Don't Call it a Cult

I had seen a little bit about this group on a documentary and was interested to learn more. This book was clearly well researched and had a lot of information about this cult. This isn't my typical genre, so sometimes it felt a little slow for me. It was interesting though and I learned a lot about this group and how people can be conditioned into cult members. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Straight from the headlines comes a true crime book written by journalist Sarah Berman detailing her story on the NXIVM group and the eventual court cases of its high-ranking officials, including Keith Raniere, the head of it. Berman walks through the beginnings of Raniere's businesses and involvement with several women who believed he was the smartest man alive and followed with his multi-level marketing schemes that lead to an international self-help group that netted a lot of money and followers, including actors and powerful people. Berman explores many of the women involved in the group, and the charges of blackmail, sex trafficking, enslavement and other abuses and the women who escaped.

This is a very thought provoking book about a subject that many may have glanced at the headlines and not known much about. From empowerment to manipulation, it should serve as a warning to be careful about how you trust and with how much.

5 stars

Don't Call it a Cult
by Sarah Berman

This is an incredibly well-written and remarkably in-depth researched look at the horror of what was NXIVM. The insidiousness of Keith Raniere and even Mack is hard to fathom.
Is Allison Mack really sorry or just sorry she got caught? Why and how are people still following this man? The atrociously horrific things he got parents to do to their own children and women to other women is mind-boggling.
This is a book that I will not soon forget. If you ever wanted a look at the inner workings of a cult then, this is the book for you. Berman has written an incredible, readable and utterly unputdownable book.
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the NXIVM story is Raniere is how he made himself out to be some sort of all-powerful guru yet this is not a religious cult in any way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

This book turned out to be very thorough on the subject, which has been bouncing around the news for quite a few years now. It seemed that no matter how much I tried to ignore it at first, it still managed to capture my attention with the more and more bizarre stories that kept coming out. I thought I knew quite a bit for an interested reader, but I found that there was much more to it as I got further into it.

I think most are fairly familiar with the Executive Success Program, which later became NXIUM. When stories started coming out at long last, they were almost afraid to go after the story too hard and make them angry because of the money and power that had been amassed. They were known for suing those who didn’t please them, or running a campaign of harassment. But the more that was found out and then confirmed, about rumors of cult-like behaviors behind the secrecy, and worse, drove it to become a huge story. After a couple of insiders left the group and compared notes, it became clear that there was a serious problem.

For anyone with an interest in this group and what happened, this is an excellent source of information to learn about it. It’s amazing, the amount of details that seemed to have come out at the trial, and all of the craziness that was going on. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Sarah Berman, and the publisher.

I am fascinated by books about cults and true crime, because I love trying to find the humanity in it all, where it all went wrong. I devoured both The Vow and Seduced, the television documentaries about NXIVM, and I was so excited to read this book. It is so thorough and well-researched, and the inclusion of first-person perspectives gives it a sense of authority about the subject. I think Sarah Berman did a phenomenal job with this book, taking a topic so broad, so complicated, and so easily misunderstood, and laying it out in a way that completely consumes the reader. This is a fantastic deep dive into NXIVM that I think many readers will enjoy.

Don’t Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman is a superb and engrossing read which will keep you reading until the end. Well worth the read!

This book is an in depth look at cults, and how they are able to present themselves to people as positive forces in the world. I was hooked on each page, and completely aghast at the actions of human beings. Overall this has been added to my list of favorite nonfictions.

It is made up of interviews, personal accounts, and factual reports. I have previously not read anything on this particular cult, and was completely taken aback at the extremity of a cult that had penetrated the rich and famous. This novel was written with taste and sensitivity, and did not victim blame or hold any obvious opinions. It is a factual account, and a complex one at that. I would recommend this book highly!

I want to sincerely thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me chance to review this ARC. I will be purchasing it!

Absolutely solid and captivating investigative journalism here. Berman has so clearly done incredible research and sticks to the points she has been able to substantiate and delve into. The number of layers to this scheme was such a huge rabbit hole for me and it makes me so intrigued to learn more.

