Book Description
A former cult member, now a counselor helping those affected by destructive cults, Hassan exposes the troubling facts about cults' recruitment, their use of psychological manipulation, and their often subtle influence on government, the legal system, and society as a whole. 

This updated paperback edition includes a new preface by the author and an expanded bibliography and resource list. 

Customer Reviews (37)

Combatting Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan
Combatting Cult Mind Control: The #1 Best-selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults

"Combatting Cult Mind Control" is right both for experts and for a wide range of readers. The content of the book is stated in a clear form. Even the most difficult aspects of specificity of sectarian psychological influence are easily understood for the reader who had not been devoted in all subtleties before. Still the big value of this book is given with that fact, that there is wide experience of the concrete person,who himself, actually, had faced problems of influence of sect on mentality, then intelligently approached to the decision of the given problem and devoted the life to so good deal as rescue of people from a network of totalitarian destructive influence and helps the person to find former freedom. I recommend to read this book everyone who wants to save himself and the relatives from the danger veiled under the mask of clemency and virtue.

Helpful for healing
I got out of a cult known as 2x2's or Christian Conventions. I've read several books about the origins of the cult and the destructive things taught. But after reading this book that describes the mechanics and techniques I was able to speed up the healing process because of understanding how destructive mind control worked.

The book is general enough to help me understand what I was going through also and specific enough to help me to related to Steve's situation.

Although affects of cults vary by individual and backgrounds, Steve helpfully demonstrates what he has learned so that heavily affected people can learn from his experience and benefit.

Since reading it I've been able to understand more and help describe the situations others are in so they can observe their own situation from other people's perpectives.

I'm amazed at how some people in cults cannot even accurately describe mundane events around them without the cult influence. Steve's technique's of helping the person develop a sound frame of reference from which to make decisions has even helped me in my business and helping customers understand business transactions from my perspective.

Encouraging people to think of others and giving them information so that they can make educated decisions brings liberty to many people. The biggest help Steve's book was to me was in speeding up the healing process and understanding how to communicate with people heavily influenced by cult phobias.

The Fox Was in the Henhouse
The present Baha'i administration covers itself with elaborate ornamentations that not only mask its deeply cult nature but help it appear to blend in with current liberal trends. I have no doubt that the word went out across the U.S. to its Baha'i communities to jump in here and give glowing reviews of this book whether or not they had read it. The author was given access to a parade of high-level Baha'is who are on the fast track (which runs over the little people)to get to more powerful Baha'i positions. I have not yet met a single Baha'i of lower rank who could, or would, speak for himself, and I spent 30 years under the regime. I have met many who would run over their own grandmothers if it would get them closer to a job on MtCarmel, the present world center.

Well-written, extremely helpful and very balanced
This book is everything the positive reviews say and more.I believe it was greatly enhanced by the fact that the author was himself a member of the Unification Church for an extended period, as he contributes a good deal from his own experiences.He does a great job explaining how cults use psychological manipulation to draw in members, and how exit counselors work to "unfreeze" their minds so they can find their own way out of the group's lies.I also greatly appreciated the fact that he focused his criticsms on those who abuse religon for their own ends and did not try to caricature all religions as cultic.This book is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in this subject and gets my highest recommendation.

Scott's review of Combatting Mind Control
I found the book very informative and easy to understand. I was able to relate to what Steve was talking about having been raised in a mind control cult myself. I would recommend the book to those who are working on helping someone escape this subtle nightmare to become alive again. I am persuing the same mission field as Steve and he inspired me to stay with it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A well organized book, easy to use and full of useful facts.
For those in the field of religious studies, this book addresses the argument over secularization with a twist: Secularization actually maintains and perpetuates religion.Most of those who acceptsecularization's existance claim that it destroys religion.The authorsprovide persuasive arguements for their theory, and back it up with dataorganized into easy to use charts.Be aware, however, that their use ofmaps leaves something to be desired.The data in them is often outdated(not a problem according to their theory) and coclusions are drawn aboutwhole regions based on information from parts of the regions.This is alarge tome, and is probably suitable, if broken up into smaller units, forundergraduates in religious studies. ... Read more

Book Description
From the mass weddings of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church to the ritual suicides at Heaven's Gate, charismatic cults and their devotees have become facts of American life. Using material gleaned from twenty-five years of direct encounters with cults and their detractors, as well as extensive research, Marc Galanter offers the most extensive psychological analysis of these organizations available. Cults explores not only how members feel and think at all stages of their involvement, but also how larger social and psychological forces reinforce individual commitment within the cults.For this revised and newly-illustrated second edition, Galanter has added three new chapters on cult development in the 1990s, spiritual recovery movements, and alternative medicine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Exceptional
This book is hard to put down--it is thoroughly fascinating. It is also an excellent introduction to the dynamics of social psychology in general. The author uses systems theory as a method for thinking about cults--reflecting, for example, on how feedback, monitoring, and group border control can assist us in thinking about insular religious movements. One interesting aspect of cults that the author discusses, and that I had not ever read elsewhere, is their ability to induce in members the 'Stockholm Effect.' This is a term borrowed from a hostage bank robbery in Stockholm some years back, in which hostages began to identify with the person holding them hostage. The author argues that something like this is going on in charismatic religious movements, where initiates are both threatened with abuse and derive their emotional comfort from the same source. People are made to feel abandoned or damned if they stray from the group's norms, but are given family comfort and safety if they adhere closely to the group's beliefs and goals. Like a roach motel, you check in, but have difficulty checking out. I feel that this book's insights into the social psychology of cults is also valuable in understanding propagandistic movements and charismatic manipulation generally.

Now if only
If only someone would apply what we learn from this book to the Islamic radicals that have taken hold of entire populations, we'd be getting somewhere. In the West Bank, for example, more than 70% of the population supports suicide bombings inside Israel. Brainwashing and coersion are used in the schools and mosques to teach hatred and murder. It's the ultimate cult.

Superficial and unsatisfying
Sorry, but this book just doesn't cut it.I expected in-depth information about the psychology of cults and I got superficial anecdotes that never dipped below the headlines.Jim Jones was creepy?Oh, my, what a revelation.David Koresh liked to have sex with young girls?Oh, no, I never heard that before, except for in every first-paragraph newspaper article on Waco.

