Cultish by Amanda Montell: Are we more susceptible than we think?

4.5 stars

I listened to this on audiobook. It was a very compelling book. Cultish dives into how language and community can create behavior some might describe as antisocial or "cultish" in everyday things we participate in. I would have liked a bit more expansion on a few other topics that were missed such as military or nationalism. But I understand as that can be a separate book in of itself.

The question we always ask is: How do people even get into a cult? What kind of person gets sucked into that? Montell gives examples of how groups like Peloton, "stan" culture, and self improvement gurus have followers. She makes similar connections between the language and community to infamous cult groups such as The Family, Manson, Scientology, etc.. It gives me as the reader a more empathetic outlook at those aforementioned questions when I can see how everyday people fall into those same patterns of "community."

Overall, a solid book to put into perspective what and who we follow. Included a lot of interesting bits of commentary on social media, what a "cult" is, and Montell's own experiences.