I had heard bits and pieces about NXIVM in the news and through cult documentaries and such, but there was so much here I had absolutely no idea about. The layers of coercion and manipulation far exceeded the complexity I had anticipated. The treatment of women described in this book is mindblowing sadistic--both physically and especially psychologically--and yet there is much that is also glossed over.

The biggest thing about this book that stood out to me is that Berman's descriptions of cult members are respectful and dignified. Berman talked to women involved in NXIVM, not to further exploit them for the a story, but to truly understand what they experienced and tell the whole truth. She talked about how they were duped and always at a disadvantage, rather than portraying them as gullible or desperate, as is often the case in discussing members of cults. She also did highlight how young a lot of these women were and how vulnerable that made them.

Don't Call it a Cult is also not a profile of Raniere (although he is obviously discussed at length throughout). He is not the main character and it's not about trying to understand him; it's about understanding what these women went through and how sickening this abuse was. In a world where Raniere has constructed himself at the center, Berman disrupts that dynamic in a really refreshing way as she recounts the horrors he imposed on these women. She focuses on how women got sucked into participating in and perpetuating this abuse on other women, and how damaging that was to everyone involved. She also doesn't focus at length on white celebrities like Allison Mack, and instead dives at length into atrocities against undocumented Latina immigrants like "Daniela" and her family.

The second-biggest thing that I appreciated about Don't Call it a Cult is the way Berman situates her story in the broader social context. She discusses NXIVM in the context of #MeToo and the way Raniere could get away with crimes like these for so long because of bias in our justice system (although I think the latter was practically a throwaway comment and should have been explored in more depth). She makes a point of highlighting the discretion of the judge during Raniere's trial to interrupt misogynistic and sadistic dynamics in his courtroom that were employed in the name of giving Raniere a fair trial. There is one reference to the Milgram experiment (which I guess is kind of a requirement for discussing a cult), but the rest of the book is situated in a very contemporary way, which to me seemed very important because these are such recent events.

My only complaints are that there were moments where I was really left wanting more information, and that it was chronologically difficult to follow at times. By the end, I understood a lot better what had happened and when, but as I was going through I was constantly confused about what year it was and which woman's perspective I was getting. And it just leaves me with an overall feeling that there is so much more to this story.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Steerforth Press for the eARC!

I have a long standing fascination with cults and this is the first time I have taken the time to read a non fiction book on one. I had not expected such richness in examination of the patterns, behaviors, and relationships that were a part of this cult and as I read I felt I had a strong understanding of the years of events that lead to the much more recent media attention to Nxivm. I think most astonishing (or not), or at least what I reflected on the most with friends, was how many women were involved in recruitment of other women, their involvement in emotional and other abuse towards other women and victims/slaves; the capacity of people to hurt others is a theme I was left to ponder as I stepped back from what was uncovered in this investigation and in other legal proceedings.

I found the in depth investigative examination of Nxivm to be highly engaging and to have the depth, and external analysis, I thought was lacking in documentaries and long form reporting on this cult. As a lecturer in psychology I also found the examination of underlying themes with cults, the "Mega Society IQ test, and recruiting/gaslighting and manipulation to be a really necessary and useful aspect of the book; I can see myself perhaps even using some of the material on the IQ test to explain a concept or two in a class I teach on measurement issues (nerdy but true statement). Though academically I valued this aspect to the writing, as I reader I also appreciated the inclusion of more than just interviews as it allowed the reader to also step back from just participants and victims, to see how to place these people and this group as a whole in a larger context of pathological and harmful behavior and to appreciate that research and theory can also help understand, intervene, and assess cults. As I finished reading the book I found myself wondering, in response to how long Raniere got away with his harmful behaviors, what is happening now, who is the next person I will be reading about in another investigative piece in five or ten years? Who right now is being victimized?

Wow. Just wow. I was aware of NXIVM, but this situation is considerably deeper than I thought. Sarah Berman does a wonderful job of weaving the story in a way that isn't overwhelming. If you were to look at the history of Keith Raniere, it would not be what would be called linear. He was weaving lies on top of lies and building a very large web. In this Berman compares him to a spider luring prey in and trapping it. That couldn't be more accurate. I'm glad that the author did such a good job representing the victims and their many stories. There's a consistent theme between the victims but she makes sure to make all the victims people. This was very well written and put together. There is ample information and resources cited. I loved reading this, honestly. It gives off the true crime/cult vibes but has considerably less murder.

