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.
