I quite enjoyed this look into cults. We've done a few episodes on the podcast that I run in my spare time about cults and it was great to use as a resource as well as to get a better overview of cults in general rather than the specific cults we looked into.

This detailed work of non-fiction tells about a variety of mesmerizing cult leaders and their followers from the last several decades. Each chapter or section discusses a different leader and cult with great depth and information. From the cult leader's childhood (often a rough upbringing) to their opportunity to draw in members, to their eventual demise (and in most cases the loss of many lives around them), all aspects of the cult are chronicled. The author also uses recent research and theories to back up his descriptions, cites witnesses' testimony or quotes where available, and connects real events to concrete information about how cults function, making this a very comprehensive text.

As with many people who are sensationalized by the mysterious world that cults are a part of, I was drawn to the weird and unusual stories I would find in this book, and the author definitely delivered. I learned more than I could ever have imagined there is to know about these people and their strange lives. That being said, I felt it was hard to slog through the entire chapter for each cult. I started trying to figure out why it was that was preventing me from becoming enthralled. It could have been that the number of people involved in each chapter was quite large and hard to keep track of, and especially in some of cults from outside America, as the names were less familiar to me and harder for me to tell apart. It also could have been that cults are actually fairly similar and follow a pattern, thus causing each chapter to be somewhat repetitive of the one before it. To be honest though, I don't think it was anything wrong with the book, I think that I just eventually got the place where I wasn't so sure I wanted to commit to reading about another cult each time a chapter ended. Maybe I got my fill and I feel content with the amount of information I now know about cults!

This book is definitely worth checking out. It is so well written and so precisely detailed that you will most definitely learn a lot. Despite being a non-fiction text there are still strong story telling elements, making it a really great choice for more mainstream non-fiction readers who aren't interested in dry history texts. I would definitely recommend this book, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read it!

I really hope the people at Parcast will forgive me for calling them the Nickelback1 of podcast networks, but there are too many similarities to ignore. Their shows are very popular - so much that Spotify spent at least $40M (and maybe as much as $100 million) to acquire the company - and yet no one seems to like them very much.

I’ve listened to several of their shows, and they usually involve very interesting subject matter - serial killers, unsolved murders, cults - in the most dry, overly scripted, often fact-challenged manner possible. They can be best compared to someone reading Wikipedia entries out loud.

Here’s a little experiment for you: listen to an episode of their Dictators show and follow it up with a episode of Noiser’s Real Dictators, which is much better written and features interviews with actual historians, experts, and even survivors. It’s like comparing the low-budget 1990 Captain America movie with an MCU film.

(Incidentally, the Parcast shows about serial killers, unsolved murders and cults are titled…Serial Killers, Unsolved Murders, and Cults. I saw someone on Reddit suggest that their podcasts are popular for this very reason. Before the Spotify acquisition, if you searched for a show about “serial killers” on a podcast app, of course their show would come up first.)

For what it’s worth, Cults is the one Parcast show I check out on the regular, simply because it is such a fascinating subject, even if presented in a dull manner. And that description applies to the company’s first attempt at a tie-in book, called - what else? - Cults.2

Parcast founder Max Culter and co-author Kevin Conley retell the history of several notorious religious cults, which as often as not ended with murders and suicides. Neither author purports to be a psychiatrist or psychologist, but they nevertheless attempt to explain the cult leaders’ mental states and how they were able to maintain such tight control over their disciples’ lives.

Yes, it is indeed a book version of a Parcast show, right down to the “…is not a licenced psychologist or psychiatrist, but has done a lot of research for the show” part.

Most of the big ones - Heaven’s Gate, Jim Jones’ People’s Temple, David Koresh’s Branch Davidians - are covered, but there is little sign of any original reporting. Admittedly these high-profile cults, all of which famously ended with mass death and destruction, be it through murder, suicide, or a bloody standoff and firefight with government agents - have arguably been studied to death, and have all had definitive books written and documentary films produced (and sometimes other podcasts recorded) about them. If you already know their stories, there really isn’t anything new here.

Still, for every Jim Jones or Marshall Applewhite who goes achieves pop culture infamy, there are several cult leaders who remain obscure even though their stories are pretty freaking wild. The Cults book is at its best when it covers some of these lesser-known groups, some of whom really should have had a dozen Netflix documentaries about them by now.

There are the Narco-Satanists based in Mexico, whose name pretty much says all you need to know about them. Actual human sacrifice comes up several times in that chapter. Two of the more interesting cases featured in the book have connections to La Belle Province - “Rael,” a failed French race car driver who convinced people he’d had contact with aliens from outer space and whose group (which also got media attention in the early 2000s for its purported attempts at human cloning) had an outsized presence in Quebec, and the “Ant Hill Gang,” whose leader Roch Theriault committed unspeakable acts of abuse at their wilderness compound.

But the most horrific story might be that of “The Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God,” based in Uganda, a country where religious cults and scams have found unusually fertile ground. (Seems like only yesterday I reviewed The Missing Crypto Queen, about a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme which sucked many Ugandans.)

