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What Members Thought
We all know words are important; Montell shows us how influential and life-changing they can be.
This footnoted and well-sourced book reads as part research, part interview, and part memoir. Montell's father spent part of his childhood in the California-based community of Synanon and shared stories of those years with her throughout her childhood. She drew on how he counseled her when she, as a teenager, was invited to take a personality test, offered a tour of the Scientology "museum," and then ...more
This footnoted and well-sourced book reads as part research, part interview, and part memoir. Montell's father spent part of his childhood in the California-based community of Synanon and shared stories of those years with her throughout her childhood. She drew on how he counseled her when she, as a teenager, was invited to take a personality test, offered a tour of the Scientology "museum," and then ...more
The real answer all comes down to words. Delivery. From the crafty redefinition of existing words (and the invention of new ones) to powerful euphemisms, secret codes, renamings, buzzwords, chants and mantras, "speaking in tongues," forced silence, even hashtags, language is the key means by which all degrees of cultlike influence occur.
3.5 stars.
An easy listen and very interesting but somewhat repetitive and I thought I might learn more from it.
...more
3.5 stars.
An easy listen and very interesting but somewhat repetitive and I thought I might learn more from it.
...more
Listened on audiobook, read like a podcast. Fast read.
Nov 26, 2021
Jolie
marked it as to-read
Dec 25, 2021
Dsm Jsm
marked it as to-read
Apr 06, 2022
Tegan
marked it as to-read
Apr 18, 2022
nomadreader (Carrie D-L)
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned-kindle,
nonfiction
Apr 24, 2022
Tracy Bolander
marked it as 2022-books
May 22, 2022
Kari Fokken
added it
Jun 12, 2022
Judi Adamo
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
social-commentary
Jun 21, 2022
Stephanie
marked it as to-read
Dec 30, 2023
Brooklynn Aamodt
marked it as to-read
Feb 16, 2024
Ellaine
marked it as to-read