John D. MacDonald does a much better job in "The Green Ripper" of describing a cult and how it operates.Plus McDonald's novel is fiction so Travis McGee gets to shoot the crap out of the entire cult compound.Much more satisfying than "Cults".Don't waste your money on this one, I wish I hadn't.

Charismatic Coercion Studies
This is a fairly rigorous scientific study of the processes composing cults and charismatic groups.The author provides many examples and case studies, then develops a general theory into a process model.In engineering, we call this a control system.A system has various inputs and outputs and setpoints, or references.The setpoints are the desired results (outputs).Effective systems have a feedback mechanism assuring that the group produces the correct results.This is called monitoring.The leader of the group monitors the thoughts and the actions of the members almost fanatically and foresees contradictory evidence from the outside world and immediately attempts to rationalize it and reinterpret it in the mindset of the group.The group induces extreme stress, then provides relief of that same stress by conformance to the group's doctrines or ideas.

So great can be the stress induced on suspecting people, that sometimes the sanity of the person is threatened.There is a conflict between what the person's needs are and what the group's needs are.The person is expected to meet the needs of the group.The group provides stress relief after the member conforms.Of course, this constant stress inducement and relief is the technique used by the leaders to assure themselves that the people are in line both in mind and in action.Someone who sacrifices so much for the group is more likely to be a true believer.It also gives an idea of those most likely to join such groups: those in the midst of great personal problems and distress; in response to the recruit'scurrent psychological distress where the world seems so messy and hard to understand, the group gives the person a false sense of certainty in their doctrines.Of course, I give here only a rough sketch.

The techniques identified are eye-opening and scary.It appears that not too many people are immune to some sorts of mind coercion.I suppose that knowledge is power and the more one knows about cults and charismatic groups and their repressive psychological terror tactics, the less the subject will be suceptible to recruitment.This study explains who some seemingly rational people can fall for such obviously deviant groups.

SUPERB
As an Exit Counselor, I found your publication very helpful in further helping me distinguish between mind control organizations and their effects on those who join. The author breaks his subject down to "forcesresponsible in the Charismatic groups". He also shows followers ofthese mind control organizations case histories of these groups. I find hisbook excellent because while he shows a description of these organizations,he also shows recovery principles. I recommend anyone reading this whoknows someone who has been involved with not-only religious mind controlorganizations, but someone who has become involved with pyramid-schememarketing companies and even people who exert a strong influence. Irecommend you reading this publication so you can learn how people areinfluencing you to do things you may not want to do.Other recommendedcategories to research includes confidence schemes, mind-control andcharismatic groups. This book is a recommended first-reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not for everyone...but has a great message.
This little book was first published in 1975, and has a very good message for Christians.Its entire focus is how fictitious cults are, what many of them believe, and how such beliefs come into existence.The author's definition of a cult is printed as follows:

"A cult is a religious perversion.It is a belief and practice in the world of religion which calls for devotion to a religious view or leader centered in false doctrine.It is an organized heresy."(Know the Marks of Cults, chapter one, pg. 14.)

Many Christians are drawn to a falsified gospel, thus making it no Gospel at all.They are led to believe in a religious leader rather than their Creator and Savior.This 128-page, 14-chapter book informs the Believer of the aforementioned so that they do not become entangled in the type of heresies as the Colossians were (see Col. 2:8-9).

On the downside, the language used in the book is not always understandable.The use of such words as "rectitude" (page 106) and "ecumenical" (page 122) make reading somewhat puzzling.During my reading of Know the Marks of Cults, I kept a dictionary handy.If you want a fuller comprehension of what you are reading, I would suggest you do the same.

Another down-point is the chosen translation of supposedly related Scriptures referred to in each chapter.This translation is the King James Version.Since the KJV was translated over a century ago, its language is not as contemporary as the 21st century person might desire.I found myself perplexed at many points in my reading of this book, thinking, "What on earth does that passage have to do with anything the author just mentioned?"

In my humble opinion, I would recommend this book to an older, learned person.(Though anyone with a strong enough desire and will could read through it)It makes some essential points that are somewhat unheard of in the Christian literature industry.Know the Marks of Cults is a helpful book to any follower of Christ who does not want to fall into a cult's trap. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Source of Information on Various Religions
McDowell and Stewart have written an excellent title on what various religious groups believe and how they compare to traditional Christianity.

The book opens with an introduction to cults (the definition of what a cult is and their characteristics).Afterwards, a clear and succinct of traditional Christianity is presented (source of authority, God, Jesus, Salvation, Man, the Holy Spirit, etc.).The rest of the book is dedicated to various cults and how they compare to Christianity.

Among the groups covered include:

Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, Theosophy, EST, Children of God, Transcendental Meditation, Unification Church, The Way International, Christian Science, Worldwide Church of God (although this organization has changed its beliefs and may no longer be considered a cult), and Unity.

The authors objectively compare the beliefs and show what specific items contradict Christianity.Any adherent to the above groups should honestly evaluate how their beliefs contradict Christianity and consider truth as revealed by God's Holy Bible.The true believer will benefit by understanding what the people of these groups believe and how they can communicate with them over religious matters.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description
In Moonwebs, award-winning journalist Josh Freed penetrates the complex and frightening world of modern day cults. He describes the incredible efforts made by friends to extricate their friend Benji Miller from the grasp of cult leader Sun Myung Moon. When friends and family risked thousands of dollars and criminal charges to kidnap Benji and deprogram him, author Josh Freed was with them. He conveys the terrifying power of the Unification Church by describing their harrowing brainwashing techniques.

When first published Moonwebs sold 70,000 copies. Vehicule Press is pleased to bring this gripping case study, which reveals the growing political and financial empire of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, back into print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Frightening
Aside from the fact that Moonwebs reads like a novel, flowing easily and pulling the reader into its narrative, there is a far greater reason to read the book.First written over twenty years ago and reprinted in 1989,one would think that it would be a history of days gone by, situationsresolved.But its tale of "Reverend" Sung Myung Moon and hisMoonies is just as relevant today because Moon is still very powerful.Weno longer see Moonies selling flowers in the street much, so we haveforgotten what Moon can do.Today, Moon's empire is more mainstream, withreal estate and publishing holdings.And that is even scarier than thebrainwashed youngsters told of in this book.Today, Moon has the power andinfluence to extend his brainwashing to far greater numbers of us. Moonwebs is thought-provoking and scary for that very reason.

