Title: Cultspeak
Description: "From SoulCycle to Scientology, we're all obsessed with cults. Linguist Amanda Montell examines the language cults use to draw us in"--

What causes people to join-- and more importantly, stay in-- extreme groups? The answer, Montell believes, has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. She argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear-- and are influenced by-- every single day.  Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities "cultish." In doing so, she reveals how they even pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. -- adapted from jacket
Subjects: Cults, Language, Psychological aspects, Mental suggestion, Group identity