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Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America
An “engrossing, unputdownable” (Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author) pop history that explains why the eccentric doomsday beliefs of our Puritan founders are still driving American culture today, contextualizes the current rise in far-right extremism as a natural result of our latent indoctrination, and proposes that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, journalist Jane Borden argues that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the self-made man, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.
With in-depth research and compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn’t learn in school, including how we are still being brainwashed, making us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she also revisits some of the most fascinating cults in this country—including, the Mankind United and Love Has Won—presenting them as integral parts of our national psyche rather than aberrations.
Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, journalist Jane Borden argues that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the self-made man, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.
With in-depth research and compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn’t learn in school, including how we are still being brainwashed, making us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she also revisits some of the most fascinating cults in this country—including, the Mankind United and Love Has Won—presenting them as integral parts of our national psyche rather than aberrations.
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First published March 25, 2025
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December 26, 2024
If you've ever found yourself asking how we've gotten where we are in America, "Cults Like Us" author Jane Borden may very well be suggesting that we've really always been here.
Oy.
"Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America" is a ballsy, somewhat controversial, surprisingly engaging, and incredibly well-researched capturing of the doomsday thinking upon which America is founded and where it's gone since the earliest days of the Puritans.
What Borden refers to as cult ideology may surprise some and will certainly anger others, however, Borden backs her assertions up remarkably well (even when I'm in some disagreement with her) and appears to conclude that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Fans of Fantasyland, The Road to Jonestown, and Howard Zinn will appreciate Borden's journey from Plymouth Rock to Mormons, Oneidans, LulaRoe, NXIVM, Scientology, and much, much more.
I still remember the day when I was serving as an interim pastor and a congregant walked up to me dismayed at the flexibility with which I held my theology. "It's your job to tell us what to believe," he said.
I just shook my head and said "Um, no. It's not."
According to Borden, the United States was and is a prime breeding ground for cult-like thinking. The history presented here isn't a history you're ever going to be taught in school and, if you're doing your homework, you won't just take it at face value. Part of the wonder of "Cults Like Us" is it encourages more thought and research than blind obedience and surrender. Borden isn't out to become that which she's writing against here.
I will admit that I struggled, at times, to get into Borden's rhythm. This is especially true in the earliest portions of the book as Borden deep dives into the early history of cult ideology. However, as she entered more contemporary cults, I realized I'd become immersed in her ability to both reveal history and connect the dots. Having been raised in what many consider to be a cult myself (Jehovah's Witnesses), I found that Borden does a stellar job of connecting history, cult ideologies, and even the common ground that connects seemingly disparate cults. My days in a New Thought church make more sense now and Borden even goes after MLM (multi-level marketing) unmercifully.
"Cults Like Us" is exhaustively researched, engagingly written, and even on occasion quite funny. The end result, however, is that we gain a better insight into why doomsday thinking drives America and how we got where we are and why, sadly, it may not even be possible to turn away from it.
While many books on cults often try to serve as not much more than entertainment, Borden's work here is enlightening and cautionary and more than a little frightening. There's no doubt "Cults Like Us" is a book I'll be referring back to again and again.
Oy.
"Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America" is a ballsy, somewhat controversial, surprisingly engaging, and incredibly well-researched capturing of the doomsday thinking upon which America is founded and where it's gone since the earliest days of the Puritans.
What Borden refers to as cult ideology may surprise some and will certainly anger others, however, Borden backs her assertions up remarkably well (even when I'm in some disagreement with her) and appears to conclude that the United States is the largest cult of all.
Fans of Fantasyland, The Road to Jonestown, and Howard Zinn will appreciate Borden's journey from Plymouth Rock to Mormons, Oneidans, LulaRoe, NXIVM, Scientology, and much, much more.
I still remember the day when I was serving as an interim pastor and a congregant walked up to me dismayed at the flexibility with which I held my theology. "It's your job to tell us what to believe," he said.
I just shook my head and said "Um, no. It's not."
According to Borden, the United States was and is a prime breeding ground for cult-like thinking. The history presented here isn't a history you're ever going to be taught in school and, if you're doing your homework, you won't just take it at face value. Part of the wonder of "Cults Like Us" is it encourages more thought and research than blind obedience and surrender. Borden isn't out to become that which she's writing against here.