Thanks to Steerforth Press, Netgalley and Edelweiss for providing this ARC. This is a great companion to the HBO series about NXVIM. This book is well reported and provides more in depth explanations for the willingness of the women involved and gives much greater insight into the methods of control used by Keith Rainere and his closest associates. Recommended for anyone interested in this story.

An interesting book about the NXIVM organization and how they 'ran' things - how women could have fallen prey to Keith Raniere and his scams was hard for me to read but the more I read the more I came to understand what kind of predator he was.

"They draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult."
In Don’t Call It A Cult, Sarah Berman provides readers with a fascinating yet frightening and sometimes unimaginable account of NXIVM. Before reading this book, I had read a brief news article or two about NXIVM but nothing that would prepare me for what I learned by reading this book. I was completely blown away by the levels of manipulation and coercion as it seemed to permeate the entire organization. The fact that Raniere’s strategy was getting women in the organization, making them ‘his’ and then when he had complete control over them, he was able to have them perpetuate the abuse on other women – is sickening and psychologically damaging to all of the women. Don't Call it a Cult is an easy read but not necessarily a light read. Well-written and thoroughly researched. Highly recommended if you enjoy cults or true crime. #DontCallitaCult #NetGalley

Don’t Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman was an intense and in depth exploration into NXIVM. Going into this book I only knew a small part of this group from what I had previously read or saw on TV. I had no idea where the roots of this cult like group began. Berman did a fantastic job in researching this topic so thoroughly, while maintaining factual events and holding back any bias.

At times I felt slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people discussed that were involved in NXIVM. Thankfully the author included an index of who each person was and how they were involved in the cult. I enjoy reading about cults, I find the concept of someone being drawn into a cult so unbelievable. However, I feel like I can understand this a bit more after reading this,

I definitely suggest this book to others who also have an interest in cults, or other similar groups.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy for review.

~*~ Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. ~*~

I would give this 4.5 stars if I could.

I went into this book knowing the Cliffnotes of the NXIVM cult, namely the outcome and some of the celebrity relations. This book does a good job of laying it all out in a way that is very easy to consume and kind of reads like a long form blog. It is articulate and handles some of the ore sensitive topics gracefully. I believe it suffers from a lack of organization that I cannot say is completely the books fault. It seems hard to wrangle the mind of Raniere in a linear way, as he did not appear to be a linear guy. I would have liked the stories broken up into categories maybe since there is so much overlap between the women that experienced them. Also, this book might have benefited from a timeline at the beginning since these crimes were committed over the course of multiple decades.

Lastly, I would suggest anyone who is reading this to watch the docu series, The Vow on HBO. These two properties have differing intentions (with the book doing a much better job of laying out the facts), but I found it easier to piece together the people once I was able to put a face to a name.

Don’t Call It a Cult is the story of the NXIVM cult and the ordeals endured by its participants and members. Award winning investigative journalist Bergman takes us on a journey of learning the horrors bestowed onto these members by the leader Ranier and his chosen connectors/traffickers... You will be amazed to learn some of the participants of this group. It is a true to life story, that will remind of what you have only seen in movies!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Don't Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman.

If you enjoyed The Vow, or Seduced, then get yourself comfy and hunker down with Berman's other deep dive into the history of the NXIVM cult, founded by Keith Raniere.

I honestly can't get enough about this cult. It absolutely blows my mind, and maybe the fascination with cults in general is how we see ourselves, and our own potential to get pulled into a high control group without being able to see the obvious harms that it is perpetuating.

Keith Raniere has years and years of fraud, grifting, predatory behavior, sexual assault, and emotional abuse/manipulation under his belt. It's amazing how one man can get away with so much when he surrounds himself with strong women who believe in him so strongly. It's patriarchal abuse and narcissism as it's very worst, and it makes me sick. Yet somehow, I just can't look away.