Moonwebs
This book does an amazing job at explaining the highly sophisticated techniques of cult organizations and the mental process that goes on inside the mind of someone who falls prey to a cult.

It also explains the political and financial background of Rev. Moon. ... Read more

Book Description
12 songs from these classic rockers, including: Burning for You * Don't Fear the Reaper * Godzilla * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

DON'T FEAR TO BE A READER
Want to learn the hottest licks from your favorite BOC song (or at least decipher some of it's lyrics)? Well look no further as Hal Leonard (as transcribed by Kenn Chipkin) serves up an even dozen of Cult's classic tracks (with notes and TAB). It was great to have this on hand as I was reading through Martin Popoff's Blue Oyster Cult:Secrets Revealed! to put the lyrics in their proper context. A must have for any true BOC fan (player and non-player alike). Don't fear to be a reader.

Very good...I guess
Buck Dharma is truly an incredible guitarist. This book is the guitar tablature from their early 90s release Cult Classics, re-workings of some of the best songs. I feel that the tabs are accurate, but Buck's style is som complex I can't really tell if this is how Buck plays it. Nevertheless its a good tool to study his style which is more off-the-wall than most guitarists may realise. The tab is clear and concise but the style is complex and tough to pull off for even good guitarist. A good tool. But beware most will not easily "cop" Buck's solos like other guitarists featured in guitar rags. To me this makes it even better. I'm still today trying to play the solos in "Buck's Boogie" a quarter as smoothly as the master plays them. It's perplexing, but compelling.

HOT AND COLD
I WISH I WERE IN CHARGE OF MAKING THIS CD.I WOULD REPLACE THE REAPER AND GODZILLA'S TV MIX WITH MAYBE "WINGS WETTED DOWN" OR "SEVEN SCREAMING DIZBUSTERS."OTHERWISE THIS CD IS JUST FINE.THE NEWLY RECORDED BLUE OYSTER CULT GEMS ARE REALLY GOOD, ESPECIALLY "ODed ON LIFE ITSELF."

Classic Metal at its best!
This is a really wonderful addition to anyone's Guitar Tab collection. A collection of BOC's best songs are placed in an easy to read format for all guitarists. Fans and non-fans alike will enjoy this book which is tabbedout surprisingly well in comparison to some of the other BOC books I'veseen. Highly recommended, although I caution some of the guitar work isquite complex. May not be suitable for the beginner. ... Read more

Book Description
Contrary to conventional wisdom, violent episodes involving cults are rare historically. But their potential to affect and disrupt civic life looms large and efforts to manage these incidents involve controversial issues of religious freedom, politics, state intervention, and public security. The interpretive challenge of this book is to provide a social scientific explanation for these rare events. The authors conclude that they usually involve some combination of internal and external dynamics through which a new religious movement and society become polarized.Download Description
This explores the question of when and why violence by and against new religious cults erupts and whether and how such dramatic conflicts can be foreseen, managed and averted. The authors, leading international experts on religious movements and violent behavior, focus on the four major episodes of cult violence during the last decade: the tragic conflagration that engulfed the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas; the deadly sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo in Tokyo; the murder-suicides by the Solar Temple in Switzerland and Canada; and the collective suicide by the members of Heaven's Gate. They explore the dynamics leading to these dramatic episodes in North America, Europe, and Asia, and offer insights into the general relationship between violence and religious cults in contemporary society. The authors conclude that these events usually involve some combination of internal and external dynamics through which a new religious movement and society become polarized. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tossed togather quickie.
This paperback was published less than a month after the Heaven's Gate mass suicide in March, 1997. It is a tossed-togather quickie "written" by the staff of the New York Post. In typical Post sensationalistic style, it covers the history of the cult and the mass suicide. As such it records useful information, but I'm amazed that no full length scholarly work has yet appeared on the Heaven' Gate episode.
Interestingly, I was in graduate school in Eugene, OR in 1975 when "Bo" and "Peep", the future Heaven's Gate leaders, came through town. I recall seeing ads for their presentation but, for lack of time, didn't go. Wish I had as I have a strong interest in why people believe in the type of pseudoscientific and paranormal crap Bo and Peep used to later lead dozens to their deaths.
But back to the book. It was clearly a rush job and abounds in errors and inconsistencies. On page 11 Hollywood is described as a place where stars "grinded" out films. GRINDED? The last time I checked, ther past tense of the verb "to grind" was "ground". On page 124 a "local" radio station in the area is described as receiving calls from "around the country". Still, what can one expect from New York Post writers? This is probably the best they could do.
In summary, this book does provide the basic details of the events of the Heaven's Gate cult suicide, and for that it has some value. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ok, book, informative, but lopsided and bias
I found this book informative, having limited knowledge of the religions discussed beforehand.The book is definitely written from an evangelical standpoint and is bias in this regard.Also, please note the table of contents.The book spends an inordinate amount of space covering Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, and Seventh-day Adventism.I recommend this book for evangelical Christians and those of other religions interested in their viewpoint.

the truth shall set you free
This is an amazing in depth look into cults of today what makes them a cultwith great research into their history the flase claims/prophecies. This should be owed by every true Christian who wants to defend the faith!!! Since sins can only be forgiven by God and Jesus forgave sins then who must Jesus be? Read the book to find out!!! ... Read more

Book Description
Deranged messiahs....brainwashed devotees....deadly consequences.Descend into the harrowing world of the Killer Cults. See for yourself how bands of self-proclaimed "angels of death," fueled by lust, power and the thrill of death, committed unspeakable acts of violence.Now, for the first time, author James J. Boyle takes you inside the inner sanctum of:The Manson Family: They prayed to their own warped vision of the Holy Trinity-- sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Under the spell of Charles Manson, a two-bit ex-con they worshipped as a god, they butchered nine people in their 1969 Hollywood killing spree, including beautiful actress Sharon Tate and her unborn child.The People's Temple: Reverend Jim Jones offered his congregation a vision of heaven and earth. Little did they know that following him to the South American jungle to await the Apocalypse would put them on the path to Hell.Luc Jouret and The Solar Temple: Belgian spiritualist Luc Jouret warned that the world would end in environmental armageddon. For Jouret and 53 followers of his secretive New Age cult, the end would come all too soon-- in a fiery mass-death ritual that shocked the world, and shattered the peace of an idyllic Swiss Alpine community.With 8 pages of harrowing photographs! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Sampler Platter
This book is just what the title of my book review suggests, a sample of various cults in recent history.While the book is good at giving basic information about the cults, it lacks the details true crimes fans like myself enjoy.