I will admit that I struggled, at times, to get into Borden's rhythm. This is especially true in the earliest portions of the book as Borden deep dives into the early history of cult ideology. However, as she entered more contemporary cults, I realized I'd become immersed in her ability to both reveal history and connect the dots. Having been raised in what many consider to be a cult myself (Jehovah's Witnesses), I found that Borden does a stellar job of connecting history, cult ideologies, and even the common ground that connects seemingly disparate cults. My days in a New Thought church make more sense now and Borden even goes after MLM (multi-level marketing) unmercifully.
"Cults Like Us" is exhaustively researched, engagingly written, and even on occasion quite funny. The end result, however, is that we gain a better insight into why doomsday thinking drives America and how we got where we are and why, sadly, it may not even be possible to turn away from it.
While many books on cults often try to serve as not much more than entertainment, Borden's work here is enlightening and cautionary and more than a little frightening. There's no doubt "Cults Like Us" is a book I'll be referring back to again and again.
January 14, 2025
4.25⭐️
Wait, am I in a cult?!
I love reading about cults, whether it is specific to an individual's experience, deep dives into a particular cult, or how cults function in general. Cults Like Us takes an even higher approach on how we are so easily manipulated into joining cults. From the first pilgrims to the most recent presidential election, everything has ties to a cult-like mentality.
If you are interested in big-name cults and how this mentality drives America, as well as some history about cults in general, this book is for you.
I rated this book 4.25 because the book sometimes veered away from cults for a little too long for my taste, but Jane Borden always brought it back eventually.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the ARC of this book!
Wait, am I in a cult?!
I love reading about cults, whether it is specific to an individual's experience, deep dives into a particular cult, or how cults function in general. Cults Like Us takes an even higher approach on how we are so easily manipulated into joining cults. From the first pilgrims to the most recent presidential election, everything has ties to a cult-like mentality.
If you are interested in big-name cults and how this mentality drives America, as well as some history about cults in general, this book is for you.
I rated this book 4.25 because the book sometimes veered away from cults for a little too long for my taste, but Jane Borden always brought it back eventually.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #AtriaBooks for the ARC of this book!
Read
March 25, 2025Firstly, thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for inviting me to read this! Having enjoyed Amanda Montell's "Cultish" previously, I thought this would be an interesting and informative read that I could really like, but after weeks of trying to get through this, I have decided to call it quits 37% of the way through.
This is not the books fault as it is well researched, and well written. Unfortunately, this just ended up not being the type of non-fiction I am interested in. At times, this was hard for me to get through because it felt too much like a history textbook. Though the author does break the info up with some humor and engaging stories, it wasn't enough to keep me motivated through the end. I struggled to find the enthusiasm I needed to pick this book up and keep reading, leading to my ultimate decision to DNF.
Many readers so far have been enjoying this, and I believe many more will come to enjoy it in the future! If you are interested in US history with an emphasis on cults, mild discussion of current politics, and a focus on doomsday groups, I would recommend checking this out.
This is not the books fault as it is well researched, and well written. Unfortunately, this just ended up not being the type of non-fiction I am interested in. At times, this was hard for me to get through because it felt too much like a history textbook. Though the author does break the info up with some humor and engaging stories, it wasn't enough to keep me motivated through the end. I struggled to find the enthusiasm I needed to pick this book up and keep reading, leading to my ultimate decision to DNF.
Many readers so far have been enjoying this, and I believe many more will come to enjoy it in the future! If you are interested in US history with an emphasis on cults, mild discussion of current politics, and a focus on doomsday groups, I would recommend checking this out.
January 25, 2025
Cults Like Us is a USA centered take on the things that make a cult a cult. I enjoyed that this book drew on historical details from the Puritans to the present day in order to explore this topic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I liked this book, found it to be unique from others that I have read, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the topic.
