About Amanda

The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power. What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . . Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day. Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.

Two girls from different social and economic backgrounds meet one day in first grade. Sarah Stewart feels very ordinary beside Amanda Wharton. Amanda is the new kid at school, and she looks like a porcelain doll. There is something about her that Sarah finds enchanting, and, despite their differences, the two young girls become best of friends. As they grow up, their connection does not fade. Nothing can come between them as they traverse the unfamiliar grounds of puberty, dating, and high school, sharing each others secrets, dreams, and far-off desires. But their relationship is not only about laughter; their young lives are fraught with difficulty, broken dreams, and even death. An unexpected tragedy occurs, and the best friends are forced to wander divergent paths. Yet, across the vast distances and long years, they remain close ... all the way to lifes end. About Amanda offers a look into the lives of two very different women, linked together by a chance meeting as children. For the entirety of their lives, they depend on each other, knowing that friendship and love are the most important things in the world.

"In this fascinating look at the race to secure the global food supply, environmental journalist and professor Amanda Little tells the defining story of the sustainable food revolution as she weaves together stories from the world's most creative and controversial innovators on the front lines of food science, agriculture, and climate change"--

FOREWORD BY BRENE BROWN and POSTSCRIPT FROM BRAIN PICKINGS CREATOR MARIA POPOVA Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter. Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of THE ART OF ASKING. Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. THE ART OF ASKING will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An Indie Bestseller! An Indie Next Pick! The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick... You Fell in Love with the Victors of the Hunger Games. Now Prepare to Meet the Villains of the Blood Veil. The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins. Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world—one thought long depleted. But this year a scandalous tell-all book has exposed the tournament and thrust the seven new champions into the worldwide spotlight. The book also granted them valuable information previous champions never had—insight into the other families’ strategies, secrets, and weaknesses. And most important, it gave them a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their legacy. Either way, this is a story that must be penned in blood. The All of Us Villains Duology: #1) All of Us Villains #2) All of Our Demise At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

“Amanda Gallo is my kind of girl: funny, self-aware, and unable to resist a makeover. . . . I loved this novel.” —Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada and When Life Gives You Lululemons “Entertaining.” —People When Amanda Gallo, fresh from the backwater of local TV, lands the anchor job of her dreams at FAIR News, she thinks she’s finally made it: a six-figure salary, wardrobe allowance, plenty of on-air face time, and a chance to realize her dreams, not to mention buy herself lunch. Instead, she finds her journalistic ideals shredded as she struggles to keep up with the issues in a ratings-crazed madhouse: battling for hair and makeup time; coping with her sexist (but scathingly handsome) coanchor, Rob; and showing Benji Diggs, her media maestro boss, that she’s got what it takes. As the news heats up in a hotly contested election season and a wildcard candidate, former Hollywood actor Victor Fluke, appears on the scene, Amanda’s pressure-cooker job gets hotter while her personal life unravels. Walking a knife’s edge between ambition and survival, and about to break the biggest story of her career, Amanda must decide what she’s willing to give up to get ahead—and what she needs to hold onto to save herself.

The spellbinding RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB PICK about a mysterious house and an old family secret . . . 'Wonderful storytelling. I loved it' RACHEL HORE 'A wonderful tale of family secrets, brimming with lush historical detail' HAZEL GAYNOR 'A mesmerising debut novel, lush and gorgeous, with a rich family tale to tell' RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB _______ People disappear. Secrets remain . . . 1940: In south-west Ireland, the young and beautiful Lady Charlotte Rathmore is pronounced dead after she mysteriously disappears by the lake of Blackwater Hall. In London, on the brink of the Blitz, Nancy Rathmore is grieving Charlotte's death when a letter arrives containing a secret that she is sworn to keep - one that will change her life for ever. 2019: Disgraced young journalist Ellie Fitzgerald flees Dublin for the safety of rural Kerry. When she discovers a faded letter, tucked inside the pages of an old book from Blackwater Hall, she finds herself drawn in by the mystery of Lady Charlotte's disappearance, and uncovers a long-buried secret... Sweeping from the wilds of beautiful Ireland to wartime London, this is perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase and Lucinda Riley. ** DON'T MISS THE NEW NOVEL FROM AMANDA GEARD, THE MOON GATE, AVAILABLE NOW ** _______ 'I was pulled in from page one. It's beautiful' LIZ FENWICK 'A mystery spanning generations, evocative and beautifully written' TRACEY REES 'I really loved it. A wonderful mystery. Atmospheric and wonderfully escapist' LORNA COOK 'A gorgeous setting, wonderful characters and secrets that kept me glued to the pages' JENNY ASHCROFT 'Intriguing, moving and I loved the way the stories moved back and forth in time' SINÉAD MORIARTY Real readers adore this book... '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐Love love love this book! Fabulous female characters. I was totally invested in the story. I couldn't wait to get back to it' '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐I was absolutely captivated. Wonderful and rich. I couldn't put it down' '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A wonderful read and a spellbinding mystery with wonderful characters that leap off the page. This was beautifully written with the story spanning generations' '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I have been completely immersed and unwilling to put this one down. This is an absolute gem and a must. A beautiful story' '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I've been reading a lot of dual time books, and this one has to be up there with the best . . . a brilliant read'

“Dark family secrets, the lore of the sea, and a tender, protective friendship between women all converge in The Speed of Mercy, an unusual and surprising story set in idyllic rural Nova Scotia. With subtle humour, Conlin picks the locks on the long-closed doors of two families and bares the ugly, painful skeletons everyone knew were there but chose to hide.” — Sylvia D. Hamilton, author of And I Alone Escaped To Tell You The Speed of Mercy captures the unbearable cost of childhood betrayal and what happens when history is suppressed, our past is forgotten — yet finding the truth can change the future. Christy Ann Conlin rips into the myths and stereotypes about older women and those on the edge of conventional society to reveal the timeless gift of mercy in this feminist tour de force. “Christy Ann Conlin is a conjurer: of place, people, and the haunting past. I was instantly caught up in the darkly mysterious world and indelible characters she has brought to life. Gripping, suspenseful, and lyrically written, The Speed of Mercy caught me by the throat and didn’t let go.” — Alix Ohlin, Scotiabank Giller Prize–shortlisted author of Dual Citizens