I was hoping this book would be fun, along the lines of the "Age of Magical Overthinking" by Amanda Montell, instead, it was steeped in history and facts, which are usually fun, but I just couldn't find the thread that would keep me reading. Still an informative read, well-worth your time, it just didn't hit me in the way I had hoped.

OUT TOMORROW — this part politics, part history, part psychology little chimera of a book is so fun when you get past all of the troublesome stuff you see when you hold a mirror up to yourself. she takes the american monomyth and argues that our national mindset, our susceptibility to hero worship or consumerism or anti-intellectualism or bootstrapping idealization (on and on) actually spring from the religious tenets of the puritans who came to america to be god’s chosen people in god’s chosen land and how some of it has mutated over time to actually be kind of the opposite of what you’d expect (puritans are not exactly avid consumers, but by working hard to glorify god, becoming wealthy off of that work, and then your wealth reinforced how much god actually loves you and not your poorer neighbor). PLUS CULTS! anyway, this book is so much fun, I love the premise and she makes compelling arguments (with the data guys) in each and every chapter.

I really enjoyed the tone of this book, which was historical and informative without being stuffy or dry. Borden begins her tale with the formation of the United States and how religion created a cult-like culture among early settlers. She continues documenting cults and cult-like groups through our nation's history, ending with MLMs and our current political climate, which I thought was incredibly interesting. This book not only opened my eyes to the psychological, physiological, and social tendencies that attract Americans to cults, but also cult-like behavior that I hadn't realized was tied to the same tendencies like electing strong leaders, us-versus-them mentalities, and social media obsessions.

Rating: ★★★★☆

As someone who has long been fascinated by cults—whether it’s the psychology behind them, their societal impact, or just the wild stories that come out of them—I was immediately intrigued by Cults Like Us by Jane Borden. This isn’t your typical deep dive into a single cult’s history. Instead, Borden takes a broader look at how doomsday thinking has shaped American culture from its Puritan roots to today, making the case that the U.S. itself operates with some serious cult-like tendencies.

What I loved most was how Borden weaves together history, sociology, and pop culture to show just how deeply embedded this way of thinking is in everything from politics to self-help movements. Her writing is sharp, well-researched, and often darkly funny, which makes even the heavier concepts feel approachable. Instead of just pointing fingers at obvious cult leaders, she challenges readers to examine the ways in which all of us, in some capacity, can get swept up in extreme beliefs or unquestioned ideologies.

While I found the book fascinating, I did wish for a little more narrative flow at times. The thematic approach works well, but I occasionally wanted a stronger throughline to tie it all together. That said, if you’re even remotely interested in cults, conspiracy theories, or the ways we shape and reinforce belief systems, this is a must-read.

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

DNF @ 43%

I’ve been struggling to read this book for a month and I’m left wondering if I reading the same book as most of the other reviewers. I found it lacking in organization and I did not enjoy the author’s little jokes and asides. I understand it’s a hard balance between an academic study and historical commentary but I didn’t find that balance here.

That said, much of the history here is extremely relevant to current day America and this book will definitely find an audience. The adage those who don’t learn from history are loath to repeat it rings truer than ever.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

I am oddly fascinated by cults and cult-like thinking. Jane Borden's book was so engrossing to me and I found myself so invested in the pages and her commentary on cults. Much like the book "Cultish", I found myself floored by the thinking/speaking/actions of the individuals profiles and discussed. So good.

Cults Like Us” by Jane Borden is an insightful, darkly humorous exploration of how individuals can become drawn into cult-like communities. The author combines personal narrative, investigative research, and social commentary to reveal the subtle ways groups can manipulate their members.

Borden’s style is refreshingly candid and self-aware, making the book a compelling read not only for those interested in cults but also for readers curious about human psychology and social behavior. What sets this book apart is the author’s ability to balance humor with seriousness, using her own experiences as an entry point to dive into the larger cultural forces that enable these groups to thrive.

The narrative is filled with compelling interviews, deep dives into some of the most famous cults, and insightful observations that challenge readers to reflect on their own susceptibility to groupthink. While it’s a fascinating look into a world that feels distant for most, it also shines a light on how easily these dynamics can seep into everyday life.

My only critique is that the pacing can feel a bit slow in some sections, but it ultimately doesn’t detract from the depth and quality of the content. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking, engaging read about the power of persuasion and group identity, *Cults Like Us* offers a unique perspective that’s hard to put down.

I've been fascinated by cults and cult mentality for many years - watching documentaries, listening to podcast episodes, and reading books. So naturally, I was excited when I heard about Cults Like Us.