June 17, 2025
In her 2025 book Cults Like Us, culture writer Jane Borden argues that the United States has always had a culty undercurrent, from early Puritan settlers to current day mainstream political movements, and that this is perhaps a natural response to the opposing sociological forces on modern humans of seeking social connectedness/belonging vs. autonomy. Borden takes detours into a handful of Made-in-America multilevel marketing (MLM) schemes and bonafide cults, though the larger narrative is broader than that. There were several times I almost abandoned this book due to Borden's frequent editorializing remarks, which have a strong political flavor, as I felt this veered the book toward being an editorial piece despite the thorough research that went into it.
Borden references writing and researching this book for around five years; she's not the only one interested in this topic, as evidenced by the plethora of Youtube docuseries and other nonfiction works on these very topics (I'm linking several of the latter below that I've already read).
Further reading:
The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness by William von Hippel (2025) | my review - a very similar hypothesis on autonomy vs. connection from a social psychologist
Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read (2025) | my review
Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives by J.W. Ocker (2024) | my review
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (2021)
Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler and Kevin Conley (2022)
QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults by Van Badham (2021)
My statistics:
Book 181 for 2025
Book 2107 cumulatively
Borden references writing and researching this book for around five years; she's not the only one interested in this topic, as evidenced by the plethora of Youtube docuseries and other nonfiction works on these very topics (I'm linking several of the latter below that I've already read).
Further reading:
The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness by William von Hippel (2025) | my review - a very similar hypothesis on autonomy vs. connection from a social psychologist
Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read (2025) | my review
Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations―and Take Over Our Lives by J.W. Ocker (2024) | my review
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (2021)
Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them by Max Cutler and Kevin Conley (2022)
QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults by Van Badham (2021)
My statistics:
Book 181 for 2025
Book 2107 cumulatively
March 26, 2025
Is America the ultimate cult? A fascinating and irreverent deep dive into the doomsday theologies underpinning many of the founding colonies and that continue to pervade American culture in different iterations. From discussions of the Puritans to the Great Awakening(s) to the modern evangelical obsession with Revelation and every weird over-the-top cult in between, I was hooked. The author’s prose is irreverent and made me chuckle many times (I mean - Llama llama childhood trauma? Come on, hilarious).
If you enjoyed Cultish by Amanda Montell and follow pop culture but also read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter every day, drop everything and pick this up. If you’re troubled by current events and wondering how the hell half our country has seemingly gone off the deep end, this book provides a clear and cogent hypothesis rooted in historical research. Apologies in advance to my friends because I will be talking about this book incessantly for the foreseeable future. 5/5 stars - highly recommend.
Pub Date: 3/25/25
Review Published: 3/25/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoyed Cultish by Amanda Montell and follow pop culture but also read Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter every day, drop everything and pick this up. If you’re troubled by current events and wondering how the hell half our country has seemingly gone off the deep end, this book provides a clear and cogent hypothesis rooted in historical research. Apologies in advance to my friends because I will be talking about this book incessantly for the foreseeable future. 5/5 stars - highly recommend.
Pub Date: 3/25/25
Review Published: 3/25/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2025
A well-researched, engaging look at how the defining characteristics of cults (or, as some academics prefer, 'destructive groups') - a worshipped leader, thought reform and exploitation, an apocalyptic, good vs. evil mentality - were present in American life since the Pilgrims, and are baked in to the American monomyth. Borden looks at various groups, both modern and historical (Scientology and MAGA are mentioned, of course, but she spends more ink on the less familiar ones), and does a fine job exploring and explaining what the members get out of these groups, the dangers they pose, and why the whole thing is so tied to American identity. She's a smart, friendly writer, but I wish she'd tone down all the tired jokes and asides (and my Lord there's a lot of them, of the SNL catchphrase/ game show riff/#PunchLine variety. They're usually in italics with exclamation points, in case we miss the comedy) - all these dated, straining gags kind of got in the way of an awfully interesting, readable book.
I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway.
June 30, 2025
“What if we looked at that sky of stars, and instead of experiencing the terror of utter insignificance, felt wonder and gratitude for utter insignificance? What a relief not to be chosen, which honestly sounds like a lot of work. What cheer that luck exists, meaning everything isn’t up to us, an impossible burden. What reprieve to no longer fear death, an inevitability no bunker or spaceship could escape….
