The Little Book Of Cults

Encyclopedic in form, popular in style, Larson's New Book of Cults analyzes dozens of cults and movements from historical, sociological, and biblical perspectives. It will tell you what you want to know about the cults' origins, their appeal, and their strategies. Most important, it details how each cult deviates from Christian truth.

For the first thirteen years of her life, Flor Edwards grew up in the Children of God. The group's nomadic existence was based on the belief that, as God's chosen people, they would be saved in the impending apocalypse that would envelop the rest of the world in 1993. Flor would be thirteen years old. The group's charismatic leader, Father David, kept the family on the move, from Los Angeles to Bangkok to Chicago, where they would eventually disband, leaving Flor to make sense of the foreign world of mainstream society around her. Apocalypse Child is a cathartic journey through Flor's memories of growing up within a group with unconventional views on education, religion, and sex. Whimsically referring to herself as a real life Kimmy Schmidt, Edwards's clear-eyed memoir is a story of survival in a childhood lived on the fringes.

The strange and disturbing world of cults is fascinating and horrifying in equal measure. Uncover shocking facts about some of the most notorious cults to ever exist, delve into the lives of famous cult leaders and discover the actions and beliefs of cult followers from around the world in this mind-bending book.

'a smart, daring and refreshing book.' - Weekend Australian 'deliciously sinister' - Herald Sun Why would anyone join a cult? Maybe they're unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they're disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens. Whatever the reason, once people are in, it's usually very difficult for them to leave. Cults have ways of making their followers do loopy, dangerous stuff to prove their loyalty, and in return they get a chance to feel secure within the cult's embrace, with an added bonus of being utterly terrified of the outside world. From the tragic JONESTOWN Kool-Aid drinkers to the Australian cult THE FAMILY to the fiery Waco climax of THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, this book is a wide-sweeping look at cults around the world, from the host of the popular podcast ZEALOT. 'a piss-taker of rare boldness.' - Weekend Australian

One young woman’s true story of growing up in a repressive cult led by her charismatic grandfather, Hopeful Christian. In an idyllic valley in New Zealand, the Gloriavale Christian Community seemingly flourished. Founded by Lilia Tarawa’s grandfather, Hopeful Christian, Gloriavale was run according to an oppressive interpretation of fundamental Christianity and became a strictly controlled world of arranged marriages, religious control and spiritual abuse. Born into the cult that her grandfather had started, and surrounded by friends and family, Gloriavale seemed like paradise for Lila Tarawa at first. Her mother, Miracle, had grown up in there too and Lilia’s father managed a thriving moss export business, one of several companies owned by the community. As Lilia grew older, however, she began to see and experience the darker side of the cult, with its strict rules, tight control and shocking abuse. As Lilia and her family started to question Gloriavale’s beliefs and practices, Lilia was forced to make a desperate choice: stay with people she loved or flee to a world that she had always been told was evil. In Daughter of Gloriavale, Lilia Tarawa exposes the shocking world of the secretive cult and details her heart-wrenching journey to break free, find happiness and discover her own strength.

For fans of Wild Wild Country, Scientology and the Aftermath and Uncover: Escaping NXIVM, a spellbinding graphic memoir about a teenage girl who was lured into a cult and later fought to escape and reclaim her identity. Welcome to a place where you are valued. Where everyone is kind. Where you can be your truest self. It was the summer of 1980, and Marianne Boucher was ready to chase her figure skating dream. Fuelled by the desire to rise above her mundane high-school life, she sought a new adventure as a glamorous performer in L.A. And then a chance encounter on a California beach introduced her to a new group of people. People who shared her distrust of the status quo. People who seemed to value authenticity and compassion above all else. And they liked her. Not Marianne the performer, but Marianne the person. Soon, she'd abandoned school, her skating and, most dramatically, her family to live with her new friends and help them fulfill their mission of "saving the world." She believed that no sacrifice was too great to be there--and to live with real purpose. They were helping people, and they cared about her . . . didn't they? Talking to Strangers is the true story of Marianne Boucher's experiences in a cult, where she was subjected to sophisticated brainwashing techniques that took away her freedom, and took over her mind. Told in mesmerizing graphic memoir form, with vivid text and art alike, Marianne shares how she fell in with devotees of a frightening spiritual abuser, and how she eventually, painfully, pulled herself out.

Sunday Times #1 bestseller and long-awaited follow-up to the#1 bestselling Stop Talking, Start Doing You can think big or you can think small, it all starts inthe mind. What have you got to lose? If you aim for the stars youmight just get there. Sometimes it pays off to think BIG andRichard Newton is here to get us thinking on a bigger scale than weever imagined. With the right thinking tools and the right approach you canrelease your inspiration and creativity, reset your ambition anddirect your attention to the things that truly matter to you. Andthat can change your life. Short and punchy with quick tips and inspiring graphics, TheLittle Book of Thinking Big will have your imagination,creativity and determination firing on all cylinders. You'll comeaway with a set of BIG goals to fuel and drive your BIG life. Here’s where it starts. This is a reset button. Pushit. Think bigger.