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 for the ARC version!

Note: there was one typo where Ivanka Trump was called Ivana.

Finally, a proper five star read. This was one of the best and smartest books I've read in a while. If I had to describe it in just two words, I'd say, "America. Explained." But GR generously affords their readers and reviewers many words, so here we go ...

The US is unique, even amid the other first-world countries. It has been explained in flattering terms like exceptionalism, determination, drive, etc. and less flattering terms like ... greed, egotism, etc.
But Jane Borden hits the nail just right by describing it as a cult. It makes so much sense. An alarming amount of sense. And once you'll read this book, you'll have a difficult time thinking of it in any other way. Which is perfectly appropriate for a cult, of course.

So, welcome to cult Borden, ruled by intelligence, humor, erudition, and compassion. Learn all about how a country settled by Puritans held onto its repressive values and later adapted them for a future where rampant inequality, obsession with money, and gung-ho individualism devolved into an unhappy doomsday cult, desperately seeking to hang all its hopes and dreams on impossible promises.
Abandon all logic, ye who enter here.

This book was a result of five years of work for the author and it shows in the meticulous research and complete mastery of the subject. She makes her arguments strongly and compellingly, and they are presented well through excellent and wonderfully humorous writing.
Yes, she turns into a stoner hippie Pollyanna at the end, which seemed a bit incongruous with the tone and findings of the book, but aside from that, it's a really great read. Moreover, an important one. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow, this was a great read! I have never heard the term Monomyth before. Learning that it's been around for quite some time and is a common trope in pretty much all of our media was eye opening. I frequently find myself wondering why some (many?) people are so devoted to the orange man and follow him like he's the savior. Now I get it. I've read several books and seen docs on cults, and it's shocking how these cults keep happening. This book answers that question and shows that America has always had cults since day one.

This may sound like its a dry read but the author mixes in some humor, wit and social references that make it enjoyable. The writing style is casual and made me want to keep reading. Would definitely recommend.

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 if 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 (Jehovah's Witnesses), 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 even Borden 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.