We could be our own superheroes.”
-Jane Borden
We could be our own superheroes.”
-Jane Borden
June 13, 2025
Recently, my book club read Cultish by Amanda Montell. It was my pick and I happily dove back in, having read it and enjoyed it previously. During our discussion, it was voiced over and over again that the United States in itself had a lot of the same characteristics of cult-adjacent organizations. Our group is made up of a diverse set of people with very different ages, backgrounds, upbringings, religious beliefs, and relationships with the US; which made the conversations even more interesting as we dove into that idea. I really wanted to see if there was a book on that very topic, and in a very unrelated conversation, another friend of mine brought up Cults Like Us.
Built on the premise that Puritan ideologies basically led to the US being very cultish and cult-heavy, the author takes us on a historical journey from the Pilgrims to today as seen through a cultish lens. The book was definitely heavily researched and was eye opening in a lot of ways, even if you’ve already read (or watched documentaries) about cults and cultish belief systems.
I enjoyed that there was a bit of wit and snark thrown in throughout the book to keep it from being too dryly academic, and I liked that the author walked us through specific cults and their beliefs before showing us how those same traits and ideologies can be found in the US’s systemic thought processes. If you enjoy history, cults, or want to know how the heck the US got to where it is right now… this might be a book you’ll find interesting!
Built on the premise that Puritan ideologies basically led to the US being very cultish and cult-heavy, the author takes us on a historical journey from the Pilgrims to today as seen through a cultish lens. The book was definitely heavily researched and was eye opening in a lot of ways, even if you’ve already read (or watched documentaries) about cults and cultish belief systems.
I enjoyed that there was a bit of wit and snark thrown in throughout the book to keep it from being too dryly academic, and I liked that the author walked us through specific cults and their beliefs before showing us how those same traits and ideologies can be found in the US’s systemic thought processes. If you enjoy history, cults, or want to know how the heck the US got to where it is right now… this might be a book you’ll find interesting!
April 2, 2025
This book is utterly captivating. A true labor of love from Borden, who expertly weaves history and sociology into a hilarious insight of the human experience.
Look, I love reading about cults. I have no idea why. Maybe because I love the idea that I could spot a cult a mile away and could neverrrrr be caught in one. But I was snared by an MLM for a hot minute ten years ago. And sometimes the leaders have some interesting ideas worth exploring. And sometimes it doesn't sound like a cult at all - it's the bedrock of our foundation as a nation.
I loved that the hypothesis for this was "The Pilgrims are the reason we have cults in America." By the end of this book, Borden proved her case 100 times over. The reason so many things about cults make sense - the reason they're so appealing by nature - is because it IS our nature. Mind absolutely blown.
Also Borden is hilarious and I want to get coffee with her and pick her brain about cults.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jane Borden, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Look, I love reading about cults. I have no idea why. Maybe because I love the idea that I could spot a cult a mile away and could neverrrrr be caught in one. But I was snared by an MLM for a hot minute ten years ago. And sometimes the leaders have some interesting ideas worth exploring. And sometimes it doesn't sound like a cult at all - it's the bedrock of our foundation as a nation.
I loved that the hypothesis for this was "The Pilgrims are the reason we have cults in America." By the end of this book, Borden proved her case 100 times over. The reason so many things about cults make sense - the reason they're so appealing by nature - is because it IS our nature. Mind absolutely blown.
Also Borden is hilarious and I want to get coffee with her and pick her brain about cults.
Thank you to NetGalley, Jane Borden, and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2025
This book has given me such a better understanding of how people end up stuck in cults, but also! of how people can end up believing politicians' obvious lies, and how quickly people can be radicalized online, and much more. Really interesting, and all the concepts are explained so that reading this book doesn't require any prior knowledge of psychology or sociology or anything.
I personally didn't really like the more humoristic tone the author took (I prefer when non-fiction books are serious), but that is just a personal preference, I can see why others would find it more approachable!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book comes out on April 8th, 2025.