James J. Boyle discusses 11 recent cults in his book.These groups include: Charles Manson and his family, Jim Jones,Gordon Kahl and his militia, Hare Krisna leader Kirtanananda Swami Bhakipada, John Africa and MOVE, Jeffery Lundgren and his Mormon movement, Mexico's El Padrino, Yahweh Ben Yahweh, Roch Theriault and his experimental surgeries of live members of his group, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and the environmentalist group known as "cirlcle of fire".In his synopsis of each of these groups he does give some good information.Some of the information I had not read in other sources.For example, the book states Charles Manson's favorite pick up line.This is not mentioned in "Helter Skelter".Nor is it mentioned in the book "Helter Skelter" that "Helter Skelter", the Beatles songs was named for a roller coaster in England.However, examples of these types of details are few and far between.Having never heard of El Padrino, I found it particularly interesting.Boyle sites books which give a more detailed accounts of each of the cults. This can add to your research in any particular story interests you.The few pictures also add to the presentation.

This book sets out to give the reader a sample of cults.It is successfulin doing this.More interested readers will be able to find more detailed accounts of each story in the original sources.

Killer Cults
The book was a little lean on details concerning the various beliefs and teachings of the cults. Other than that, it was a pretty interesting read. I don't feel I wasted my money on this book.

Slow Reading.
This book was to detailed about the early years of the leaders of the cults and not detailed enough about the actual details of the cults itself. It left me wanting to know more.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

A very gripping, disturbing read
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/08)

"Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman's Courageous Flight from the Grip of a Religious Cult" by Brenda Lee is a memoir chronicling the author's escape from the binding hold that the Jehovah Witness religion had on her family and life and the consequences that met her afterward.When Brenda was a young girl, Jehovah's Witnesses visited her Pennsylvania home with their literature and talked her family into doing a free bible study. That one knock on the door would forever change Brenda's life and her relationship with her family.Her mother became immersed in the Jehovah beliefs and decided that the whole family would be baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses.Brenda's father refused and was the only one not baptized although he did attend the meetings at Kingdom Hall.

Jehovah's Witnesses have a very rigid belief system without any room to bend.Growing up in the Jehovah faith was very traumatic for Brenda as she found herself isolated from the rest of her classmates.She could not celebrate the events they celebrated, participate in school activities, or date.Also, as a Jehovah's Witness you cannot be friends with or associate with people who are not of the same faith as you.To top all of it off she even had teachers who abused her because of her religion.

When she finally came of age she escaped to live with a cousin that she had never met in Colorado and tried to start her life anew by breaking free from the holds that the religion had on her.However, her insecurities fostered from being isolated and ostracized as a child followed her into adulthood and there were consequences that followed.

Unfortunately in the Jehovah faith once someone leaves the religion they cannot be associated with anymore by those still in the faith.This even applies to family members.So in a sense by leaving the religion she also lost her family, all except for her father (he was not baptized into the faith).After trying to "save her" and failing, they would not talk to her anymore and essentially they cut her out of their life.

While I understand that the Jehovah faith did have a huge effect on the author's life it seems that she blames everything that goes wrong on that premise which I find a little bit unbelievable.There are other factors involved that cause things to turn out the way that they do.I do understand her anger but in some cases it seems that it is misdirected.

All in all, the book is a very engaging and a fast read!I read all 238 pages from start to finish in one night.I learned a lot about the Jehovah's Witness faith and I was actually shocked by a lot of the things that I read.I honestly had no idea that these people who come knocking on my door believed some of the things that they do.To disown a family member because they choose not to be involved in your faith is, in my opinion, ridiculous!I applaud Brenda Lee for having the courage to come forward and write this memoir and hope that others can benefit from reading about her experience.I think that anyone who is considering becoming a member of this religion or any similar religion should definitely read "Out of the Cocoon" before doing so!

Wonderfully Candid and Inspiring
I can't say enough about this book. Admittedly the child abuse Brenda describes is sometimes very disturbing to read but what makes it disturbing is that it actually happened and was condoned by this religious group.Chapter 1 starts out with a graphic story that Brenda wrote called, All Alone in the World. You might think her writing isn't good, but that's because she was only 12 when she wrote Chapter 1.The rest of the book is so wonderfully written...Brenda is a remarkable story-teller. I truly felt like I was in her shoes.I felt her pain, confusion, guilt, fear, joyful triumphs.You may think this sounds like a totally depressing book but it's actually quite light-hearted and funny. It contains a lot of Brenda's off-beat humor and many inspiring quotes. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried.

Out of the Cocoon shows how Brenda's mom, a normal all-American Methodist Sunday school teacher could be swept up in the destructive rules imposed by the Jehova Witnesses and how those rules could ultimately sever her family ties forever.

Brenda's book is about so much more than growing up in a cult though.She talks about being a single mom and struggling to survive, feeling vulnerable and alone and rejected by those she loved, being in a bad relationship because she was afraid to be all alone. Every teenager and adult in America should read this book because it helps the reader understand how our childhood so dramatically affects our choices once we become adults. Very insightful!

The message is clear that if you think you're too strong-willed or smart to ever become a member of a harmful group or cult, you have probably just moved one step closer to becoming one. Don't believe your family is safe like her mom did. She thought Jehova Witness seemed so nice when they offered a free study but this is how they trapped Brenda's family into joining them.I was SHOCKED to learn that they even have a door-to-door quota to meet and have to turn in how much time they spend talking to people when they go to people's doors.Then they become downright cruel and shun their own children if they don't want to be a member of their church!Unbelievable!

I highly, highly recommend that you read this book because it could prevent you from losing your child or parent someday. As a parent myself, I feel fortunate that I can share this knowledge with my family. I have a cousin who is a Jehova Witness and now I understand why she became so distant from me when she joined this church.

Bravo to Brenda for being so courageous and saving/helping others through her story!!

Awesome book even for those not former JW's
I read this book and found it very enthralling.It kept me interested from beginning to end.After reading it I was able to pass it along to my neices who, never being JW's were able to understand what we (those of us former JW's) went through.They could understand it in simple language and we shocked and stunned by the simplicity of the book and yet the complications of being a JW.I wholely recommend this book to any and all who are or have left the JW's to understand the simpliest form of abuse that takes place without even knowing it.