Leader Credonia Mwerinde parlayed her alleged vision of the Virgin Mary into founding her own breakaway Roman Catholic sect, even convincing some Catholic clergy to sign on. She ultimately convinced her followers to enter wooden “arks,” which were then set afire, resulting in a death toll even worse than that of Jonestown, while she allegedly took off into the jungle and hasn’t been seen since. Now that’s a story that deserves a deep-dive investigative podcast.

Cults would have been a much better book had it skipped People’s Temple and the Branch Davidians in favor of other obscure groups with truly fascinating stories, many of which have been featured on the podcast. (I’ll long remember the episode about the “Workers’ Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought,” a tiny Maoist splinter group whose story didn’t make it into the book, despite holding its followers hostage for many years in a London townhouse and proving - as if the past few years didn’t already make it clear - that a political organization can be as much a cult as a religious one.) As it stands, readers will likely discover something new, but it’s mixed in with a lot of stuff that students of “new religious movements” will already have read many times over.

Incidentally, there is one notorious cult that doesn’t get a chapter in the book. Its name starts with S and ends in Y, it has a very high profile in Los Angeles and Clearwater, Florida, and it has even inspired great works of music and cinema. But I guess even with up to $100M in the bank, the Parcast people still don’t want to be sued.

If you're really into learning about cults, serial killers, and/or the psychology of society's darkest people, this is a good book for your collection. I found it fairly dry, but very informative. It's more of an encyclopedia of specific cults and their leaders than it is anything embellished or sensationalized for plot purposes (which makes sense -- it's a non-fiction book and does exactly what it says it will).

Podcast host Max Cutler and Kevin Conley’s new book, Cults: Inside the World’s Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People who Joined Them (Gallery Books, 2022), is a new anthology that delves into the minute details of some of the most famous cults in history.
Divided into a series of chapters, each dealing exclusively with one cult, Cults unpacks the history of cults like the Manson Family, Jonestown, Heaven’s Gate, NXIVM, and more. The book delves into the history of the cult leaders, the genesis of the groups themselves and the values they purported to uphold, culminating in the violent downfalls of the groups and their followers and exploring where living members are to this day. Throughout each chapter, Cutler and Conley hold up their portraits of the cults against the social and political discourses of the time, in addition to making suggestions about the psychological conditions of cult leaders like Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Keith Raniere. Based on the podcast Cults, this book recounts several tried and true case relevant to any true crime fan, as well as a handful I had never heard of.
Overall, this book was an interesting one that I would recommend for anyone interested in cults and detailed accounts of some of the most famous true crime stories in history. I very much enjoy reading about cults and cult activity as a subset of the true crime genre. Cutler’s book is well-researched, thorough, and concise. The histories of cults can sometimes span years, and Cutler does an excellent job of paring the information down to its most essential parts. Although the chapters focus mostly on the leaders of these cults, providing a great deal of biographical material, it makes sense in this context to foreground how and why a person might come to construct and lead a group toward violent acts. This book contained chapters around cults I’d never heard of before and cults I’d always wanted to learn more about. Cutler’s book seems to be the most up-to-date account of cults to date, with the exception of perhaps Amanda Montell’s Cultish (2021), which admittedly focuses more on cult linguistics.
I would be remiss if I did not point out that this book is very much a text that does exactly what it claims to do and no more. With a very short introduction, the book launches immediately into its chapters with little preamble. This is not necessarily a negative aspect but be aware that this book is far more traditional true crime. However, knowing the book is based on a podcast, the structure makes a great deal of sense.
Overall, I would recommend Cults to anyone with a burgeoning interest in true crime stories. As a fast-paced anthology, there is something in this book for everyone.
Please add Cults to your Goodreads shelf.
Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading! You can find Rachel on her personal @RachelMFriars or on Goodreads @Rachel Friars.
About the Writer:
Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

If you are me and are so fascinated with alternate lives other lead. Whether it’s polygamy, many forms of religions or the more extreme of all that cults.
Cutler, gives an overview of ten notorious cults, based on his podcast series of the same name. Cutler briefly describes the lives of the cult leaders, that include Charles Manson, Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Jim Jones, Claude Vorilhon, Roch Thériault, David Koresh, Keith Raniere, Credonia Mwerinde, and Marshall Applewhite.
He highlights the similarities and differences in their backgrounds and personalities. Additionally, he speculates on how each leader might fit in with current scholarship on the psychology of cult leaders, narcissists and sociopaths.
Next, Cutler describes the formation of each leader’s movement and the techniques that they used to refine their belief structures and recruit new members. He explores how vulnerable people might become susceptible to each leader’s magnetic personality and teachings.
Cutler broadly reports on the cults’ activities, which may be disturbing for some readers. Finally, he documents each leader’s eventual downfall and reports on the activities of surviving cult members.
VERDICT A very interesting overview of famous cult leaders which serves as an introduction to the topic. Personally it was a little hard for me to stay involved in the reading as it’s very serious and complicated text. For some this would be ok but I personally much preferred the podcast.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book seemed really interesting, I really wanted to like it. But it wasn't for me. I didn't like the way it was written . I was expecting more of a story . The cover is pretty cool and the meaning behind it.

