{"product_id":"book-i9ld","title":"Cult Following","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of \u003cem\u003eCursed Objects\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe United States of Cryptids \u003c\/em\u003ecomes an eye-popping compendium of the most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you ever wondered how smart, normal people end up enmeshed in extreme cults? Weird history expert J. W. Ocker strives to answer that question in \u003cem\u003eCult Following\u003c\/em\u003e. Everything you've ever wanted to know about history's most notorious cults-and the psychology of the people who join them-is packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of the followers who were lured into these sinister groups, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBranch Davidians:\u003c\/strong\u003e Led by David Koresh, this cult was waiting out the apocalypse in 1993 when the FBI infamously raided their compound in Waco, Texas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNarcosatanists: \u003c\/strong\u003eThis cult of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico was led by Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, who believed he had magic powers and committed human sacrifice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrotherhood of the Seven Rays:\u003c\/strong\u003e The earliest known UFO cult, the infiltration and study of the Brotherhood by psychologists inspired the term \"cognitive dissonance.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHo No Hana Sanpogyo: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe founder, Hogen Fukunaga, claimed to be able to tell someone's fortune by examining their feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBreatherianism: \u003c\/strong\u003eBreatherians believe that humans can live on air alone. Their founder, Wiley Brooks, claimed to have gone without food for nineteen years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNXIVM:\u003c\/strong\u003e This twenty-first century cult attracted several members of Hollywood and engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering under the guise of personal development seminars. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eCult Following\u003c\/em\u003e, Ocker sheds light on the terrifying attraction of cults, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackstone Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":47802100646123,"sku":"DZi9ld","price":54.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0699\/2127\/6139\/files\/i9ld-Square-cover.jpg?v=1770753984","url":"https:\/\/www.blackstoneunlimited.com\/products\/book-i9ld","provider":"Blackstone Unlimited","version":"1.0","type":"link"}