and communities, from traditional interpretations of cults through to the modern-day 'cults' of wellness, MLM and social media.

I liked that Montell doesn't cram in endless linguistic terms, but instead explains some of the most commonly used tactics in a way that makes this book more like a switched-on person's guide to spotting the language of fanaticism rather than a broad glossary of terms, which is infinitely more helpful.

I also loved that, although there are plenty of stories of people who have lost their lives, money and so many other things to cults and unhealthy communities, the book, on the whole, feels non-judgemental and, often, compassionate to how people fall into these situations and become swept away by cults and bad relationships.

I need to go back and read Montell's first book now because that somehow passed me by!

5 people found this helpful

JL nash

fascinating read

Reviewed in Australia on November 27, 2023

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This up to date study of the linguistics of what makes cults successful and how to recognise cults from MLM to fitness cults and instagram, this is the book you have been waiting for to answer those cult questions. I loved it. Great writer and great topic

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