Based on events that have happened over the past decade, I am deeply concerned about large swaths of people in society being strongly influenced by cults and/or disinformation. They can ruin lives, destroy relationships, and even destabilize entire societies. This inspired me to look for and discover the five books on this list, which also shaped the writing of my medical thriller centering on a fictional cult spreading medical disinformation.
After reading this book, I found myself looking at cult mentality as something that can exist in many parts of society, not just groups that fit the classic definition of a cult.
I liked how the book explores examples of non-cult groups that still have cultish thinking and behavior to a lesser degree. For example, can your local health club be cultish because of its members' fanaticism that is cult-like? It's something to think about.
The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.
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-extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell's…
I enjoyed immersing myself in the world of a cult family where sexual practices that are objectionable to much of mainstream society are considered normal within this family. It’s interesting to see how members of a cult who are isolated from the outside world go through their lives as if nothing is wrong.
The world in the cult is their whole worldview. Plus, I found myself having much sympathy for the author who bravely shared her life experiences.
'Both inspiring and disturbing, Sex Cult Nun unravels Jones' complicated upbringing, the trauma she endured as a result and her eventual path to liberation.' TIME
'A moving story about family, courage, religious oppression, and more, and readers will have their heads spinning.' SHONDALAND
'Her gripping memoir-like Educated-takes you inside a disturbing childhood and leaves you marvelling at the resilience of the human spirit' PEOPLE MAGAZINE
Faith Jones was raised to be part of an elite army preparing for the End Times. Isolated on a farm in Macau, she practised devotions and read letters of prophecy written by her grandfather, the…
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
Disinformation is a major issue today, so any nonfiction book that explores it in depth is one that I will surely dive into. I liked how, like any nonfiction book, it covers various aspects of it, such as social media and cognitive biases. There’s plenty of content to appreciate here.
Does the idea of a world in which facts mean nothing cause anxiety? Fear? Maybe even paranoia? Disinformation:The Nature of Facts and Lies in the Post-Truth Era cannot cure all the ills of a post-truth world, but by demonstrating how the emergence of digital technology into everyday life has knitted together a number of seemingly loosely related forces-historical, psychological, economic, and culture-to create the post-truth culture, Disinformation will help you better understand how we got to where we now are, see how we can move beyond a culture in which facts are too easily dismissed, and develop a few highly…
I liked how this book is a collection of essays from different authors, all pertaining to disinformation as it occurs on a global scale. It’s essentially an academic study into the issue, one that is definitely of interest to anyone concerned about disinformation, especially if it has major impacts in the political arenas of specific countries.
Discover a comprehensive exploration of the underlying theories of disinformation, and their impact, from leading voices in the field
Politics of Disinformation delivers a thorough discussion of the overwhelming problem of modern fake news in the political arena. The book reviews fundamental theoretical concepts of disinformation and analyzes the impact of new techniques of misinformation and the dissemination of false information in the public space. A group of distinguished authors provide case studies throughout the text to illustrate the effect of disinformation all around the world; including, but not limited to Europe, the Middle East, and South…
Gifts from a Challenging Childhood
by
Jan Bergstrom,
Learn to understand and work with your childhood wounds. Do you feel like old wounds or trauma from your childhood keep showing up today? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with what to do about it and where to start? If so, this book will help you travel down a path…
This may be a book about disinformation that is kind of academic, but it has a personal touch. The author combines an intellectual presentation with personal stories about encountering people falling for misinformation and disinformation. Plus, as the title suggests, there’s also an exploration into the psychological aspects of the topic.
'Thoughtful, moving and well-written' - Yuval Noah Harari
'An urgent examination of the human attraction to misinformation' - Daniel H. Pink
Misinformation affects us daily, from social media to politics and even personal relationships. Policing social media alone cannot solve the complex problem shaped by partisan politics and subjective interpretations of truth.
In Misbelief social scientist Dan Ariely explores the behaviour of 'misbelief' that leads people to distrust accepted truths and embrace conspiracy theories. Misinformation taps into something innate in all of us, regardless of political affiliation. By understanding this psychology, we can mitigate its effects. Grounded in research and…
When a patient of hospital physician Dr. Mark Lin is killed by a suicide bomber blowing up a clinic, everyone blames anti-abortion extremists. Mark, however, has a different theory about the culprit: a secretive cult called the Path to Purity. The only way to get answers is to join the Path himself.
Juggling the dual roles of doctor and undercover cult follower, Mark treats patients for the effects of the Path’s dangerous practices while advancing along the Path’s ranks. He must get close to the leader, known as the Sun Priest, and destroy the cult. But the deeper he goes, the deadlier things get. Mark will stop at nothing to uncover the truth before getting trapped in a heinous plot that could spell massive devastation.
