Cultish by Amanda Montell

Book Review

What do religious cults, CrossFit, multi-level marketing companies and Instagram influencers all have in common?

Answer: They all utilize a certain type of language to create converts - more specifically, they rely on language that evokes an emotional response, leaves little room for argument and creates an “us vs. them” mentality.

In this captivating work on non-fiction, Amanda Montell dives deep into all things “cultish”. The book begins with an exploration of the origins and practices of infamous religious cults like Heaven’s Gate, Jonestown and Synanon (interesting fact: Montell’s father was once a member of Synanon). In later parts of the book, Montell moves on to other cult-like entities - ones that are far less likely to prove fatal. These include fitness trends (like CrossFit, SoulCycle and Peloton) multi-level marketing companies (like Amway, Rodan + Fields and Mary Kay) as well as start-up culture, Scientology, social media and the massive impact of modern-day influencers.

While each of the six sections of Cultish is equally fascinating, I think I enjoyed reading about Montell’s musings on multilevel marketing companies (or MLMs) most of all. In explaining the difference between a pyramid scheme and a multilevel marketing company, Montell surmises that “an MLM is just a pyramid scheme that hasn’t gotten caught.” Amen.

A book about linguistics may sound dry, however, Montell’s trademark humor, to-the-point writing style and illuminating interviews make for a binge-worthy read. I honestly can’t recommend this one enough… although it’s only July, I’m certain it will make my list of 2021 favorites.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5