A giant "brava" to Berman for her story telling skills, and ability to shine a glaring light on things that were kept in the dark for far too long. I don't care what anyone says, journalism has definitely saved people.

Wow. Just wow. This book is chock full of all the craziness you ever wanted to know about NXIVM & Keith Raniere, the mastermind behind the cult. Wait. You can't call it a cult, though, or you could get sued. Or have your life ruined. Or your finances. Or be deported. Or any number of things that seem too unbelievable to have happened to normal people.
It seems strange how people can even get roped into something like this. It all started as a MLM (multi-level marketing) scheme and went from there. And Keith Raniere doesn't seem like someone who could get thousands of people to believe in him and his malarcky. But he did. They did. There was even a "sorority" that branded his initials onto their bodies. Crazy.
This book was fascinating and I don't even understand how the author/journalist sleeps at night after researching something like this subject.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.*

I highly recommend this book! It was a real page-turner and I had trouble putting it down. I had watched the recent documentary series about NXIVM and thought I knew a lot about the inner workings of this frightening organization, but Berman's book provides a lot more information which helps round out the rest of the story. This book is meticulously researched including first-hand accounts by women and men who were caught up in this organization. Women were victimized the most (and unfortunately were also part of perpetuating the abuse against women). Women who joined the secret society (DOS) were ordered to hand over embarrassing personal collateral and give a life time of servitude in exchange for membership. I wondered who would join such an organization and Berman wonders if it's a sense of "personal exceptionalism" that attracted people -- meaning, want to succeed in their life, their career, their art. It makes you realize anyone could potentially fall prey to this type of organization and that is the scariest thought of all.

Highly recommend!

Don't Call It a Cult is a well written journalistic examination of the often lurid and sordid facts surrounding Keith Raniere and NXIVM. Due out 20th April 2021 from Steerforth Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

I vaguely remember reading about the various trials surrounding NXIVM and Raniere. I have never been much of a true-crime reader, so I came into this read mostly ignorant of the situation, background, and facts of the cases. Sarah Berman is very capable and writes simply and convincingly. Although the book is meticulously annotated and supported with references throughout, it's accessible and understandable. I didn't feel that the author had an agenda and she didn't sensationalize the facts of the case (which are pretty shocking on that scale).

To me, NXIVM was even more remarkable for the vast scope of all the intertwined aspects and arms of the organization and also for the wealth and resources of its adherents. It's sobering to think that no matter how intelligent, well educated, or self-sufficient we are, no matter what economic advantages we have, we can all be manipulated and hoodwinked by charismatic and unscrupulous people/media.

The author presents the material factually and baldly, without flowery language or overemphasis. In my case that made the subject matter even more forceful: "It was uncomfortable imagining the words What was it like being branded? coming out of my mouth, but I knew I had to get there somehow". Many of the interviews which she relates make for uncomfortable reading and were related in such a direct way that it took my breath away.

The book includes a dramatis personae at the front to keep the primary players straight. The author has also done a good job with the annotations and the chapter notes and bibliography will keep readers busy for a long time.

Well done book. Uncomfortable reading in places though. Potential trigger warnings for sensitive readers: discussions on psychosexual torture and manipulation. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I know what you are thinking... "I've watched the documentaries, read both Oxenberg and Edmondson's books. Do I really need ANOTHER book on NXIVM?" Yes, yes you do. This book written by an investigative journalist gives so many more tales and sides of the story that have been left out of the other books and shows. This is a thorough telling of the start of NXIVM, giving more insight into the real Reniere, and the deception involved to be able to trap a woman trapped in the room for 2 years and start DOS.

If you are a fan of true crime or cult genre books, this one is definitely worth a read.

"Don't Call it a Cult" is a wild ride. It weaves a tale of how a bunch of women managed to join a cult that includes the sex traffiking of, you guessed it, women. I love how the author lays out the ground work for this book. She starts at the begining and shows the reader how these women get talked into believing Keith Raniere's empire. The book explores how he manuliped the women into turning on one another to keep his peace. The book explains how this is accomplished by explaining the psychology behind the actions. The book is written like a story rather than like a collection of facts and that made it an easy, interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in cult-reads.

