Though the title may seem sensational, the book is a well-researched, enlightening introduction to a serious subject. Singer is a clinical psychologist and emeritus adjunct professor at the University of California at Berkeley who has interviewed several thousand former cult members and testified about cults and their "thought reform" tactics; Lalich is a professional writer and former cult member. The strength of Cults in Our Midst is its clear explanation of the nature of cults, how they operate, the threat they pose to individuals, families, and society, and how others can help cult survivors escape and recover. Many types of cultic relationships are considered, from tiny religious or occult groups to the "large group awareness training" programs that have infiltrated workplaces. The book makes key distinctions between New Age ideas and the cults that use these concepts and between types of persuasion, from education to propaganda to cults' manipulative "thought reform." Most Americans, Cults in Our Midst stresses, will be vulnerable to cults at some point in their lives. Includes resource and suggested reading lists. Mary Carroll
Review
"The definitive A to Z work on cults.... It would have been a tremAndous resource and comfort to me and my family through our ordeals.'' —Patricia Ryan, daughter of Congressman Leo Ryan, who was assassinated by members of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple "This straightforward overview offers a clear explanation of the nature of cults and the threat they pose to individuals, families, and society. Perhaps the most striking point made here is the contention that most Americans will be vulnerable to cults at some point in their lives."
``Essential reading for all citizens in a free society to learn how even here it is possible to coercively persuade people to give up their freedom and harm themselves and their children in the process.'' —Edgar H. Schein, author of Coercive Persuasion (1961), and professor of management, MIT Sloan School of Management
``Many Americans feel helpless when manipulative, mind-stealing seducers take our children, our parents, our wealth... Singer explains the process, exposes their methods, and strengthens us all.'' —Mike Farrell, actor and producer, member of the board of advisors of the Cult Awareness Network
``Should be read by everyone who wishes to understand the incoherence in the therapeutic movements damaging families and destoying public confidence in mental health professionals. This is a superbly written, carefully detailed, enlightening book.'' —Paul McHugh, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical School
``Age, education, sophistication, and wealth are not vaccinations against getting involved in a cult.'' —Margaret Singer
"The author, an expert on the phenomenon of cults, presents a comprehensive, sobering account of their history and workings."
"The author, an expert on the phenomenon of cults, presents a comprehensive, sobering account of their history and workings." —Bulletin og the Menninger Clinic
From the Inside Flap
Most people believe that cult members are mentally unbalanced or are misfits who live in remote places, like the doomed devotees of Jim Jones and David Koresh. We take comfort in the fact that the influences of cults are far removed from our everyday lives.Nothing could be further from the truth.Over the past two decades, in the United States alone, an estimated twenty million people have joined cults. Today, three to five thousand cults are working to recruit new members. At any point in time, two-and-a-half to three million Americans are active cult members. Often a cult is disguised as a legitimate business or organization: a restaurant, self-help group, psychotherapy clinic, or leadership training program could be a front for a cult. Anyone--no matter what age or income level--could be susceptible to the covert and seductive nature of a cult. People are especially vulnerable to these masterful manipulators during periods of traumatic life changes: a college student away from home for the first time, a grief-stricken widow in need of understanding and support, or a businessperson transferred by his or her employer to a new and unfamiliar community.The country's leading authority on cults, Margaret Thaler Singer, calls on her nearly fifty years of expertise to write the definitive book on cults. Written with author and former cult member Janja Lalich, Singer's first book is a shocking exposea that reveals what cults are and how they work. Cults in Our Midst offers vital information on how to help people escape cult entrapments and recover from the experience. This compelling book debunks commonly held myths and answers perplexing questions about cults such as:** Why don't people just leave cults?** What characteristics do cults have in common?** Why isn't the U.S. Marines or Alcoholics Anonymous considered a cult?** Who are the people most likely to join cults?** Where can I go for help if someone I love is living in a cult?** What actions can w
From the Back Cover
Over the past two decades, in the United States alone, an estimate twenty million people have joined cults. Today, three to five thousand cults are working to recruit new members. At any point in time, two-and-a-half to three million Americans are active cult members. Often a cult is disguised as a legitimate business or organization: a restaurant, self-help group, psychotherapy clinic, or leadership training program could be a front for a cult. Anyone--no matter what age or income level--could be susceptible to the covert and seductive nature of a cult.The country's leading authority on cults, Margaret Thaler Singer, calls on her nearly fifty years of expertise to write the definitive book on cults. Written with author and former cult member Janja Lalich, Singer's first book is a shocking expose that reveals what cults are and how they work. Cults in Our Midst offers vital information on how to help people escape cult entrapments and recover from the experience.Cults in Our Midst is filled with practical strategies and suggestions for understanding the cult phenomenon and helping cult members break free.
About the Author
MARGARET THALER SINGER, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and adjunct professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. In her career, she has counseled and interviewed more than three thousand current and former cult members and their relatives and friAnds. An expert on post-traumatic stress as well as cults, she lectures widely in the United States and abroad. JANJA LALICH is a former cult member and is now a writer, consultant, and cult information specialist. She is also the coauthor of Captive Hearts, Captive Minds (1994).