AMOTHER
Brenda is a very strong willed person , because that is what it takes to to pull yourself out of an ocult ! everyone that has children should read this book so you can protect them from Jehovah Witness . they seek out week and needy people weather they are young or old . i know of what this girl wrote is true . it is hard to beleive that a mother could stand back and watch their child go hungry , but it is true . just like Brenda says . educate yourself people , they go after theweek minded . i wish i would have had this book 20 years ago , i could have saved my daughter from her heart ache . thank God she broke away like Brenda did , but my daughter had our help , Brenda did not . they brain wash you !!!!

almost typical working class young adulthood stuff, with a twist
This book is written well and clearly. It reads like a real person wrote it herself. This is a good thing. It is also free of overly ambitious prose or attempts at poetic descriptions or other self indulgent writing, so the story moves along and is quite readable.

The book is less about the cult than it is about the common dificulties most young people face when moving out on their own. The family in this case is somewhat disfunctional, but not tremendously so.

The insight into the cult then, is confined to the observations of a young girl who watches as her family is alienated from her and who gets ostracized in her high school social scene. We also get some vivid descriptions of the generalized child abuse that happens in this cult's 'kingdom hall' services. We get a few specific bits of the belief system of the cult and the various requirements placed on their members (eg hours of door to door solicitations), but there is no real in-depth insider perspective on the cult, and it becomes a background story about one third into the book.What's left is the kind of thing that seems very common to me, and that is the story of the girl getting out, first apartment, getting to school on the bus, etc. In excrutiating detail.

We also get the inevitable self-defeating attraction to the alcoholic, backing into marriage with same, the day by day details of the doomed marriage, the child, the eventual divorce, the struggle to get day care, etc etc etc. With constant flashbacks to her family who've turned stone-cold towards her as required by their cult. Not quite soap opera.

In short it's a tale diminished by it's attention to mundane details of a somewhat ordinary struggle. It's distinguishing characteristic of cult survival offers so little insight into the cult that it is almost a minor thematic item. What there is of it is good reading, but if you are looking for something in depth and involved about the organizational and other strangeness of the Jehovah's Witness cult, you must be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
This book takes a practical approach to studying the cults, focusing attention on 12 of the primary representative cults or categories of cults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Excellent insight into the Cults
Ron does a great job of arming readers with all the right ammunition to counter false doctrines and provides wisdom for how best to lead people to the absolute truth of God.Very well done.

Some Integrity Please
My objection to this type of book is does nothing but create divides.For example he lists one religion as a cult that currently is the fourth leading religion in the United States.The pace it is setting it will be a world religion within a 100 years.Not bad for a cult.Just to set the record straight the dictionary defines a cult as a 1.System of religious worship and ritual.2.Devoted attachment to a person or principle3. a sect.

Under that definition every organized religion is a cult.That would include Evangelical Christians as they espouse Bible and Being Saved.

Disappointing and rather sloppy scholarship
Mr. Rhodes' five "essential" doctrines of Christianity as found on pages 22-23 are wide of the mark. Not all mainstream denominations of Christianity, particularly more liberal ones, would agree with his conclusions. His assertion that the doctrine of the trinity is a "biblical fact" is nothing short of laughable considering the church did not fully develop or embrace the doctrine of trinitarianism for over 3 centuries after Christ's death. And only after intense debate.

With respect to the specific religions he includes in his book, I can only speak to the Unitarian Universalist chapter as that is the religion with which I'm most familiar. Some of Mr. Rhodes' facts are easily refuted and his conclusions are sometimes downright insulting.

For example, "Past Unitarian Universalists include five U.S. presidents..." In fact, there has never been a UU president as the denominations merged in 1961. He names Thomas Jefferson as a Unitarian Universalist. Jefferson was raised an Episcopalian and later in life belonged to no specific religion although his writings do contain Unitarian ideals. There have been four presidents who belonged to Unitarian churches when the Unitarian faith bore little resemblance to UU practice today.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs "have little respect for the Christian Bible." That would be his opinion and one which would not hold up to scrutiny. UUs do indeed respect the Bible and other sacred religious texts, they just do not use it the same way Mr. Rhodes does.

Mr. Rhodes states that most UUs deny that there is an afterlife. He sites a document that isn't even accepted as the definitive statement of UU belief by all, or even most, Unitarian Universalists.

Mr. Rhodes contends that UUs are intolerant towards Christians despite their professed belief in religious tolerance. He does not explore the meaning of religious liberalism or differentiate between acknowledging Christianity as a valid faith path while failing to appreciate a conservative Christian proclaiming UUs as evil, sinful, faithless people destined for eternal damnation. Why should anyone tolerate intolerance?

If his other chapters are as misleading as this one, I would recommend anyone interested in cults seek a different source. Clearly Mr. Rhodes' purpose in writing this book was not scholarship, but to elevate his own religion by showing disdain for others. Even if that means shoddy research and erroneous conclusions.

A good read..
but read slowly as some parts are wordy. Morminism was covered VERY WELL. 1/4 of this book was really dry.

Good Read..
This was a good read but read slowly as some parts are wordy. Mormonism was covered VERY WELL. 1/4 of this book was really dry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Odd that he uses the word "cult" in title.He doesn't think they exist at all.
I find it extremely disingenous for J. Gordon Melton to use the word "Cult" in the title of his work, when he obviously doesn't believe that any religion is a cult at all.He apparently doesn't mind taking the money of people that want to learn about cults.The title of this book should be, "There Is No Such Thing as a Cult: All Religious Organizations are Equally Valid and Useful".I imagine that Melton finds it humorous that he tricks people that are buying this book into thinking they are getting a compilation of exposes on various cultic organizations -- when he is really selling a long argument about why each organization shouldn't even be called a cult, but rather a "new religious movement".This author is a huckster.

J. Gordon Melton co-founded cult apologist organization CESNUR, heads CESNUR USA, and directs the Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR).This Methodist minister (ordained elder in the United Methodist Church) is seen by many Christian and secular apologists and counter-cult professionals as a cult apologist.

Though Melton professes to be an Evangelical Christian, many Evangelicals do not consider his views on cults and other religions as representative.For example, Melton claims that the Jehovah's Witnesses, Unification Church, Jonestown (Jim Jones' People's Temple), Aum Shinrikyo, the Church of Scientology, etcetera, are not cults.