I personally didn't really like the more humoristic tone the author took (I prefer when non-fiction books are serious), but that is just a personal preference, I can see why others would find it more approachable!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. This book comes out on April 8th, 2025.
May 6, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. Really and truly I did. I love a good cult. Although I did learn a few new tidbits about some cults and learned about some that I didn't even know about, this came across as biased and pushy. This took me forever to get through and I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to DNF it. While it definitely had its moments, I wouldn't recommend it. The writing style was easy to read but other than that, it was just not my cup of tea.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 20, 2025
I'm not denying this was very interesting but it did get off the topic of cults quite often and just kinda get political. And to my prior point, that is interesting, and def didn't put some connections together until reading this book, but I def wanted more cult information, less why our political system is awful. I already know that and it's depressing enough.
April 15, 2025
Watch me reread this soon so I can highlight the shit out of this amazing book.
August 1, 2025
A book everyone should read, but I'm afraid the people who need to read it the most....won't.
September 1, 2025
An American history of cult ideology: legitimate cults, fringe groups, and general things that make you go “hmmmm.” An oddly fun, and truly riveting read. If you know me well, you’re familiar with my fascination with human behavior. Definitely recommend!
May 19, 2025
The writing in this is all over the place. Ideas seem to come and go so the author can repurpose their snarky tweets. The author isn’t funny in the way anyone that has done improv comedy isn’t funny. Usually enjoy books by guests on The Dana Gould Hour but this is trash.
June 23, 2025
Very fascinating and, at times, terrifying read. Kind of lost me in the last third.
August 1, 2025
Extremely insightful, and written by a comedian. Highly recommended
Read
May 17, 2025I read this after hearing an interview with Borden on a podcast.
It traces apocalyptic thinking in American cults and society and how some base level assumptions have driven American susceptibility to cults, conspiraacists, and con men. It's a compelling lens to look through. do I buy every jot and tittle of her arguments? No, especially her argument about evil at the end of the book. But it it is a hueristic that provides some good insight.
And it made me want to study con men and cults in more depth than I previously have. It feels like the country is being run by conmen and conspiracists, so it would be a good idea to study that mode of control.
It traces apocalyptic thinking in American cults and society and how some base level assumptions have driven American susceptibility to cults, conspiraacists, and con men. It's a compelling lens to look through. do I buy every jot and tittle of her arguments? No, especially her argument about evil at the end of the book. But it it is a hueristic that provides some good insight.
And it made me want to study con men and cults in more depth than I previously have. It feels like the country is being run by conmen and conspiracists, so it would be a good idea to study that mode of control.
Read
November 19, 2025This is one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025:
Is America a cult? Borden explores this question by diving into the morals and beliefs that shaped Puritanical colonization. The book surveys a cult's characteristics, tracing how groups, laws, and policies throughout American history have led to conspiratorial thinking among its people. This includes why Americans are so susceptible to pyramid schemes; why most American cults have been white and politically right-leaning; and when such thinking has surged in this country's timeline. Engaging and enraging, this is the history and contemporary exploration of America we need right now.
- Kelly Jensen
Is America a cult? Borden explores this question by diving into the morals and beliefs that shaped Puritanical colonization. The book surveys a cult's characteristics, tracing how groups, laws, and policies throughout American history have led to conspiratorial thinking among its people. This includes why Americans are so susceptible to pyramid schemes; why most American cults have been white and politically right-leaning; and when such thinking has surged in this country's timeline. Engaging and enraging, this is the history and contemporary exploration of America we need right now.
- Kelly Jensen
February 26, 2025
Thank you Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! :)
Cult Like Us by Jane Borden was honestly a fun time. I'm always down to learn a little bit about cults, and I thought this book had a really insightful take that added something to the ongoing "conversation." If you liked Cultish by Amanda Montell, you'll probably like this one as well- it has a similar witty, conversational writing style and the general topic of cults in modern America is similar between the two. I will say that I thought Cults Like Us was much more insightful because it had more substantial socio-political commentary on how we got here. This one made me think a lot about the thought patterns & belief systems that are very "normal" to us (e.g. our strong need for control in an unpredictable world) and the ways in which they can become destructive. If you're looking for a funny, fast, insightful nonfiction read with a lighthearted yet earnest perspective, I think Cults Like Us is a great choice.