I was honestly impressed with this book and would gladly read others by this author.

Just finished reading Sarah Berman’s, Don’t Call it a Cult, ahead of our event with Sarah next week. If you thought a 9 hour HBO docu-series, and a 4 hour Starz docu-series gave you everything you needed to know about NXIVM... you’d be wrong.

Well researched, and well presented. This story will take you down a rabbit hole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for an advanced copy of this book, Below is my honest opinion.

I remember vague mentions of NXIVM in the news a few years back, but I didn't follow the headlines closely. I knew there were some actresses, unknown to me, who were in trouble for some type of cult-like activities. And while I am always fascinated by cults, the sixty-second news clips as the story is unfolding aren't enough. When I saw this book was coming out I knew I wanted to read all about what actually happened inside the supposed self-help group.

This book was fantastic. Sarah Berman effortlessly pulled me in with her easy-to-follow writing. The book starts out with a lengthy cast of characters, which can be intimidating at times. I worried I wouldn't be able to keep the various people involved straight but it didn't wind up being a problem. Berman almost never inserted herself into the story unless absolutely necessary which I appreciate so much in a true-crime book. The research was thorough and the writing was engaging.

I would recommend this book for fans of true crime or readers who are curious about what happened to make so many smart, successful women get involved with an organization that ultimately did more harm than good. Beware that some of the content is difficult to read, however. There was a good amount of abuse, manipulation, and harm that occurred. The subject matter may be triggering to some readers but is also necessary to the story.

Don't Call it a Cult takes a deep dive into the inner workings of NXIVM, Keith Raniere, and those closest to them. The book follows the story from the beginning of Keith Raniere's career in multi level marketing campaigns all the way through his downfall and trial.

This book may be one of the best well done nonfictions I have ever read. The flow and organization of the facts made it so effortless to follow the story in a very linear way. It was so easy to follow the facts and, even though there were a lot of players in the story, the organization made it easy to follow who was who.

I went into this book thinkin that I knew a lot about NXIVM. Turns out I did. However, there was so much more that I did not know. I kept looking up from reading and looking around the room trying to wrap my brain around how just truly abusive, coercive, and wrong this whole thing it. The fact that there were women at the top encouraging it too is just baffling to me. I was mortified, intrigued, floored, and disgusted all at once. Few books have ever made me feel that way. This is a must read nonfiction for anyone interested in group think, cults, abuse, or just learning about the worst things humans can do to one another.

This book is long, like really long but I guess what's that happens when you write a book about one of the most insidious cults in the last 20 years. The author leaves no stone unturned and breaks it up into sections based on the groups history. A lot of it is common knowledge if you've watched any TV shows or documentaries on NXIVM. A lot of it is hard to read too, especially when you get to the sexual grooming. Hopefully in another 20 years we'll look back at this as a text book to learn from our mistakes.

Expertly written and researched. There's just SO MANY LAYERS to this story but the base - the crux of the story is that Keith Raniere is a manipulative liar.


Blech.

Thank you Sarah Berman, for really diving into this story and giving us a complete look at the way this horrible man worked his way up to destroying so many lives. I still can’t wrap my head around it to be honest. I’ve watched many documentary’s on this guy/Cult, and they are all great, but this went into so much more detail and background. I hope the women and men most affected can go on with their lives. Especially those who didn’t know what was really going on.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. I literally couldn’t put this book down and finished in one reading. The twists and turns that come after will give you whiplash. I literally couldn’t put this down until I found out the truth. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I saw the cover for Sarah Berman's Don't Call it a Cult, I knew I needed to read this book.

If you haven't heard of Keith Raniere and the NXIVM cult, where have you been? Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with this cult, as I am from the area. The rumors about the dangers were rampant for years.

As well, I watched HBO's The Vow and learned ever more about the details.

This book gave me even more of an insight into this insane cult. I am still in shock.

If you've heard of NXIVM and want to learn more, read this book.

If you are interested in how people fall into cults, read this book.

The author gives an in-depth recounting of how NXIVM started and how it all evolved, as well as how it unraveled and details of the trials.

