Review of The Cult Next Door

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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What do you think when you think of cults? Perhaps you think of long-haired hippies or people in white robes chanting nonstop. What if I told you that regular, even highly-educated people could waste decades of life and thousands of dollars in dangerous spiritual pursuits? Liz Burchard was one such woman. Daughter of Edward, who held a Ph.D. in Psychology, and Rachael, who had a master's in Economics, Liz was set up for success. But things took an unexpected turn when her dad died. Seeking the elusive love and acceptance of a volatile mother, Liz ends up following George Sharkman, a narcissistic monster disguised as a stress therapist who, over time, became the leader of a Manhattan-based cult.

The Cult Next Door: A Manhattan Memoir by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone is a coauthored memoir that follows Liz from brainwashed devotee to free woman. Alongside her, we get glimpses of the lives of George's other followers and, especially, of his daughter. The book explores the complexities of these social unities, the grooming techniques used for recruitment, and an often overlooked aspect: the aftermath. What happens when these tight-knit, all-absorbing communities dissolve? On the other side, there's Judith. She's a devout Catholic who helped Liz find the courage to leave the cult. It stands out that Judith was never dogmatic or pushy with Liz. She softly showed her the contradictions of her ways with equal amounts of love and logic.

Though the book is written with the benefit of hindsight, the authors had the talent to balance the narrative between the headspace in which Liz was back then and the knowledge she has now. This can help people recognize the red flags of a potentially abusive manipulator—for example, loaded language or repetitive movements.

What surprised me the most was the infectious nature of Liz's beliefs. With the best interest at heart, Liz led everyone she knew to George's claws. How can one reconcile something terrible done with the best of intentions?

Seeing how some of George's assertions make perfect sense was mind-blowing. Take, for instance, the following: "In quiet there's an enormous amount of expansion and wellness." (p. 325). That's completely true. In fact, George started as a biofeedback therapist, which is a legitimate way to work through trauma and other mental health issues. I had great success with biofeedback as a tool to treat anxiety. Some of George's assertions are terribly familiar, such as "The money you release will boomerang back, multiplied many times over!" (p. 68). This comes to show that you don't need to be weak to fall into a cult trap and that we need to exercise our criteria even with the most seemingly reasonable arguments.

The Cult Next Door also raises questions about consent itself. Is it consent when there's coercion? And how do you prove mental coercion in a perfectly sound-minded adult? Are there legal consequences for cult leaders? Anyone interested in the human psyche's intricacies, behavior, and relationships will find this book fascinating.

The downside, if any, is the uneven narrative participation of Judith in the text. Most of the book is narrated by Liz, so when Judith chimes in, it can feel unexpected and disrupt the reading flow. The editing mistakes are minor and few and far between. In my opinion, these two downsides are not enough to lower the rating. The Cult Next Door is an honest, insightful, eye-opening, and thoroughly researched narrative, so I gladly grant it 5 out of 5 stars.

Though the book focuses on cult activity, many people in various abusive situations could benefit from reading it. The discussion questions and resources at the end of the book make this an ideal book club read or a perfect book for a psychology class. I have to warn that there are disturbing mentions of sexual abuse, violence, and animal abuse that could upset sensitive readers.

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The Cult Next Door
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[Cheryl Erickson]

I had to stop reading this book about half way through. I had difficulty tolerating George's hypocrisy and greed with money, the inappropriate sexual scenes, and the worship with the dog carcass. I kept waiting for Liz and the others to snap out of it and see the light, which I am sure happened eventually. You wrote an excellent and insightful review of the book.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

I had to stop reading this book about half way through. I had difficulty tolerating George's hypocrisy and greed with money, the inappropriate sexual scenes, and the worship with the dog carcass. I kept waiting for Liz and the others to snap out of it and see the light, which I am sure happened eventually. You wrote an excellent and insightful review of the book.

I completely understand. The animal cruelty part broke me, which is why I always like adding little warnings. We never know how disturbing certain scenes can be for different readers. But don't you worry, Liz found her way
Thank you for your kind words!

[Rosandra Hosein]

The exploration of cult dynamics, grooming techniques, and the aftermath of such communities is intriguing. The book's ability to balance Liz's past perspective with her current knowledge is noteworthy, as it helps readers recognize potential red flags of manipulation. The mention of consent and coercion raises important questions about accountability. This sounds like an interesting book, great review!

[Sarah Sonbol]

This is a wonderful review. It piqued my interest to read this book. I'm really curious on how Liz was manipulated to join that cult and how she was able to get out.

[Charmaine Mahlangu]

Unimaginable is the encounter that Elizabeth had to go through while growing up. We all thought cults are of the weak minded but in this case we see a totally different story unfolding.

A woman raising a woman. This is a personally challenging experience as I am aware of it because I am a mother to a girl. They watch intensely and critique or even imitate what their mothers do. In this case , Elizabeth was able to see what her mother could not see. From being hypoglycemic to having a low blood sugar with convulsions the mother struggled with her diet.

From Dr Jack a corrupt clinician to a Dr Warmbrown who prescribed atleast ten grapes per week and a squeeze of two lemons, the mother was dangerously spending every ounce for a killer diet. This traumatized Elizabeth to a point where she was tired enough to fight back. This clearly shows that her child was slowly losing respect for her. This is really tragic especially knowing she also had to drag the child into the same diet.

At age 76 now the mother is living in a pigsty. Totally deserted from her own mental capacity. From skipping three grades to graduating in varsity at nineteen with a master's in economics. Now being mistaken for a homeless person ,it must be devastating and this can only traumatize Elizabeth.

This cult of body shaming and unhealthy diets to prove a point is really something else. It shows that children bear the scars longer than parents do. This should teach more woman to learn to love and accept themselves more.A 5 out of 5 rating for the incredible delivery.