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

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 3,914 ratings

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

“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

The New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking and Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how “cultish” groups, from Jonestown and Scientologists 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.

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From the Publisher

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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

“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

“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

“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 ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.05 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 3,914 ratings

About the author

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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.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
3,914 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and informative, saying it provides useful insight into understanding how cult leaders use manipulation. They describe the book as fascinating, enjoyable, and a great non-fiction read for those interested in language, culture, religion. Readers praise the writing style as well-written, easy to read, and concise. They appreciate the author's mastery of vocabulary and sentence structure.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

57 customers mention "Insight"51 positive6 negative

Customers find the book engaging, informative, and useful. They say it opens their eyes to things they see every day. Readers also mention the author is observant, thoughtful, and well-researched. They describe the book as one of the most enthralling looks at a genre that is ignored more often than not.

"Great information. I think everyone should read this book. Easy read because it’s so interesting!" Read more

"...author successfully made her point: Language has an incredible ability to inspire fanaticism. Full stop...." Read more

"...While each of the six sections of Cultish is equally fascinating, I think I enjoyed reading about Montell’s musings on multilevel..." Read more

"...I found it extremely interesting and opened my eyes on things I’ve seen every single day of my life, but never considered “cultish”...." Read more

52 customers mention "Readability"52 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, awesome, and enjoyable. They say it's a great non-fiction read for those interested in language, culture, and religion. Readers also mention the middle keeps them invested and reading.

"...I think everyone should read this book. Easy read because it’s so interesting!" Read more

"...Overall a decent book, I'd give it a 3.4 / 5." Read more

"...-the-point writing style and illuminating interviews make for a binge-worthy read...." Read more

"...I found it extremely interesting and opened my eyes on things I’ve seen every single day of my life, but never considered “cultish”...." Read more

36 customers mention "Writing style"32 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, easy to read, and concise. They appreciate the language used in easy-to-understand terms. Readers also mention the tone of the book is very conversational.

"Great information. I think everyone should read this book. Easy read because it’s so interesting!" Read more

"I was pleasantly surprised by how well written this book is in several ways, and disappointed in others.The good:1...." Read more

"...may sound dry, however, Montell’s trademark humor, to-the-point writing style and illuminating interviews make for a binge-worthy read...." Read more

"...It’s an easy read. It does include some heavy topics! The only thing I didn’t love is the writing style of the book...." Read more

8 customers mention "Language content"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and impressive. They appreciate the author's mastery of vocabulary and sentence structure. Readers also mention the book provides brief but clear definitions and examples.

"...3. Overall, I was impressed with Montell's mastery of vocabulary and sentence structure. She's a talented writer.4...." Read more

"...Montell’s trademark humor, to-the-point writing style and illuminating interviews make for a binge-worthy read...." Read more

"...The author's interviews are absolutely fascinating.Before buying this book, I read all of the reviews here on Amazon...." Read more

"...Was a really cool [and informative and entertaining] connection between language and the "Cultish" organizations that exist in most of our lives...." Read more

7 customers mention "Empathetic tone"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the empathetic tone of the book. Some mention it's compassionate and insightful, while others say it lacks substance and degrades the quality of thought.

"A fun and informative read. Cultish is meant to be a light-hearted review of human behavior...." Read more

"...It was distracting and degraded the quality of the thought/meaning.2...." Read more

"...I truly enjoyed the compassionate and insightful tone of ‘Cultish.’..." Read more

"...It's a decent history book and who's who. I found it lacking in conclusions, recommendations, or anything else of use in breaking people out of a..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
Great information. I think everyone should read this book. Easy read because it’s so interesting!
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
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.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
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.
116 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021
What do religious cults, CrossFit, multi-level marketing companies and Instagram influencers all have in common? 

Answer: They all utilize a certain type of language to create converts - more specifically, they rely on language that evokes an emotional response, leaves little room for argument and creates an “us vs. them” mentality.

In this captivating work on non-fiction, Amanda Montell dives deep into all things “cultish”. The book begins with an exploration of the origins and practices of infamous religious cults like Heaven’s Gate, Jonestown and Synanon (interesting fact: Montell’s father was once a member of Synanon). In later parts of the book, Montell moves on to other cult-like entities - ones that are far less likely to prove fatal. These include fitness trends (like CrossFit, SoulCycle and Peloton) multi-level marketing companies (like Amway, Rodan + Fields and Mary Kay) as well as start-up culture, Scientology, social media and the massive impact of modern-day influencers. 

While each of the six sections of Cultish is equally fascinating, I think I enjoyed reading about Montell’s musings on multilevel marketing companies (or MLMs) most of all. In explaining the difference between a pyramid scheme and a multilevel marketing company, Montell surmises that “an MLM is just a pyramid scheme that hasn’t gotten caught.” Amen.

A book about linguistics may sound dry, however, Montell’s trademark humor, to-the-point writing style and illuminating interviews make for a binge-worthy read. I honestly can’t recommend this one enough… although it’s only July, I’m certain it will make my list of 2021 favorites. 
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jil Bona
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic read
Reviewed in Canada on April 19, 2024
Well written, well researched, engaging, and thought provoking. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning about what makes people tick.
Rossanna Huerta Romero
3.0 out of 5 stars Inicio espectacular, Final decepcionante
Reviewed in Mexico on August 16, 2023
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
M Clark
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but without an authoritative feel to the text
Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2024
Amanda Montell's book looks at how language is employed by cults in order to bind members into the cult. For example, they use code words and phrases unique to the cult in order to separate members of the cult from people that are not part of the cult. Cults also employee "terminating phrases" that shut down any criticism or even questioning of the group.

The book begins with the stories of people who survived the mass suicide/murder to people in Jonestown and the Heavens Gate cults. She then continues with a discussion of Scientology and explains the specific uses of language employed in each of these cults. She then shows how the same language techniques are used in Multilevel Marketing schemes ranging from Amway to LuLaRoe to Mary Kay Cosmetics. The book covers a number of these direct sales schemes that were later revealed to be pyramid schemes. Finally, she extends here discussion to talk about the use of language in fitness programs like CrossFit and Soul Cycle. She notes, however, that although many of these utilize cult-like techniques, most of them are not real cults.

The topic of the book is interesting and it is an interesting read; however, the cutesy language used in the book eventually becomes irritating. The book reads more like an extended essay one would find in a popular magazine and does not feel authoritative.
Inês Félix
5.0 out of 5 stars Rápido e bem embalado
Reviewed in Spain on August 16, 2024
Foi muito rapido e chegou perfeito.
Tapasya
5.0 out of 5 stars There is us who read the book and there are.others who wouldn't
Reviewed in India on June 10, 2024
With lots of stories, anecdotes from people who had been in the cults, cultish takes us through different forms of cults that have been and are around. We are built to feel and connect with others who are doing the same and becoming compassionate is a gem of conclusion to wrap up