Cultish The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

​   This book was a perfect combination of two things I find enormously fascinating…cults and linguistics. Because our language shapes so much of our reality, it is never just words. Words matter, they have weight to them, words are power. And some people have mastered the art of wielding them to serve their own sinister purposes.
     It isn’t just cults, either. It’s in direct sales and advertising and fitness crazes and conspiracy theory websites and marketing. All of those things are not cults per se,but have cultish elements and certainly utilize cultish language. Made up lingo is only the beginning of it, for language has the power to embolden or isolate and that works very nicely into the psychology of brainwashing. Although, even brainwashing may not be an accurate descriptor, read the book form more on that.
     This book was an absolutely fascinating look at the awesome and dangerous power of linguistics. Well researched, engagingly written, clever, funny and very very hip in the right way, it’s potent enough to change the way you think. It may even save your life. Depending on what cult you were planning to join. The suicide ones get a lot of coverage in here and the language there was as much of a weapon as the Flavor Aid. And yes, that was Flavor Aid, accuracy over the genericized trademarks.
     A lot of this played in well with my social psychology studies, a lot of played in well with my parallel universe linguistic career, a lot of it was just good notes for when I manage to turn my GR followers into a proper cult ;), all of it was absolutely fascinating and enormously interesting. Popscience at its absolutely best and smartest. An excellent read.  Recommended.