Cult Like Us by Jane Borden was honestly a fun time. I'm always down to learn a little bit about cults, and I thought this book had a really insightful take that added something to the ongoing "conversation." If you liked Cultish by Amanda Montell, you'll probably like this one as well- it has a similar witty, conversational writing style and the general topic of cults in modern America is similar between the two. I will say that I thought Cults Like Us was much more insightful because it had more substantial socio-political commentary on how we got here. This one made me think a lot about the thought patterns & belief systems that are very "normal" to us (e.g. our strong need for control in an unpredictable world) and the ways in which they can become destructive. If you're looking for a funny, fast, insightful nonfiction read with a lighthearted yet earnest perspective, I think Cults Like Us is a great choice.
April 5, 2025
I thought this book was very enlightening. Cult culture in America has always fascinated me, and Borden delivered the perfect book. Her years of research shows in these chapters. She starts with Puritan doomsday thinking and concludes with the influencer mindset today in social media. Cult behavior is all around us in America. I enjoyed the glimpses at several prominent cults in America throughout the years, and how they gained popularity keeping a strong following.
Whenever I pick up a non-fiction book, I am looking to educate myself more on a topic I am somewhat familiar with, but I find myself wanting more information. Borden deep dives into the mindset of these cult leaders and their followers explaining why people start to look up to these persuasive leaders. She also brings up how cult thinking is prevalent in our everyday lives now from politics to capitalism.
I felt very satisfied upon finishing the book, reflecting on my own behavior. My emotional and physical state are compromised when I fall victim to the next "quick fix" online or isolating myself further from social interactions.
If you are looking to learn more about cult history in America and how it is still present today, I would recommend you pick this book up! I has great talking points, especially in a book club setting.
Thank you to Atria Books for a finished copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Whenever I pick up a non-fiction book, I am looking to educate myself more on a topic I am somewhat familiar with, but I find myself wanting more information. Borden deep dives into the mindset of these cult leaders and their followers explaining why people start to look up to these persuasive leaders. She also brings up how cult thinking is prevalent in our everyday lives now from politics to capitalism.
I felt very satisfied upon finishing the book, reflecting on my own behavior. My emotional and physical state are compromised when I fall victim to the next "quick fix" online or isolating myself further from social interactions.
If you are looking to learn more about cult history in America and how it is still present today, I would recommend you pick this book up! I has great talking points, especially in a book club setting.
Thank you to Atria Books for a finished copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 13, 2025
idk about this one. There's some interesting ideas in here but there's also a bunch of claims and analysis that just felt really dubious to me. The explanation of the protestant reformation felt shallow and distorted, the pop culture "american monomyth" supporting strong man authoritarianism cited tons of examples that very clearly don't actually fit, there's weird stuff about evolutionary psychology and the social history of laws and contracts and urbanism that just seems kind of off to me? Makes me wonder how many other strange distortions I didn't catch because I'm not knowledgeable enough. I was gonna give this three stars but then the conclusion gave some really bizarre policy suggestions like testing public officials for "malignant narcissism"? bad vibe, lost a star for that. The whole thing is also shot through with this tone of unfunny snark that I might have been more forgiving of if the core arguments of the book were more solid, but in this book they just came off as weirdly snide and off-putting
March 30, 2025
Thanks to the publisher, via Edelweiss, for an advance e-galley for honest review.
This is a well researched and informed look at the background of cults and their current and historical impact in the US. It is decently balanced between some more academic information and accessible humor and snark.
This is a well researched and informed look at the background of cults and their current and historical impact in the US. It is decently balanced between some more academic information and accessible humor and snark.
April 30, 2025
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.
Overall, I think this book had a fascinating premise and made some interesting connections between the current political space, religion and cults. This book is definitely not for those who are already overwhelmed by politics.
Overall, I think this book had a fascinating premise and made some interesting connections between the current political space, religion and cults. This book is definitely not for those who are already overwhelmed by politics.
May 6, 2025
Uneven book yet has interesting ideas.