This is a heavy read that is not easy to consume. But it's all too realistic and riveting.

Don't Call it a Cult is a fascinating read. I know I'll be recommending this book to many of my friends and family.

A detailed, through and meticulously researched book of investigative journalism about the infamous NXIVM cult. Riveting reading indeed. Clearly and accessibly written, it kept me absorbed – and often horrified – throughout. Avoids sensationalism – just presents the facts. A compelling book – and an important one as it explores how such cults become so successful in duping the people who get caught up in them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Don't Call It a Cult. NXIVM has fascinated me and I have devoured honestly most media about it. There was still tons of new information for me in here, especially about Keith Raneire's trial. Sarah Berman's reporting is thoughtful and thorough. I would love to read a follow-up because I'm sure even more information will come out eventually.

Do you like learning about cults? Are you curious about the NXIVM story? Do you want to understand how so many people ended up following a man who claimed to be ethical but was actually evil? If so, this book is for you. Personally, I'm fascinated by cults. So many people are promised a good thing only to find out the horrible truth underneath the promises. All of their stories deserve to be told and heard.

Thank you to Steerforth Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

Don't Call It a Cult is well-written in a conversational tone. It feels like you're being told a story which makes the complicated timeline and long list of people easier to keep track of. Berman does a great job of boiling the NXIVM story down to its most crucial parts while still making sure to give the victims the humanity and full expression they deserve.

Before reading this book you should know that the leaders of NXIVM were involved in sex abuses and sex trafficking (among other crimes) and those topics are discussed in this book. In addition, there are stories of women being restrained and punished in a variety of ways. So read with caution.

The NXIVM story is complicated. There are the clear wrong-doers, the people who genuinely thought they were doing good work and those between. So many people thought they'd joined an ethical organization working to do good in the world then watched all of that crumble as the truth of Keith Raniere's crimes and true goals came to light. I cannot imagine the pain and complicated feelings these victims experience.

Berman tracks Raniere's story starting long before NXIVM began, creating a clear timeline of how his past behavior built up to NXIVM. That pattern continues as it becomes clear that he slowly introduced concepts in the NXIVM curriculum meant to manipulate people in such a way that he could eventually abuse them and have his victims believe they were in the wrong. There are some deeply disturbing and disgusting beliefs and "lessons" that he taught shared in the book. But there isn't a way to tell the story of NXIVM without these disturbing details to fully understand all that happened and how it happened.

I've watched two documentaries about NXIVM and listened to podcasts about it. So, I was familiar with the story before reading this book. While I'm sure that prior knowledge made it somewhat easier to follow the story, I do think Berman did a great job of writing this story in a way that's relatively easy to follow. (I say relatively because of the complexity of the NXIVM story. There is no easy way to tell it.) There were also perspectives and details in her book that I had not heard elsewhere. Though some stories that were in the documentary were not in her book. It's impossible to fit everything in one place. So, if you're interested in learning more I recommend the documentaries Seduced and The Vow.

The book includes some pictures and notes, as well as, an extensive index. At the start of the book is a list of everyone mentioned with a short description of who they are, which is a helpful reference. Overall, I think this is an excellent addition to the NXIVM story and to cult literature.

A well researched book about NXIVM. I first learned about this from a podcast with Sarah Edmondson, and this book provides a deep dive on the topic. The book fully explains Keith Raniere (CEO) and the abuse suffered by the women of NXIVM. I would recommend reading if interested!

tw: abuse; sexual abuse; trauma; child abuse

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Steerforth Press for providing an advance reader copy to review.

I have followed the story of NXIVM for a couple of years now, so I was very excited to read this book when I first heard about it. Berman did an excellent job describing all aspects of NXIVM, and I appreciated her focus on the women who were sucked into this cult. Her focus on the victims were what made this book so compelling for me.

Don't Call is a Cult scared me to death and broke my heart. I am SO proud of the women who got out and are healing. Will definitely purchase for the library collection.

I’m so glad this book came into my life. This book had all done the perspectives on NXIVM that I wanted to hear.