If you're unfamiliar with cults deffffff give this one a read! Learning about cults and how the leaders are able to pursue their followers was always a fascinating thing to me. I wasn't aware that this book was based off a podcast, but I enjoyed it anyways, If you're interested in learning about cults and the 10 cult leaders mentioned in this book, this is one to get!

I was gifted this book as an ARC via netgalley.

3.5 stars

This book, based on a podcast(?), looks at ten cults and their leaders. Only three were ones I knew of, including Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and David Koresh (though I hadn’t ever read anything about Koresh previously). Unexpectedly, there were two that included UFOs! There was plenty of murder to go along with these cults. (Only) one of the leaders walked away from the carnage she left behind. I was interested to read about an actress who was highly involved with one cult. The cults were in various parts of the world, including Mexico, Uganda, Canada, and of course, the USA. (I hadn’t even heard of the guy in Canada – from Quebec – and he was twisted!).

I had hoped to learn more about how people end up following these crazy people, but the book was more a short biography of each of the leaders, in addition to the stories of their respective cults and what happened – how they formed, the people that followed them, and how they combusted. Similar to a book of short stories, I found some more interesting than others.

Cults are fascinating to me because of the mystery that surrounds them. I loved the deep dive approach with each cult that the author brought forward. I learned what created the mystery and how the leader kept his/her followers invested.

I feel like I knew things because of the culture like “drinking the Koolaid” or “Helter Skelter” but I never knew the context until now. I also appreciated the humanity that was give to the victims, known and unknown. I was invested in the story and how it was told.

My only complaint is a personal preference. I am not a fan of long chapters and each cult was one chapter without division. It didn’t take away from the quality of the material but it did impact my enjoyment.

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone who is interested in not only how cults work, but how their leaders come to be what they are need to read this. I’ve always found cults both fascinating and terrifying so this book was awesome! Well researched and easy to follow along, I recommend this to any true crime lover.


Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cults by Max Cutler is an excellent overview of some of the most infamous - and depraved - cult leaders in history. It offers detailed entries on a range of religious movements and crimes, from the highly publicized murders by Charles Manson and his family to the lesser-known (but even more deadly) Credonia Mwerinde and the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God.

While many studies, authors, and experts are cited throughout the work, I did want more in terms of insight into the motivations of cult members and more about those who managed to escape or were left behind. A good example is the entry on Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, whose movement still has many devoted followers. Even his former right-hand "lieutenant" Ma Anand Sheela has complicated feelings about Bhagwan decades later. Others followers who lived in the Rajneeshpuram commune speak about him with great love despite scandals, abuse, betrayals, and manipulation. Outsiders may never fully understand the intense emotional connection between followers and leaders. Still, I felt I needed the author to delve just a bit deeper into why some people were able to cut ties, particularly when they left their families.

Reader warning: There are graphic depictions of depravity and gory murder details, so this is not a book for anyone easily disturbed. I did feel Cutler skillfully handled the content, and it was able to straddle the line between informative and voyeuristic. Considering the sheer number of cults covered in this title, the level of detail suggested thorough research.

I would recommend this for readers of true crime who have a strong stomach. Individuals interested in the social and psychological factors at play in cult movements might also find this title intriguing.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC.

Based on the popular podcast Cults, Parcast founder, Max Cutler shares biographies of ten notorious cults in this book.

These cults are categorized according to the types of manipulation they used (e.g: exploitation, shame, sadism, etc) and why do people joined these cults - the psychology behind it.

I loved how the information was presented. It was easy to read and understand, and the depth of information for each cult, was just perfect - not too little, not too much.

Although I am familiar with some of the more popular cults (e.g: Charles Manson, Jim Jones, Roch Theriault and the Ant Hill Kids) in this book, I still find myself learning something new about them. I find Raelism was the most bizarre cult I've learned so far.

Heads up, though, some of the contents do contain graphic details especially on Narcosatanists and Roch Theriault's cults.

Overall, this is a must read book for all true crime fans especially if cults is a topic that fascinates you.



Pub. Date: July 12th, 2022

***Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for this gifted reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

I have always been fascinated with cults and the power of one person can have such a huge impact on the lives of people and make them do some horrible things. I picked it up as it reminded me of a book Killer Cults by James Boyle which is how I became fascinated by them.Some of these cult leaders I have read about but some were new to me and yea it can get uncomfortable reading some of the things they did to people or got others to do their dirty work I think this is worth the read. I personally didn’t care for some but the sadism ones (Roch Theriault and Keith Raniere) were the hardest to read. Raniere may be hard for some as it is so recent and I’m sure many people have heard or watched some of what went on. The narcissism these people had and the power they had over people can be scary to think but I’m also sure more of these cults exist we just aren’t aware of them. Overall a great read and would recommend to those who love true crime books or are interested in learning more about cults

Very intriguing and informative. Well-researched and written. Fascinating and riveting insights. Highly recommend.