Rather than recognize and acknowledge the sociological and/or theological aspects that make each of these movements cults, Melton prefers the euphemistic term "New Religious Movements."

Melton has become a controversial figure for several reasons:

1) His defense of various groups widely viewed as, theologically, cults of Christianity (e.g. the Local Church, and The Family). Though he has admitted that he does not know where to draw the line between orthodoxy and heresy, Melton even aided the Local Church in its lawsuit against a Christian countercult ministry.

2) His largely uncritical treatment of groups ranging from the Church Universal and Triumphant to the Church of Scientology. Some of his work reads like made-to-order PR material. His study of the Church Universal and Triumphant, done in co-operation with fellow cult-apologist James R. Lewis, is described by one sociologist as a "a travesty of research."

3) His attacks on Christian apologetics ministries, apologists, and counter-cult professionals.

4) His assertion that apostates invariably lie.

For these reasons, while most people acknowledge Melton's expertise at gathering and organizing research data, many religion professionals and secular anti-cult activitists believe he does a poor job at interpreting that data. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

The Cult of Saints and the Joining of Heaven and Earth
In the Cult of Saints, readers are offered a fascinating glimpse into the religious and cultural life of Late Antique and early Medieval civilization.Peter Brown's narrative is gripping and his expositions on the topics he addresses are learned, informative and lively.Now some of the main points of interest will be his discussions on the (1) affinities and differences between Pagan and Christian views on death, burial and the afterlife.For instance, he does a fine job isolating the pagan concepts of guardian spirits, or daemons [=genius, Latin], from the developing cultus linked to deceased Christian holy men and martyrs.Also, Brown brilliantly (2) explains the foundation and formation of the Cult of Saints--its genesis at the humble graves of the holy dead to its maturation and rise to prominence in the Church, in civic life and in the daily lives of believing men and women.Other valuable aspects of this work are: (3) Brown's survey on the significance and power of relics and (4) the interesting insight he sheds upon the development of saints as patrons, protectors, healers and as invisible agents that exorcise demons.Perhaps the most notable feature of this work is this--that such was the importance and power of the cult of saints in late and post-classic life that the tombs, shrines and relics of sainted men became the meeting ground for Heaven and Earth.

Brown versus modern scholarship
Peter Brown investigates the rise and function of the Christian "cult of saints" in late antiquity between the third and sixth centuries A.D. (1).In each chapter, he demonstrates a comprehensive framework of explaining how the cult of saints became prominent.He offers an original and alternative perspective that counters modern scholarship.He focuses on cemeteries, shrines, and relics, which embody the cult of the saints. He provides comprehensive explanations for the function of these powerful elements, which had a profound effect on the spread and growth of Christianity in the late Roman world.Chapter 1 is essentially a diatribe towards modern scholarship and the "armchair anthropology" that helped shape Enlightenment thought (13).He argues that modern scholars have inherited traditional attitudes that lack the sensitivity to understand the cultural contexts, which led to the cult of the saints' rise and expansion.He takes particular issue with the categories "true religion" and the "vulgar" which David Hume is famous for initiating (16).In addition, Brown offers an alternative to the "two-tiered" model offered by modern scholarship (17).The two-tiered model assumes that historically, changes arising in late antiquity were a grass-roots phenomenon.In this sense, the cult of the saints lies in the category of "popular religion" or vulgar religion, and that its rise is due to the capitulation of the enlightened Christian elites (18).Brown vehemently disagrees, arguing in the following chapters, that it is the exact opposite, which occurs during this time-period.
In chapter 2, Brown argues that originally the tension over saint worship became a debate over the "privatization of the holy" arising not between the masses and the elite, rather the elites and the clergy (34).Early church leaders Augustine and Vigilantus worried that "loyalties to the holy dead" disrupted the ideal community and could cause a "neglect of the local church" (32). Bishops, like Ambrose of Milan, began playing the part and seizing more power during this conflict.Burial practices, shrines, and the remains of the saints became tools compiled by the elites and ecclesiastics.The rise of the cult of saints was purposeful and deliberate.In other words, the saints and the procedures involved with saint reverence would provide identification for the Christian community.The clergy used the graves of the martyrs to "buy off envy" assuaging the gap between the masses and the elites.Shrines and cemeteries also provided a new definition and strengthening of the urban Christian community by including women and the poor.They offered a sort of escape for the marginalized.This would further support Brown's claim that the cult's rise is an elitist construction appeasing the masses.The "democratization of culture" in late antiquity is democratization from the top (48).
In chapter 3, Brown posits that Augustine used the cult of martyrs to invert the traditional hierarchy of the universe.They could bind fellow men closer to God because martyrs were more authentic than angels were.The need for patronage also offered a "perpetual hope of amnesty" in regards to sin and the last judgment (65).In chapter 4, the "relic" became a new therapeutic tool helping in the inevitable negotiation with death (78).The relic's removal from the cluttered grave and direct association with physical death heightened the "imaginative dialectic" which was the notion that the saints were still alive in Heaven and on Earth (79).This helped perpetuate the immortality motif essential for Christianity's growth.In chapter 5, Brown notes that originally, the holy was available in one place.If one lived outside the proximity of a shrine, a pilgrimage was the only means to experience the holy.Church leaders were innovative when enacting the notion that if relics could travel then those believers that were not in the proximity of shrines or cemeteries could experience "praesentia" or the physical presence of the holy (88).Another function the cult of saints provided was "concord and the unsullied exercise of power" (93).The saint's praesentia offered protection and prestige for the individual and power over evil.In chapter 6, Brown notes that the late-antique shrine was also a place for an exorcism, demonstrating the "potentia" or ideal power of the saint through God (107). The saint's power shows the ability to change the "social status" of the healed recipient (113).The healed could either keep their status or become property of the "invisible lord" or saint from whose shrine they were healed (113).
The Cult of the Saints does not read like modern scholarship, and I believe this is Brown's intention.There is no introduction or conclusion, Brown just begins pouring information out from the beginning to the end.This gives the book a rather authentic appeal insinuating that Brown has no agenda other than deriding the analytical methods of modern scholarship.Brown, however, is guilty of doing this himself in some cases.He uses terms like "therapy of distance" when discussing pilgrimages in chapter five (87).In addition, he refers to exorcism as a "psychodrama" and posits that exorcisms were alternatives to the traditional penal system aiming for the reintegration of individuals back into the community (111).This, however, in no way takes away from the scope of Brown original arguments presented in this erudite work.
Damon Neely