Have you devoured every NXIVM documentary, article and podcast that's already out there? Allow me to direct you to investigative reporter Sarah Berman's extensively researched stranger-than-fiction novel, Don't Call it a Cult. While I was not the largest fan of the minimalist/straightforward writing style, the intriguing interviews and "OMFG, how did this actually happen!?!" narrative was more than enough to keep me invested from beginning to end.

I will call it a Cult! This is a very well researched book by Sarah Berman about the amount of damage and destruction Keith Raniere caused because he thought he had the right to. It is incredible how many peoples lives he ruined, mostly young women. He lied, stole, cheated, abused, and manipulated anyone to have his needs met.

Most of the women who initially joined NXIVM wanted to make the world a better place and improve themselves. They were not told what that entailed. As the book continues, I could actually feel the pull of the increased coercion on some of the women spoken about. It would start with small things, such as being questioned if you did not like a certain food. This meant something bigger, that you were blocking it b/c of unchallenged ideas or other nonsense. Then it got worse. Weight became a huge issue. Keith would assign goal weights for the women and this lead to many becoming sick and developing eating disorders. He was sleeping with many of the women, but lying about this. If a woman got pregnant, he would force her to have an abortion. Others, he kept promising he was going to have a baby with them. However, he would say they were not ready. If you got cancer, it was because of the bad thoughts you harbored. It was very destructive.

He starts to develop more and more restrictive ideas to make sure the women always listen to him. He has them write damaging things about themselves and tapes them. Then if they did not comply, it was held over their head that this would come out. He is angry at one girl and has her held in a room for 2 years. She was punished for cutting her hair. He starts to have the group identify love with pain. That is really what it is about. So, he now has many NXIVM followers thinking they are doing a service teaching discipline and the ability to endure agony. This leads to the worst where a separate group exists. The women are tied up and branded with his initials with a cauterizing pen that must have been horrifically painful. They are now slaves and some of the women have become so complicit they are doing illegal acts.

Reading this just made me so angry and sad. It is so wrong to take the joy out of someone’s life. Several of the women plead quilts to crimes. However, thankfully Keith Raniere was found quilty on many serious charges such as forced labor, sexual trafficking, exploitation of a child, extortion, and fraud. He feels no remorse. He was given a 120 year prison sentence. I think that at least some justice was done. The only cautionary tale to come from this is to be very careful when your gut tells you things are not right. They probably are not. The book does an excellent job showing how it is easier then many think to get caught up in group thinking and coercion.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Berman, and Steerforth Press for providing a copy of this book.

Where to even begin? First, if you haven't watched the HBO series on this cult, you might want to do that first. Even if it means just getting a trial subscription just for a few days. I promise, it's worth it. Second, after you've watched the doc, then there's a podcast you should listen to as well. It's all about NXIVM. Then I would read this book third. Could you just read the book? Yes, but I really think having a little background helps.

The cult itself and this book is absolutely crazy. You'll read Sarah's story of how she got involved, how she got branded, how she rose up in the cult and, ultimately, how she got the hell out. There will probably be a lot of triggers for many people, so beware, but it is worth the read.

Fortunately this cult has been exposed and is mostly shut down. There's still followers of Keith and people who support him, but the most part, everyone knows the dark and dirty secrets.

5/5 Stars

Here's my review of this book: EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS and I go into why longer in my video review.

This is crazy! I’ve followed the NXIVM story and was excited to get approved for this one. After reading this I was sucked down the rabbit hole of all things NXIVM. This is well researched and presented. If you’re interested in cults at all definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eGalley. All opinions are my own.

Such a great, concise book about NXIVM. Spends way more time with people who have been less publicly vocal but have more significant information. Talks less about the inner workings of the cult educational programs than some other sources but that's not totally pivotal information.

You never get the whole story when listening to the evening news or watching the docudramas that pop up when a major story hits the news. Sarah Berman has done an excellent job of laying out the history of NXIVM and Keith Raniere, showing each step along his path to using these desperate women to fuel his rise to power and fame. You would never believe this could happen in the US, yet here is the proof. Berman has skillfully researched and followed the truth to show how easily Raniere was able to find and exploit the weak among us. His story should serve as a cautionary tale to us all.