October 14, 2025
I'm gonna DNF this at about 50%. It's not bad, I'm just not particulaly interested in going further. While I think Borden has an interesting idea here, and she's certainly done her research, I'm not sure there's really enough for a full book, or rather maybe there's too much for one book and Borden is too busy sticking it all in that she doesn't quite get it all together. There were a few times where Borden made some leaps and connections that weren't quite supported by the preceding material, and I found that really frustrating. I wanted to like this. I think we do have a cult problem in the US, I agree with the premise, but I found the execution lacking.
I think the idea behind the book is an important thing to look at in our understanding of American culture, but the writing skips around and the ideas don't fully cement. It's possible that she pulls things together in the latter half of the book, but nothing in the first half gives me that idea.
I think part of the problem is that Borden isn't sure if she's writing a history or if she's writing a persuasion piece, and the mixing of the two doesn't quite jell.
Ultimately a disappointing read. And I don't feel like forcing myself to keep going when a book that I ultimately agree with has failed to pursuade me to it's arguments.
I think the idea behind the book is an important thing to look at in our understanding of American culture, but the writing skips around and the ideas don't fully cement. It's possible that she pulls things together in the latter half of the book, but nothing in the first half gives me that idea.
I think part of the problem is that Borden isn't sure if she's writing a history or if she's writing a persuasion piece, and the mixing of the two doesn't quite jell.
Ultimately a disappointing read. And I don't feel like forcing myself to keep going when a book that I ultimately agree with has failed to pursuade me to it's arguments.
March 30, 2025
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.
4 stars! This was interesting and well written but perhaps not the book for me.
This is a non fiction book about how Americans are predisposed to fall into doomsday/cult like thinking, going as far back as the pilgrims who colonized this land hundreds of years ago. The author does a great job at sharing examples from history and making connections to present day cults and cult like groups. It is obvious that the author is very interested in the subject and it is very well researched. Although the subject matter is often very heavy, she does a great job at lightening the mood with humor but doesn’t use it so often that it feels like she is making light of what is often very serious and sad topics.
I would recommend this if you are looking for a book about cult like thinking/groups but also a book that talks a lot about our modern political system. I tend to prefer non-fiction that is a little more personal but I think this could be the perfect book for someone! I would also recommend the audiobook which is narrated by the author.
4 stars! This was interesting and well written but perhaps not the book for me.
This is a non fiction book about how Americans are predisposed to fall into doomsday/cult like thinking, going as far back as the pilgrims who colonized this land hundreds of years ago. The author does a great job at sharing examples from history and making connections to present day cults and cult like groups. It is obvious that the author is very interested in the subject and it is very well researched. Although the subject matter is often very heavy, she does a great job at lightening the mood with humor but doesn’t use it so often that it feels like she is making light of what is often very serious and sad topics.
I would recommend this if you are looking for a book about cult like thinking/groups but also a book that talks a lot about our modern political system. I tend to prefer non-fiction that is a little more personal but I think this could be the perfect book for someone! I would also recommend the audiobook which is narrated by the author.
July 28, 2025
Oddly one of the most interesting concepts here to me was the philosophical debate on concepts of good and evil, morals and how they can be harmful for mental health. That ‘good things happen to good people’ is something we are fed through Disney and a lot of modern tales but it is inherently unrealistic. It destroys optimism and hope and breeds insecurity or the idea that if something doesn’t work out that it must be someone’s fault. Sometimes it’s just the way things happen.
I liked the theoretical waffle parts of the book a lot more than the specific stories of big cults. But I understand that some of the concepts need to be explained with real-life examples.
It was interesting to see how the current American legal and political system enables and protects all these gurus because money rules the world.
A lot of interesting stuff in here, mostly theoretical and yes all over the place. More of a food for discussion and thought kind of book.
I liked the theoretical waffle parts of the book a lot more than the specific stories of big cults. But I understand that some of the concepts need to be explained with real-life examples.
It was interesting to see how the current American legal and political system enables and protects all these gurus because money rules the world.
A lot of interesting stuff in here, mostly theoretical and yes all over the place. More of a food for discussion and thought kind of book.
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