A brilliant monograph
This monograph has become the classic work on the cult of the saints, and is part of Peter Brown's monumental contribution to the study of early Christianity.
Brown takes on the complex phenomenon of the cult of the saints, countering the prevalent view, expoused by no less a thinker than David Hume, that the cult of the saints was merely a folk continuation of a pagan world view.
Indeed, just the opposite was true. The cult of the saints dramatically reversed the pagan view of the universe. In pagan thought, heaven and earth were distinctly separate, but now through the cult heaven and earth were linked by the physical presence of saints and their relics on earth. Rather than being a supersition of commoners, the cult was developed and perpetuated by the most educated and cultured elites of the church.
Brown shows that the cult was not "medieval." Indeed it developed from the classical values that permeated the late antique world. Saints become "spiritual friends," reflecting the warm sense amicitia that was so cherished Roman elites, and saints were said to be "patrons," who could intermediate before God in the same fashion that a patron would mediate for a client before a Roman official.
Brown paints a vivid picture of early Christian piety, a world filled with genuine emotion and profound spirituality.

The Authoritative Text
Peter Brown has given us a wonderful history of a fascinating period in early Christianity, a time when believers could communicate with Christ through the preserved relics of saints.One cannot fully understand the spread of Christian ideals and traditions into the late Roman Empire without first consulting this book.Those unfamiliar with the cult of the saints will be surprised at the seeming preoccupation with death associated with early Christian traditions--in addition to preserving and displaying bones of deceased bishops (which supposedly held the power to heal and cure), ceremonies and festivals were often held at tombs and burial sites.

This book is not for the casual reader whose approaches ancient history as a hobby (I fall into that catagory).It isn't a consistantly linear text, and Brown often uses Latin terminology that is left undefined, and even uses direct quotes from Latin sources without translating them.While historians and scholars will probably have no problems (I assume they are used to this approach), an average history buff like me will have to consult a buddy who's fluent in Latin.

Nonetheless, Peter Brown is thorough and precise in his study on the workings of the early church.He shows us not only how saints to the masses, but how an individual believer could form a relationship with the dead saint, thus connecting himself to the divine.Although I had difficulty reading it for recreation, I know it will be a valuable reference text for future projects.

a classic!
Peter Brown's book on the Cult of Saints has become a classic work on theformation of the cult of saints in Late Antiquity/Early Medieval Europe. Meticulously researched (as always with Peter Brown), this is essentialreading for anyone interested in the cult of saints.It is highlyrecommended for all students of Medieval history and religion.Thoughdense and scholarly, this is a worthy read for anyone interested in thetopic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Disturbing
Will we ever really know exactly everything that went on there?I don't know for sure.One of the writers is an ex-cult member.I believe Vernon Howell was an absolutely evil man.Mark Breault's side of the story could certainly be skewed.I don't know how objective he was.There are certainly reasons why his testimony could be less pointed in one direction.The other real problem with our society and journalism is the fact that it is a money making business.The more sensational a story is, the higher your market share, which could mean more copies sold, or higher profits on commercial endorsements.

This story tells the story of one man's rise to a self proclaimed 'god', and the sheep that he led to the slaughter.It is a very interesting read.There were countless other folks in this book, who rather than reading the Bible themselves and making certain their leader was following what the Bible said just gave him "blind faith".Many paid for that mistake with their lives.The book painted Howell as an extremely abusive man, both to children and adults.Why these folks turned their children and wives over to him, without ever reading their Bible looking to find out if that was the right thing to do is a mystery to me.

The ones that I really felt sorry for were the children.I have no clue how someone could abuse a child like that.They had their innocence taken from them by both their parents, and this monster.

It seems as though there are still Branch Davidians out there today.They were expecting this sinful man to rise from the dead and what, rape their children's children?The book was a good read, and should point out the need to challenge what your preacher etc says by checking the Bible to make sure it conforms to that.

Sick
The reviews of this book are quite devisive.The fact is that nobody really came out of Waco looking good.Neither the government, the Branch Davidians, nor the former members.Some of what is said by Marc Breault probably needs to be taken with a grain of sand.There are always three sides to a story: mine, yours and the truth.However, I really believe that some of the bashing of this book is unnecessary.Yes it is written at about a third grade reading level, but that does not discredit the facts of what happened in Waco, Texas.

Vernon Howell was a nobody.He came into religion when he could not fit in with the rest of the world.After wrestling a religious establishment away from another corrupt religious leader, Koresh's (formerly Vernon Howell) teachings became more and more outlandish until he eventually claimed to be the Son of God.What is most sad about this story is the multitudes of people that believed him despite his flagrant sinning.The vulgar nature of one's sins tends to discredit their divine claims.Knowing what Koresh did with children makes this a sick and sad chapter in American history.

Neither of the co-authors are accomplished writers.However I do not suspect people will buy this book for its literary prose.What this book does is to give you an inside look at the evolution of David Koresh.Maybe Breault skews the story in his favor.If so, I suspect the government is guilty of the same.

Biased, inflamatory, slanderous, and full of errors
It reads well, but 99.9% of the "facts" which are presented in this highly biased peice of FICTION can be easily discredited with the GOVERNMENT'S OWN REPORTS (and those are far from "fair" so that says a lot)!

I would urge anyone interested in knowing the TRUTH about what happened in Waco to read this book... and then read the OTHER side.You can't know the facts unless you sort them out for yourself.This book attempts to decieve you.

I could argue the other side, but the review is not the place for it.Search for your own knowledge (blindly following others is, after all, what the book does validly warn against).

Does not excuse the actions of the ATF
I wouldn't trust Marc Breault because he is an ex-member and former right hand man to Koresh most likely with an axe to grind. If you want an unbiased honest detailed book about David Koresh and life at Mt. Carmel get "A Place Called WACO" by David Thibodeau who unlike Mark was there during the siege. David Thibodeau is one of only 9 Davidian survivors and one of only four who did not go to prison.

Doesn't explain the behavior of the Feds
One question that isn't answered is why -- if the Feds wanted David Koresh so much, and if they wanted to "protect the children" as they have claimed ad nauseum -- they didn't arrest Koresh when he was in Waco relatively alone, as he traveled there quite often (and without a lot of people with him).

