CULTS

A collection of origin stories of real-life villains.

“Everyone wants to believe in something or someone: a higher ideal, a god on earth, a voice from heaven, an intelligence beyond our own.” So begins Cutler, founder of Parcast Studios, writing with the assistance of former New Yorker editor Conley. Though “this appetite for belief” often leads to “great things,” it can also be used by charismatic leaders to exploit others for their own desires and delusions. In a book based on the popular eponymous podcast, Cutler offers an introduction into the fascinating world of cult leaders, ranging from notorious masterminds like Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Marshall Applewhite to lesser-known figures such as Credonia Mwerinde, a high priestess in Uganda who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in the name of her cult, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God. The author seeks to understand the psychology of these leaders, how they wielded their manipulation tactics, and how the landscape of their particular sociopolitical milieu played a role in their crimes. The book is well researched and well organized. Cutler begins by chronicling each cult leader’s upbringing and how they obtained their followers, then goes into detail about their crimes. Though often informative, much of the text reads like a podcast script: “Being a cult leader is a dangerous game, but judging from historical accounts, once one discovers the knack for it, it’s hard to stop the manipulations that give ultimate power over this life and the next until it’s far too late.” Cutler shows how this lust for power is what often leads to the demise of a cult leader’s followers, but his exploration leads to few new resolutions or revelations about cults in general. This makes the book a tantalizing read for true-crime neophytes but a slog for well-established readers of the genre.

True-crime fans should stick to the podcast.