Cult Following
The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations-and Take Over Our Lives
Published on 10. September 2024
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-68369-412-0 (ISBN)
Description
From the author of Cursed Objects and The United States of Cryptids, an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history. How do 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 such sinister groups as: 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 Narcosatanicos: This cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, who believed he possessed magic powers and committed human sacrifice. The Seekers: The infiltration and study of this, the earliest known UFO cult, by psychologists inspired the term cognitive dissonance. Ho No Hana Sanpogyo: The founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone s fortune by examining their feet. Breatharianism: Breatharians 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 Hollywood actresses 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.
Reviews / Votes
"A must-read for those with a taste for cult narratives."-Publishers WeeklyPraise for The United States of Cryptids
"A deliciously nerdy chronicle that celebrates thinking about life beyond."-Vice
"Thoughtful and well-researched...a worthy addition to any cryptid enthusiast's library."-AIPT Comics
"[Ocker's] breezy storytelling talents make for enjoyable reading."-Booklist
"Essential reading for anyone with an interest in unexplained mysteries, folklore, mythology, and the supernatural. An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, truly exceptional, and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Cryptid collections."-Midwest Book Review
"I love folklore, so naturally, I also love cryptids, since they're basically the scary story versions of modern folklore. Which is precisely what I enjoyed about The United States of Cryptids."-BoingBoing
Praise for Cursed Objects
"This book is so fun that I couldn't put it down. It reminded me that life is short, death is nigh and a little humor can help us seize the day just as well as a memento mori."-The New York Times
"A visual feast of a book...this eye-catching miscellany is perfect for anyone who wants a treasure chest of weird trivia to peruse."-Bustle
"Well researched....The entry about the Black Aggie statue in Druid Ridge Cemetery in Pikesville, Maryland, is especially chilling....The only question that remains is, who is courageous enough to brave the myriad scary (and true) stories within?"-Memphis Flyer
"I loved J. W. Ocker's Cursed Objects! This cabinet of cursed curiosities is insanely entertaining and dangerously informative, but be forewarned: you may be cursed with reading it late into the night once you open it."-Lisa Morton, author of Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances and Ghosts: A Haunted History
"A deliciously scary and entertaining look into the spooky stuff of nightmares. Through rich histories, adorably macabre illustrations, and a modicum of hilarity, this book will entrance readers until the last page-if you survive that long!"-Lydia Kang, author of Quackery
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 207 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
490 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68369-412-0 (9781683694120)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
J. W. (Jason) Ocker is an Edgar Award winning travel writer, horror novelist, and blogger. His previous nonfiction books include Poe-Land,The New England Grimpendium and The New York Grimpendium, A Season with the Witch, the New York Times-reviewed Cursed Objects, and The United States of Cryptids. He is the creator of the blog and podcast OTIS: Odd Things I've Seen (oddthingsiveseen.com).