Doesn't make any sense to me . . . If I was going to stop someone that was allegedly as depraved and as dangerous as he is now made out to be, then I would wait for him to leave the "compound."The Sheriff of Waco, among many others, have said that Koresh had traveled into town quite frequently (and no, he didn't surround himself with human shields).He would have been easy to arrest without fanfare.

The Feds instead chose to bring in a whole "battalion" of folks and create a big media event.

Personally, I wouldn't trust what this guy says in the book. ... Read more

Book Description
The Leading Cult Reference Tool Now Completely Updated!

Major cults & religions covered: Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, New Age Cults, The Unification Church, Rajneeshism, Baha'i Faith, ISKCON, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism, World Faith movement, The Theosophical Society, Apocalyptic Cults, Islam, Christian Science, and Unitarian-Universalism.

In an era of rapid cult growth worldwide, Christians today more than ever need the trustworthy information contained in The Kingdom of the Cults. This comprehensive new edition equips readers from every walk of life to use biblical truth to counter the efforts of cults to masquerade as mainstream Christians.

Included is all the authoritative data of previous editions as well as an analysis of the latest ideological and organizational developments of cults old and new. Updated statistics and references detail the alarming spread of the cults, particularly on the mission fields of the world. This edition also recounts the startling yet welcome embrace of orthodox Christian faith by the Worldwide Church of God. Readable and reliable to a wide cross-section of Christians—from teachers and pastors to lay believers trying to understand and witness to their neighbors, The Kingdom of the Cults is certain to set the standard for cult reference texts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

Invaluable Witnessing Tool
Though this book is hardly a quick read at 700+ pages, it is a must if you are a serious student of religion.Every chapter starts out with an overview of the cults mentioned and how they came to their particular erroneous beliefs and ends with the scriptural reference refuting that belief.I found this book invaluable to my cause of witnessing to the public regarding these religions.Even though we know that there is something wrong with these cults, it is hard to provide a reason why until you have read this book!My copy is heavily underlined and highlighted.I shipped it to my mother and sister to read and they have not sent it back to me so I guess I need to purchase a new one!

Nicely Done with Good Research..Fairly Standard Study.
Overall, this is a fine job of what the author considers cults, though it's somewhat amusing how one Christian group seems to enjoy referring to other self- proclaimed Christian groups, like Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Science as "Cults"..Obviously, this comes with the territory, especially in a book written by an "evangelical". Now, it's obvious that the above 2 Christian sects are very strange, and have some very bizarre origins and beliefs. Since they are relatively new to the scene (1800's), perhaps they really are cults, just as all religions are when they start, including Christianity. Moonies are also covered here, along with other rather off-beat new "Religions". But should certain aspects of Eastern religions,with huge following overseas,be called "Cults"? Well, the author analyzes mainly their American off-shoots, and since they are not mainstream America, they are also called cults. For a history of some very weird ideas, and smaller mass delusions, this book is really excellent. The trouble is the usual one: any "Religion" not fitting with that of the author is referred to as a "Cult"

Kingdom of the Cults
I purchased this book for a class I'm taking in theology and it has been very benefical in my studys.I highly reccomend this books for overviews of the different cult out there.

truly remarkable book
the knowledge you can can gain from this book is tremendous!! it has really helped me to defend true Christian beliefs, and also ministered to me, as I was a part of one of the groups mentioned in the book(the Christian faith movement or word faith movement) I kept an open mind while reading this book and the chapter on the word faith movement,I believe has helped free me from a doctrine that has held me back for so many years.I'm a coach potato but I just couldn't put this book down. it helped me greatly with witnessing to a group of mormons and gave me the knowledge I needed to counter many of their bizarre beliefs. you can tell dr.martin did A LOT of research for this book and he provides endless sources and references to prove and back up his facts, any one with common sense and an open mind would find it hard to argue the fats shown in this book. this book is a must read!!!

A Part Of My Christian Library For Many Years
Being a Seventh-day Adventist, one might think it strange that I'd have anything to do with a book entitled "Kingdom of the Cults". And though I can't say I agree with many of his conclusions of Adventist doctrines, I can say that I enjoyed his indepth research. Did you know that this book is even sold in the Adventist Book Center(ABC) chain of stores? Not quite the "brainwashed" group some have labeled us. I also enjoyed listening to his popular radio program "The Bible Answer Man" throughout the 1980s before his untimely passing. And am glad to say he was a pioneer amongst non-Adventist apologist, to recognize the obvious fundamental Christian foundational beliefs of Seventh-day Adventism, that justify us as not being classified as a "cult". One of his trademark quotes was "we can agree to disagree, agreeably". I always considered him a fellow believer, and brother in Christ. ... Read more

Book Description
Cult victims and those who have suffered abusive relationships often suffer from fear, confusion, low self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress. Take Back Your Life explains the seductive draw that leads people into such situations, provides guidelines for assessing what happened, and hands-on tools for getting back on track. Written for victims, their families, and professionals, this book leads readers through the healing process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A must have!
Incredibly comprehensive and poignant.As a cult survivor, I've read a lot of cult-related materials, and this one just struck a deep nerve, where others didn't quite have the same effect.It's also the only one that my partner is willing to read. He says that this book is a much more relatable piece than any other book I've suggested, and states that it brings cult experiences down to a layman's level to understanding these past experiences and some of its lasting effects.

Outstanding!
As an ex cultic relationship survivor cum exit counselor in training I can attest to this being the most comprehensive and helpful book to date I,ve read. THis book definitely encompasses all facets of what it is to go through the aftermath of a cultic experience. It is a warm and welcome friend as I repair my life. It is a must for not only the survivor but for the support system that helps the survivor repair the damage done. Best to all!

A self-help resource for survivors of harmful relationships
Take Back Your Life: Recovering From Cults and Abusive Relationships by co-authors Janja Lalich (Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico) & Madeleine Tobias (The Clinical Coordinator and a psycho therapist at the Vet Center in White River Junction) is a self-help resource for survivors of harmful relationships, whether with an individual or a group, and their loved ones. Chapters explain in plain terms the siren call abusive relationships have some people, and the confusion, low self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress experienced by the victim, along with suggestions for picking up the pieces of one's life and embracing the healing process. Of special note are the chapters addressing problems with family members and children in cults, and therapeutic concerns. Take Back Your Life is written primarily for lay readers however, and is a very sober, serious, and practical guide.

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