{"product_id":"the-culting-of-america-what-makes-a-cult-and-why-we-love-them","title":"The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A well-researched, deeply personal commentary on the role of cults in American life.\" --\u003cb\u003eKirkus \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The grounded, accessible, real talk we need right now.\" --\u003cb\u003eTia Levings, NYT bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Well-Trained Wife\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Tightly written, impassioned, and provocative.\" --\u003cb\u003eBooklife\/Publisher's Weekly (Editor's Pick) \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJacket Description\/Back\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou're probably in a cult. You just don't know it yet.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of us think we'd never fall for a cult. We picture robes, chanting, and remote compounds. But toxic groups don't just exist on the fringe. They thrive in boardrooms, group chats, fitness classes, political rallies, religious groups, and corporate retreats--anywhere we seek identity, purpose, and belonging. \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how\u003cb\u003e cultish behavior isn't just thriving in modern life--it's hiding in plain sight, woven deep into the fabric of American identity.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America\u003c\/i\u003e, cult survivor, scholar, and former Army intelligence officer Daniella Mestyanek Young--author of the bestselling memoir \u003ci\u003eUncultured\u003c\/i\u003e--teams up with award-winning writer Amy Reed to dismantle the illusion that cults are rare or easy to spot. Blending gripping personal narrative, cultural critique, and deep research, they introduce the cultiness spectrum: a ten-part framework that reveals how coercive group behavior shows up across all kinds of groups--from extremist movements to our most trusted institutions--exploring the fine line between community and control, devotion and exploitation, and leadership and manipulation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWhether you're part of a church, company, fandom, or political movement, the question isn't if you're in a cult. It's how much of yourself you've already lost.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eDaniella Mestyanek Young\u003c\/b\u003e is a cult survivor, U.S. Army veteran, Harvard-trained organizational psychologist, and the author of two books about high-control groups--\u003ci\u003eUncultured\u003c\/i\u003e, her critically-acclaimed memoir, and \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe now lives in Maryland with her 10-year-old teenager (it's a vibe), a retired special operations helicopter pilot turned plant scientist, and a Republican dog. She spends most of her time trying to build groups that don't destroy people--and helping others figure out how to leave the ones that do. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eAmy Reed\u003c\/b\u003e is an editor and author best known for her award-winning young adult novels, including \u003ci\u003eThe Nowhere Girls\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBeautiful\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she talks to trees, edits nonfiction books, and is at work on her first novel for adults.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eYou're probably in a cult. You just don't know it yet.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America\u003c\/i\u003e, cult survivor, military veteran, and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eUncultured\u003c\/i\u003e, Daniella Mestyanek Young delivers a gripping investigation into the hidden structures of power and control that shape our lives. Raised in the notorious sex cult the Children of God, Daniella escaped to America as a teenager--only to find herself drawn into another high-control institution: the U.S. Army. Years later, as a Harvard-trained expert in organizational psychology, she began asking a radical question: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eWhat if we're all in cults?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlending personal narrative, cultural critique, and deep research, Young--together with award-winning author Amy Reed--introduces the cultiness spectrum: a ten-part framework for identifying how coercive group behavior shows up in spaces we trust, from extremist sects to corporate offices, political movements, social media communities, and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou'll never look at group loyalty the same way again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the glamorized world of Playboy to the mission-driven violence of the military, from wellness culture to partisan politics, \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how cultish dynamics aren't just surviving in modern life--they're thriving. And they're often hiding in plain sight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith sharp analysis, wit, and unflinching honesty, \u003ci\u003eThe Culting of America\u003c\/i\u003e is both a warning and a guide. It's for anyone who's ever felt trapped in a group they believed in, who's started to question the cost of belonging, or who's ready to reclaim their autonomy without giving up connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eBecause the question isn't \"Am I in a cult?\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eIt's \"What cults am I already in--and what will it cost to leave?\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 12\/15\/2025 (EAN 9781955671828, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePW Booklife Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 11\/10\/2025 (EAN 9781955671828, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Otterpine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496093909270,"sku":"9781955671828","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781955671828.jpg?v=1783053048","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/the-culting-of-america-what-makes-a-cult-and-why-we-love-them","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}