This book was a wild ride!

You've probably heard "Don't drink the Kool-Aid" or seen photos of Charles Manson and his iconic swastika tattoo, but if you're under a certain age, you probably don't have the full scoop (or even if you just didn't follow the news at the time). Well, this book will certainly give it to you and more. While this book was at times a bit flippant for my taste, especially about some of the more horrific tragedies, it was a fascinating overview of some of the most famous cults within the last century. Those cults you've only heard about in passing, but never had a chance to really look into.

Where this book really shines, at least in my opinion, is the "why" aspect. The backbone of this book is an examination of why people join or are coerced into joining these groups. After all, don't they know better or are they just stupid? Short answer: no. Anyone can be influenced into joining a cult if you are in a dark enough place, because that's really what it's all about. Cults prey on vulnerable people and that's why they become such insidious traps.

This book certainly wasn't a light and breezy read, but it certainly was a great introduction to the entire concept of this phenomenon. Proceed with caution because it can get really heavy, really fast, but I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Quirk Books and NetGalley for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting look into a lot of different cults. While it covers the usual suspects (People's Temple, Heaven's Gate, etc), it also touches on a lot of cults that I was unaware of.

I really enjoy reading stories based on cults. I find them fascinating on how the leaders have the abilities to persuade other people to believe in their path. I loved this collection of notorious cults. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Quirk Books for this ARC.

This book is a wonderful addition to the plethora of literature about cults. The book is divided into sections based on what exactly draws people to cults. The search for "The truth" "Salvation" etc. It was very well researched and covered well known cults such as Jonestown among other lesser known cults. I think anyone interested in weird history, cults, or human behavior would enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e galley of this book.

Ocker is one of my favorite authors when it comes to books like this, and "Cult Following" did not disappoint.

I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley,

So many different cults. Some I have heard of and others were new. I enjoyed the red color scheme.

4 stars

I'm fascinated by all things cult, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Cult Following by J.W. Ocker. The book was packed full of information about both well known and lesser known cults, and I couldn't put it down.

If it’s about a cult, I want to read it!

I am fascinated by all things cults. From why people join them to how they’re successful to what they believe in to what their goals are. You name it, I want to know it.

Ocker has managed to cover a wide variety of cults within this collection. They’re broken down by groups with similarities and then each cult has details about everything from their origins to what happened to them to in some cases where they are today. I thought Ocker did a great job of giving just enough information without diving into the epics of each cult. It gives readers an opportunity to learn more while also fueling the interest in further research.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to know more about cults!

Easy to read and interesting, I was glad to see a blend of cults that are well known and those that maybe very few people have heard of. This style makes it hard to keep them all straight, but I'm not mad at it overall.

Having read several books by J. W. Ocker I knew I was in for a treat. The writing is always tongue-in-cheek and is as entertaining as it is educational.
I enjoyed the small insights into the various cults and the eventual outcome of their membership.
The bite-sized information was far more useful to give an overall view without things getting messy and edging into gratuitous territory.
There were more than a few subtle digs at religion being the flipside of a cult which was uncomfortable to read, especially the quote:
"The imperceptible delineation between a cult and a religion might just be the level of success."
Eminently enjoyable and perfect for a little true crime reading, I would recommend this to anyone.

This was a wild freaking ride. J.W. Ocker packs this book full of information about some very infamous cults and so not so infamous, but no less dangerous cults. While at times it does poke fun at them, it is a small dive into what makes people join cults of any kind, what drives people to start these cults, and how while not all are dangerous, they aren't exactly healthy either. This was well put together, none of the chapters run into each other, and you can tell that Ocker did a ton of research as he put this book together. It however not a book you marathon in just a couple of settings because personally, it weighed on me as read. Some of these chapters are heavy and I needed to take a lot of breaks. But, it was well worth it because this was a solid book and an interesting read.

“Do not Drink the Koolaid!”

Another fascinating trip into the bizarre. In this case the bizarre world of cults. This is a collection of 30 of the most infamous cults in history. From Manson to Heaven’s Gates and so many in-between. It is definitely an odd book to enjoy, however I did! It is well written and fast paced. There was no room for boredom and I found it unputdownable. The book explores the attraction and the impact of each cult. And as one would suspect they mostly end horribly. I would define it as provocative, gripping and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this ARC!

Author J.W. Ocker has made a name for himself with explorations of Salem, cursed objects and cryptids. In his newest book, Cult Following, readers travel with Ocker through 30 of the most infamous cults in history. Whether you're knee-deep in your study of the Branch Davidians or just casually familiar with Synanon, this book acts as a fascinating exploration of cults and how people get enmeshed in cults that eventually explode into the news cycle.

J.W. Ocker is a master of exploration in the realm of the weird and wild. His writing never treats the reader like they should know more or less than they do. Ocker's writing is snarky and accessible, leaving to moments of laughter while mentally dealing with some of the most insane moments in history.

Cult Following is now available from Quirk Books.

Pretty self-explanatory, this is a nonfiction book that talks about lots of different cults and what they were (and still are!) about.

The book covers SO MUCH ground. Thirty different cults are discussed in detail, and the author absolutely did the research but also condensed everything down pretty well. I’m sure that if any of these topics interest you enough, you could look into them in even more detail if you wanted. But I was pretty satisfied with the glimpse given into each one.

Having said that, it was also a lot of information and I read much of it while I was ill, so retaining it was a bit difficult. If you were to quiz me on the various groups covered I would probably fail miserably. (Not the book’s fault!)

