Cults: Inside the World's Most Notorious Groups and Understanding the People Who Joined Them

Written by Max Cutler

Narrated by Pete Simonelli, Raquel Beattie, Erin Ruth Walker and 6 more

Mystery. Manipulation. Murder. Cults are associated with all of these. But what really goes on inside them? More specifically, what goes on inside the minds of cult leaders and the people who join them? Based on the hit podcast Cults, this is essential reading for any true crime fan.

Cults prey on the very attributes that make us human: our desire to belong, to find a deeper meaning in life, to live everyday with divine purpose. Their existence creates a sense that any one of us, at any time, could step off the cliff’s edge and fall into that daunting abyss of manipulation and unhinged dedication to a misplaced cause. Perhaps it’s this mindset that keeps us so utterly obsessed and desperate to learn more, or it’s that the stories are so bizarre and unsettling that we are simply in awe of the mechanics that make these infamous groups tick.

The premier storytelling podcast studio Parcast has been focusing on unearthing these mechanics—the cult leaders and followers, and the world and culture that gave birth to both. Parcast’s work in analyzing dozens of case studies has revealed patterns: distinct ways that cult leaders from different generations resemble one another. What links the ten notorious figures profiled in Cults are as disturbing as they are stunning—from Manson to Applewhite, Koresh to Raël, the stories woven here are both spellbinding and disturbing.

Cults is more than just a compilation of grisly biographies, however. In these pages, Parcast’s founder Max Cutler and national bestselling author Kevin Conley look closely at the lives of some of the most disreputable cult figures and tell the stories of their rise to power and fall from grace, sanity, and decency. Beyond that, it is a study of humanity, an unflinching look at what happens when the most vulnerable recesses of the mind are manipulated and how the things we hold most sacred can be twisted into the lowest form of malevolence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781797142593

Max Cutler

Max Cutler created and founded Parcast Studios in 2016. With Cutler at the helm, Parcast has launched some of the most popular and highly-ranked weekly podcasts, specializing in popular genres like mystery, true crime, pop culture, wellness, and history. After three years of exponential growth, Spotify acquired Parcast in 2019. Cutler maintains his role as head of the studio, revolutionizing the podcast space and creating hit after hit. Most recently featured on Fortune’s 40 Under 40, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, and The Hollywood Reporter’s 35 Rising Executives Under 35 lists, Cutler shows no sign of slowing down, as Parcast continues to lead the industry in global growth with over fifty adaptations to date and more to come.

Reviews for Cults

[Lani Kapusta · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Just horrible. The writing is so cold and dry, completely lacking the compassion necessary to discuss any true crime but especially cults. It's also just plain boring. They tried to fit too many things in one book so you get an encyclopedic surface level introduction to each cult with no nuance or depth leaving no intrigue. The abridged format also means that they only cover the leaders and maybe a sentence each about notable members. It's my opinion that humanizing the members of a cult and explaining how they got there should be the forefront of any discussion. The book doesn't even try to introduce an overarching theme which could pull each story together and give you some sort of point or meaning or concept behind the topic of cults as a whole. Nope it's genuinely a less interesting version of a Wikipedia article for a handful of cults. This book adds no value to the world whatsoever

[Nikki · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

the timelines were a bit confusing to follow. the chapters that were easiest to comprehend were those about groups of which i already knew much of the information. this definitely feels like a book written by podcasters rather than researchers.

[Anthony EL Asi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Lacks objectivity and research…very disappointed…jumps to conclusions and speculations with few explanations

[Camille Monae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Straightforward and fact based book. It isn't written as a story but as a retelling of truths. And while I considered.myself knowledgeable about most of the groups mentioned, I learned something new about each.