Other titles by J.W. Ocker I’ve reviewed
Synopsis:
From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids comes an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history. Have you ever wondered how smart, normal people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Weird history expert J. W. Ocker strives to answer that question in Cult Following. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about history’s most notorious cults–and the psychology of the people who join them–is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of the followers who were lured into these sinister groups: Branch Davidians – Led by David Koresh, this cult was waiting out the apocalypse in 1993 when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas.
Los Narcosatánicos: This cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, who believed he had magic powers and committed human sacrifice.
Brotherhood of the Seven: The earliest known UFO cult, the infiltration and study of the Brotherhood by psychologists inspired the term “cognitive dissonance.”
Ho No Hana: The founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone’s fortune by examining their feet.
Breatherians: They believe that humans can live on air alone. Their founder, Wiley Brooks, claimed to have gone without food for nineteen years.
NXIVM: This twenty-first century cult attracted several members of Hollywood and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars.
In Cult Following, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.
My Edition:
Paperback ARC provided by the publisher (Thanks, Quirk!)
My Thoughts:
Like most people, I find cults fascinating. Cult Following does devote much of its length to the heavy hitters (think Branch Dividians, the People’s Temple, NXIVM, the Manson Family, the Rajneesh Movement, Synanon, etc.). But, Ocker also delved into a couple that I was less familiar with like the Ant Hill Kids and the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God.
Be warned though – this book is quite short and covers a fair bit of ground, so if you’re looking for deep dives you’re going to be disappointed. I look at Cult Following as a primer. I got some ideas for some future reading. There is just enough info on each cult to whet the appetite. You’ll then need to go forth and seek out more information if you want it.
I did learn some interesting trivia through this book, so that’s fun. Like, did you know that Nichelle Nichols’ brother was a member of Heaven’s Gate? I sure didn’t. Or that Timothy McVeigh was a bystander at Waco during the seige on the Branch Davidians? Fun aside – I found a review of this book that argued the Branch Davidians are not a cult. Uhhh…who’s going to tell him?
Overall, Cult Following is probably better for entertainment, or to be used as a jumping off point, as I mentioned earlier. Although it is definitely interesting, and does provide a good overview, it’s light on anything beyond high level information. Which I think makes sense for a book that is trying to go over a whole bunch of cults, so I’m absolutely not knocking it for that. And it’s really handy the way Ocker broke each section down by the cult’s purported aims: the Search for Truth, the Search for Protection, the Search for Purpose, the Search for Salvation, and the Search for Betterment. So if you’re looking for an overview of a certain type of cult, it’s a good way to narrow down the section you should be checking out.
Rating:
Cult Following is pretty interesting. I do wish there was more information though. And while I personally like Ocker’s style of writing, you might want to know in advance that he can be a bit flippant. He reigns it in when the information he’s imparting is going downhill, but he does crack some jokes about the cults here and there. So if you want to be offended on the behalf of any cults, maybe skip this one.
Cult Following: the Extreme Sects that Capture our Imaginations and Take Over our Lives
By J.W. Ocker
Quirk Books
Published: September 10, 2024
ISBN: 9781683694120
Hardcover, E-book, Audio
272 Pages