The author does have a bit of a flippant tone, and sort of makes fun of the subject matter. However, parts of it did also make me laugh, such as sentences like this one: “Crowley continued to solidify the order’s presence in North America and remained OHO of the OTO until his RIP in 1947.” In some circumstances, such as the section on Jonestown, the tone is more serious and the snarky asides temporarily disappear.

There are many asides throughout the book that basically boil down to, “this may sound crazy, but it’s not as crazy as Christianity!” The author did not take a neutral stance or keep his own biases out of the text in any way. I’m not weighing in here with my own opinions, but I figured it’s worth noting in case this is something that may potentially bother you as a reader.

One interesting and surprising thing I learned from this book: not EVERY cult leader had harmful and nefarious intentions. (No, I have not been indoctrinated!) But yes, many of them did. Some of these sections get pretty ugly simply because of the descriptions of what went on within the cults. Definitely heed the trigger warnings if you think the more gruesome stuff might be too much for you.

While many of these groups had their own individual characteristics, there were of course lots of shared “quirks” amongst them that eventually led to repetition. So I ended up reading this in chunks to avoid seeing the same stuff over and over again. I guess that’s the problem with topics like this one.

Overall, I thought this was interesting enough to keep me invested till the end, but it did feel repetitive after a while due to the nature of the material. The tone was a little uneven, (I think the author maybe let his personal feelings show through a bit too strongly and that made it tough to show a more reverent tone where it was needed throughout the book.) But if you want information on a bunch of different cults in a quick and easily digestible format, this will probably do the trick.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

TW: Mention of Animal Death, Mention of suicide and Group suicide, Mention of Sexual Abuse, Child Harm/Abuse, Descriptions of Amateur Surgery, Incest

I requested this book because I'm a high school librarian and a lot of our patrons are very interested in true crime. We're even creating a true crime section in our collection to serve this population. However, I wouldn't recommend this one for teens. While the book is well written, very engaging, and informative, it does have some sexual content due to that aspect of some cults. It's probably not surprising that the book went into details about sexual acts and beliefs in cults given that can be a part of many cults. Titlewave agrees that it's an adult title (I believe it's intended to be) and while some can swing down to fit YA audiences, this isn't one of them. That aside, if you're a public librarian or just someone interested in cults, I think you'd love this book. Like I said, it's very well written: it has enough details to be engaging and interesting without getting bogged down in too much detail and minutiae. If you enjoy cults, non-fiction, or want an interesting read and are an adult, this one might be for you!

Cult Following, the extreme sects that capture our imagination and take over our lives by JW Oker. I think the most important thing I’ve learned from this book is we all belong to one kind of cult or another either the kind that wants our possessions admiration sex or just are commerce. In any event it seems Mr. ocher has looked at the subject from every point of view and has written an interesting book about the different cults different types of cults the ones that believe in magic revelations and even aliens there were so many different cults in this book I had never heard from one who lived under ground in a Russian cave, an American cult that lived in the desert of Utah and it seems they all ended badly but it definitely made for a really great read. Right before writing this review I realized I read two other books by this author and love them all he writes with respect and even has LOL moments thrown in to the informative narrative throughout the book. From those we know like Charles Manson thoes we’ve never heard of like the cult that starved them self to many others you will not put this book down without finding something that makes you say WTF! This is a book I definitely recommend. #NetGalley,#QuirkBooks, #JWOcher, #CultFollowing,

My third read from this author and always, I feel very sufficiently informed. I appreciate the way the writer always offers the information with a perfect balance of facts and entertainment without hitting you straight in the face with a fire hydrant of babble. Also, I feel ashamed to say that I didn’t realize cults were so international before reading this. I have so much more to learn and this book feels like the perfect encyclopedia/springboard for the cult learning enthusiasts

Thanks to netgalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

J.W. Ocker’s compass leads him to oddities the world over, so writing about cults is definitely within his milieu. This time, it’s not a travelogue and thankfully not an immersive experience, since it’s difficult to extract people from cults. Then we’d miss out on Ocker’s way with words, like heading a chapter “A Fetish for Feet and Fraud,” or his important clues to avoid joining such a sect.

What’s scary is cult followers are seeking acceptance and purpose in their lives, and they’re not so different from you and me. Ocker neatly uses what they seek as section heads: truth, protection, purpose, salvation, and/or betterment. He also explains the attributes of the leaders, who tend to be charismatic but have deep flaws, and why people follow them. What struck me most was how many cults believe in aliens and being saved from apocalypses.

You’ve heard of the Branch Davidians, the Manson Family, and Heaven’s Gate in the media. It’s like we’re compelled to tune in to these horror stories. Ocker explains how 30 cults formed, their beliefs, and their outcomes. He also mentions well-known people who were adherents and survived as well as those doing time. Some of these cults are still active and new ones are always assembling.

A fascinating read. Thanks to Quirk Books for the ARC.

Very interesting! I really enjoyed learning about this subject. I appreciate how the author is serious when necessary, but overall writes in an amusing, wry tone--this made it a lot easier for me to absorb such bleak content, especially because I don't read a lot of nonfiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Quirk Books for the eARC!

Like all of J.W. Ocker’s books, Cult Following tackles the subject of cults very well in brief and easily read chapters. There’s a bit of humor, and while the cults we’ve all heard of are covered, there’s many here I’d known nothing about. The book feels well researched and presented with an ease that I always appreciate.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.