Them and Us: Cult Thinking and the Terrorist Threat

by Arthur J. Deikman

Shows the connection between extreme cult manipulation and group pressures that can be found in any organization.

Genres: Psychology, Research, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2003

Reviews

[Jesus]

It was the fact that Doris Lessing introduced this book that drew me to it when I was searching for ones she had had a part in following her recent winning of the Nobel prize. This is a bold book. It relates to Lessing's The Good Terrorist & The Wind Blows Away Our Words most (of the ones I have read thus far).

Group pressures are complex & I doubt that one book could address all of the issues involved. The fact that this book makes an attempt to is heartening. If you are seeking to understand some of the troubles within the current political climate, a read of this book may impart some knowledge.

[Stair Case]

I had high hopes for this book because I've been really interested in the psychology of cult members since recently binging on Leah Remini's Scientology show and, well, Trump's followers. There weren't any books on the topic at my library so I bought this online. Unfortunately it wasn't much of what I was looking for. The first few chapters were exactly what I was expecting as the author analyzes a couple that left a small cult. Very interesting opener, but then the book becomes too ambitious. The author tries to get us to see the "cult thinking" in basically every major area of life; Politics, Media, Military, etc. Although that sounds kinda interesting on paper it really felt like a stretch and just wasn't that interesting. I still finished it, but really just wanted it to be more examinations of interviews with various ex-cult members.