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.

This is the third book I’ve read by J.W. Ocker and it will not be my last. He always picks engaging topics that lie on the fringe of polite society. This time it’s all about Cults baby.

There’s some great dark humor in this book that I felt was both perfect for the topic but also a much needed palette cleanser. Things get dark in this as we explore every depravity human beings put each other through. Ocker doesn’t hold back in exploring the unseemly side of cults. Yet he never crosses the line into exploitation.

He covers about thirty different cults. Several we’ve all heard of but the majority of them never crossed my radar until now. Ocker talks about the beginnings of each cult and then describes most of their down falls which sadly usually end in multiple deaths. I also enjoyed the few cults that just end up fizzling out into a small stream of smoke as leaders die and do not resurrect immediately.

In between some of the different explorations in the cults we get informative essays on different topics of cults and the occult, fandom versus cults and if we should even use the word cult.

If you are at all interested in the subject this is a great primer. There’s a lot of dark history here that will not be for everyone but it’s still important history to know.


This review was originally published on NetGalley.com. I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review.

With Cult Following, J.W. Ocker takes us on yet another journey of the bizarre, this time diving into the details of 30 different cults that have operated around the world. Broken down into sections based on the primary element followers were seeking, this book covers the heavy hitters that have fascinated us for decades along with some lesser known yet impactful cults, examining the elements that make these groups so nefarious. Each section also contains a short essay exploring topics important to the discussion of cults including the use of the word itself, ties to the occult, and the idea of brain washing. Ocker explores the history and impact of each cult with respect to the often-horrific outcomes of these organizations while also including commentary that provides a bit of levity to the dark nature of the content. There’s a great mix of information that provides a foundation to understand what beliefs the cult leaders espoused, the actions that made the groups memorable, the reasons followers were initially attracted to join and why they remained dedicated throughout. No matter how much or little you know about cults, this book is a great resource for anyone that has an interest in how cults have been formed and how otherwise normal people can give complete control over their lives to someone who promises them answers in exchange for their devotion.

Thank you Quirk Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what it says about me as a person that I "really liked" a book that gives a rundown of some of the more powerful and well-known cults of the last 150 years.

Something I wish there was more of: cults from the entire world. So many of these cults are USA-based. While I am aware that there is an entire weird world out there, this book almost makes it seem like the USA is a hotbed of cult activity. Wait... nevermind. A cult of personality is trying to take over our government. Okay, I get it now.

Something that J.W. Ocker does, that I haven't seen much of elsewhere is discuss the fact that being indoctrinated by a cult is much easier than we realize. Life is difficult. Nobody gets out of here alive, so we look for as much comfort as we can while we're here. Some of us are fortunate: born into loving families with strong bonds and very few hardships. But for so many people, struggle is just their daily life. Ocker explains the allure of the cult in an extremely personal way - even he felt the pull of the cult at one point in time.

It's so easy to pass it off as people with weak-minds join a cult, but that is a very narrow perception. I would imagine that not many of these people didn't realize what was happening as it happened. But when you have experienced painful loss, the idea of losing a community is too unbearable. Not only that, but once you're inside, the charismatic narcissists that lead these cults do not want you leaving. The stories of escape from cults are more compelling than most spy novels in my opinion.

It is important to remember that the desire for understanding, the community and companionship, and the sincere belief that the cult can offer something to make your life better are much more significant. Since almost all humans feel these needs, almost all humans can fall victim to predation.

It’s CULTS! My fave! Here we are promised some of the world’s most infamous cults and the motions who love them. How many? THIRTY, my loves, so buckle up!

“Cult is a scary word. Like terrorist. Or leprosy. Sharknado.” Oh, book, you and I are going to get along just fine!

“….from cults that believe extraterrestrials control our destiny, to cults that believe feels hold the secrets to our future to cults that believe eating is unnecessary.” Wait. What? Seriously, a cult based on dieting? Oh, yes, yes, yes. Thank you, Lord, for showing that you do love us sinners.

So, then, I feel terrible, because it’s all fun and games and then people die because of these assholes. Because, as this book reminds us, “people join communities, not cults, and really, generally, the big problem is with the horrible cult leader, who plays on people’s weaknesses.

The book covers the usual suspects (Heaven’s Gate, People’s Tenple, NXIVM, though not Scientology…maybe because author didn’t want to get sued,) then also discusses things like Raelism (take “a volcano, aliens, sex with said aliens and claimed the first ever human clone [which] eventually goes on to snare Kanye Wesr.” Oh, yes. Please come in. Because we would LOVE to hear more about your religion,) the Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven (great name) and I Am (started when a guy named Guy met an immortal on Mt. Shasta. Stuff happened. Lots of merch resulted. It’s all about the merch. And it had about 10K to 50K members.)

There’s so much to learn here, but again, I don’t want to lose sight of those who lose much, even their lives to cults (including Scientology.). That said, I was delighted to read about the foot fetish cult (called Ho No Hana Sanpogyo if you are looking for it in the phone book) and its founder who opened a store that sold electric massagers. The store prospered for three years before going bankrupt. Then the founder changed career. To become savior of the human race. THE MAN WENT FROM VIBRATORS TO THE MESSIAH. Take from this what you will.