Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Without language, there are no "cults". - Amanda Montell, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

During this quarantine, I have (quite predictably) fell down the rabbit hole of watching a deluge of documentaries about cults. This, coupled with the fact that I’m an English major, makes it obvious why this book is right on my radar.

Right from the first few chapters, it is clear that Cultish by Amanda Montell is not a book about cults or how they are formed, but rather about the linguistic forms that establish and reinforce the power of so-called cults or cult-like organizations. By alternating between reporting and narrating, Montell creates an intricately woven tapestry of theories, data, and anecdotes. This particular stylistic choice makes the book tremendously accessible for the lay public as the chapters are not laden with numbers or complex theoretical concepts. The author also provides clear and simplistic explanations of all the terminologies mentioned, thus, this book generally doesn’t require much (if any) prior or specialized knowledge to understand.

My one quibble for this book is the bazillion references of Trump. This is a personal issue as I am everything but a political enthusiast. I understand that politics is an integral facet of American culture. However, considering the fact that I’m not an American and the amount of media coverage that Donald Trump had over the last few years, reading about him is certainly not very high on my list.

Notwithstanding the surplus of political references, I still quite enjoy this book. It does what it claims to do - pique your interest and shed light on the matter. It is a good conversation starter and an intriguing account of the power of language. Actually, I’d go as far as saying that this book has spurred me to pick up more non-fiction from now on (especially those about language). If you want to dip your toes into this matter, Cultish by Amanda Montell is a great starting point. However, if you are looking for more in-depth analysis, this book may not be your best option, but do keep in mind that the author does suggest some further reading for this book.