This book is very interesting because it goes way beyond the familiar cults of today and exposes the roots they've all stemmed from. From the earliest settlers to the world we experience today, there's a wealth of information in this unique deep dive into how we've been influenced through the years and remain vulnerable now.

The author's voice prevents this from reading like a textbook, which helps readers remain engaged in learning a new angle on this topic. Borden did a remarkable job finding just the right balance in providing the facts in casual sentence structure.

4 Stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book!

A fascinating deep dive into not just cults and cult behavior, but into the very early history of colonial America and how the Puritans and Pilgrims created the foundation for this culture's susceptibility to cult buy-in. Borden tries not to be political, but draws clear conclusions between certain cult behaviors and the development of today's politics. She does not dwell on the sordid, but instead brings a compassionate individual-based perspective to specific cults and the damage they can do, bringing to light cult-like organizations from history that I never knew existed while making their existence relevant to who we are as a culture and how we are today.

This is such an interesting read and very timely. I, like many people, am very interested in cults and how people fall into their thinking and this book does a good job of providing insights. Americans are definitely more susceptible and this book outlines many good reasons why.

A well written nonfiction book about doomsday cults throughout the United States. Author Jane Borden does a great job giving plenty of detailed background of how cults originated and grew in popularity. Cult-like thinking runs rampant throughout the U.S. but it also occurs in different countries as well. Even though I enjoyed this book, I’ve read better books about this topic in previous years. Still a worthwhile read.

Cults Like Us is a gripping and unsettling look at the ways cult-like thinking seeps into everyday life. The author’s personal experiences bring an intimate and emotional depth to the narrative, making it both eye-opening and deeply compelling. It’s a fascinating blend of memoir and analysis that kept me hooked from start to finish, challenging the way I think about influence, belonging, and control.

What a timely book! Apocalyptic thinking? Check. Isolation? Check. And many other human challenges!

I enjoyed the way Borden compared the US’s history, cults (both harmful and not), and our modern society.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book! This is my honest review.

When I see a book about cults, I’m going to pick it up.

We are at a moment in history in the US now where we see cult-like behavior by a certain group, blindly following a leader into the destruction of a country… and how did we get here?

This book goes way back in history all the way back to Puritans, Oneidans (I did not know they were behind Oneida glass!) and more. It is incredibly well-researched.

This book was highly informative, and easy to read. It is definitely a history book, but with a sense of humor. The author has a good writing style and the book was overall interesting to me.

One thing about me is I will always say yes to reading a book about cults. This book was very informative while still being entertaining. I liked that it focused on cults I wasn't as familiar with (or groups I'd never thought of as cults, like the Puritans), and the bits of humor sprinkled in here and there definitely helped the writing from being too academic. However, the information did feel a bit repetitive at times, so toward the end, I found myself skimming a bit. Overall, though, if you like books like Cultish, I think Cults Like Us is worth picking up.

Thank you Atria Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! :)
Cult Like Us by Jane Borden was honestly a fun time. I'm always down to learn a little bit about cults, and I thought this book had a really insightful take that added something to the ongoing "conversation." If you liked Cultish by Amanda Montell, you'll probably like this one as well- it has a similar witty, conversational writing style and the general topic of cults in modern America is similar between the two. I will say that I thought Cults Like Us was much more insightful because it had more substantial socio-political commentary on how we got here. This one made me think a lot about the thought patterns & belief systems that are very "normal" to us (e.g. our strong need for control in an unpredictable world) and the ways in which they can become destructive. If you're looking for a funny, fast, insightful nonfiction read with a lighthearted yet earnest perspective, I think Cults Like Us is a great choice.

The book got me when it referred the Puritans as a death-cult. Most of the material was familiar to me but the book went into great depth with the various scams and cults. I learned a lot of behind the scene and felt the book was well researched.

In this deep dive on doomsday thinking and cult like behavior throughout America’s history, Borden explains how the same type of behavior and thought drives everything from MLMs to Heavens Gate.

This was really good in the first half, but ended up being very repetitive in the second half. The writing kept it entertaining and engaging, but I just think it could have been better organized, whether by time period or something else. It got overwhelming at times for chapters to span from the Purtians all the way to Trumpism, when that could have been set on an easier to remember timeline.

Cults Like Us is entirely timely and relevant more than ever. Appreciate all the time and effort Jane Borden put into research for this book. 🫶

Overall this felt like an open conversation on the DNA 🧬 of the US and it’s the focus being on healthy skepticism. The author notes there are so many beautiful things that we can learn from when we take a historical look back while looking deeper. However, there are still some horror stories we discover along the way which are explored here.

Cults are such an interesting concept and there’s a lot to unpack there from economic and psychological factors that play a role I had not considered before. This book was engaging and worth a read.

Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.