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Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them Hardcover – July 12, 2022

by Max Cutler (Author), Kevin Conley

4.5 235 ratings

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Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside them? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and the people who join them? Based on the hit podcast Cults, this is essential reading for any true crime fan.

Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong, to find a deeper meaning in life, to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff’s edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it’s this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it’s that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick.

The premier storytelling podcast studio Parcast has been focusing on unearthing these mechanics—the cult leaders and followers, and the world and culture that gave birth to both. Parcast’s work in analyzing dozens of case studies has revealed patterns: distinct ways that cult leaders from different generations resemble one another. What links the ten notorious figures profiled in Cults are as disturbing as they are stunning—from Manson to Applewhite, Koresh to Raël, the stories woven here are both spellbinding and disturbing.

Cults is more than just a compilation of grisly biographies, however. In these pages, Parcast’s founder Max Cutler and national bestselling author Kevin Conley look closely at the lives of some of the most disreputable cult figures and tell the stories of their rise to power and fall from grace, sanity, and decency. Beyond that, it is a study of humanity, an unflinching look at what happens when the most vulnerable recesses of the mind are manipulated and how the things we hold most sacred can be twisted into the lowest form of malevolence.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Gallery Books
Publication date

July 12, 2022
Dimensions

6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1982133546
ISBN-13

978-1982133542
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Utterly addictive." —The New York Times Book Review

“Chilling….Cutler insightfully explores what attracts people to cults and the psychology of their leaders.” —Publishers Weekly

“Shocking… Cutler's focus is both narrative, detailing the story of the leader's upbringing and the cult's rise and fall, and also probing: Cults is interested in motivations and, to the extent possible, diagnoses… Not for the faint of heart but absolutely for the true-crime junkie, Cults is packed with details and unafraid to posit theories to explain these superlatively weird and scary stories.” —Shelf Awareness

“Chilling accounts of the infamous, from Manson to Jones to Koresh and names that we may have forgotten...goes beyond the headlines into the very souls and psyches of...notorious cult leaders and their manipulated victims....Fans of Cutler’s (and similar) podcasts and true-crime aficionados will appreciate this enthralling exhibition." —Booklist

“An introduction into the fascinating world of cult leaders….Well researched and well organized.” —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Max Cutler created and founded Parcast Studios in 2016. With Cutler at the helm, Parcast has launched some of the most popular and highly-ranked weekly podcasts, specializing in popular genres like mystery, true crime, pop culture, wellness, and history. After three years of exponential growth, Spotify acquired Parcast in 2019. Cutler maintains his role as head of the studio, revolutionizing the podcast space and creating hit after hit. Most recently featured on Fortune’s 40 Under 40, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, and The Hollywood Reporter’s 35 Rising Executives Under 35 lists, Cutler shows no sign of slowing down, as Parcast continues to lead the industry in global growth with over fifty adaptations to date and more to come.

Kevin Conley is the author of the national bestseller Stud: Adventures in Breeding and The Full Burn: On the Set, at the Bar, Behind the Wheel, and Over the Edge with Hollywood Stuntmen. A former editor at The New Yorker, he has written for GQ, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. He lives with his family in Connecticut.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books (July 12, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982133546
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982133542
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #80,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #39 in Religious Cults (Books)
- #68 in Hoaxes & Deceptions
- #252 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions

Customer Reviews:
4.5 235 ratings

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Kiana Aude

Found on a podcast

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

I found this on one of my podcasts I listen to! I did enjoy this book!

One person found this helpful

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Jaclyn

Chilling + Compelling Read

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022

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This book is a must read this summer. Each page had me anticipating the next. So interesting on so many different levels and several parts of these stories I had never known before -which speaks volumes for a true crime junkie like myself!

5 people found this helpful

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Barb Hegreberg

True Crime

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

Yes….I am a true crime fan. So when one of my favorite podcasters, Max Cutler announced the release of this book I immediately ordered it. I can’t believe it has been unread in my Kindle library since July 11th of this year.

This book includes such familiar figures as Charles Manson, Jim Jones & David Koresh. Others may not be as well known (by me) but are nevertheless just as twisted as those listed above. Have you heard of Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Claude Vorilhon, Keith Reinere, Credonia Mwerinde or Marshall Applewhite. Each chapter reads very similarly to the tone flow of Cutler’s podcast.

The more control a cult follower is asked to give up, the more likely the are to get sucked in.

“In a study of eighty-three religious communes that existed in the nineteenth century, sociologists Richard Sosis and Eric R. Bressler found that communes with only two costly requirements—such as celibacy or the surrendering of possessions—lasted an average of less than ten years. Communes with six to eight requirements lasted for fifty years, and those with more than eleven requirements lasted for sixty years. The more they demanded of followers, the longer they existed.“

To listen to the podcast that inspired the book CLICK HERE

Based on the additional research that Cutler did for this book. I can see at least one more book in his future

5 people found this helpful

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Mega girl 123

MUST READ!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2022

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This book is one that you cannot put down! Finally a book that touches on the psychology of cults and there leaders!! I cannot recommend this book enough. All my friends were just as obsessed as I was.

3 people found this helpful

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Adri

Expected more analysis

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

I listen to the podcast and find it interesting. Based on how the book was advertised I expected less story telling and more deep analysis into what is in common with all of the cult leaders and followers, aspects of society that influence their creation and success. It ended up being a very similar (repetitive) story of the podcasts, instead of looking it as a whole every chapter is the story of a different cult. It is ok if you haven’t heard of them before, want to refresh your memory or maybe know some details that aren’t mentioned in the podcast

4 people found this helpful

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Stevie

SO EXCITED!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

My Wife preordered this book for me, and it’s being delivered today! I’m SOOOOOOOOOO excited to read it! I’ve been listening to the “Cults” podcasts for a year and a half now!

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2022

Verified Purchase

Very well written and informative. Enjoyable to read while still being objective about the lives and crimes of the cult leaders and their acolytes. Highly reccomemd

One person found this helpful

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Kirsti Maybe

Parcast Always Gets it Right

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

Their podcasts are always so well researched and I'm sure this book will be no different. Excited to dive even deeper around these cult leaders.

One person found this helpful

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