April Book Club - Cultish by Amanda Montell

Join us for a delightful morning of Coffee & Books at our Brunch and Books meetup! This month, we will be discussing "Cultish" by Amanda Montell, What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—these cultish groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .
Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to the specific language of fanaticism. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.
Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the linguistics and curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.
Let's sip coffee, share our thoughts on the book, and make new friends in a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Whether you are a long-time bookworm or a casual reader looking to delve into the world of book clubs, this event is the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who share your love for literature. Don't miss out on this chance to enjoy a relaxing Sunday morning surrounded by good books and great company.
We will pick our June read at this meeting.