Review by mgnramundo -- The Cult Next Door
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mgnramundo
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- Latest Review: The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone
Review by mgnramundo -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
4 out of 4 stars
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All of us have seen or heard about the horrors of cults on the news. People often wonder how seemingly normal people get pulled into a cult. How is possible for one human to gain complete control over a group of people to the point of mass suicide? The Cult Next Door proves it isn’t as difficult as one thinks for a charismatic leader to systematically break down a person’s defenses.
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone provides a detailed account of one woman’s journey into a cult and the strength it took to break free from the bonds that held her so deeply over the course of twenty years. This memoir shows that the average person can be belittled and isolated to the point where one begins to believe that another person is vital to survive. This is a story of one woman believing in herself and finding her inner strength.
The book begins with Elizabeth’s somewhat traumatic and abusive childhood. Not only was her mother physically and verbally abusive, but often subjected Elizabeth to her latest health craze. Her mother was consistently seeking new health remedies, and this opened the door for them to be influenced by George Sharkman. George was a biofeedback therapy assistant who started stress reduction sessions in Elizabeth’s mom’s apartment. George managed to charm and eventually control a small group of followers. These followers sacrificed relationships, money and free time to do as George required. Throughout the book, George makes outrageous requests that are rationalized as normal by his followers and anyone who questions his methods is punished. As Elizabeth continued to follow George year after year, she begins to question his methods internally. Through the determination of one of her friends, Judy, Elizabeth is able to see George for who he truly is and makes the brave decision to leave.
“I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.”This book was well edited and didn’t have any noticeable errors. It made it an easy read. The story line was interesting and flowed quickly. About a third of the way through the book the point of view switches from Elizabeth to Elizabeth and Judy. This provides an interesting twist and allows readers to understand how any outsider processed Elizabeth’s interactions with the cult.
Though parts were hard to read, the book painted a perfect picture as to how a person could be pulled into a cult or any abusive relationship. It is a great read for anyone who is curious about the control of cults or anyone who knows someone in an abusive relationship. The book clearly spells out the mentality of the victim. Though I really enjoyed this book, there are a few instances of sexual abuse. These scenes aren’t extremely graphic but include enough details for the reader to visualize what had happened. This book would not be appropriate for a younger reader or someone sensitive to content dealing with sexual abuse.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
All of us have seen or heard about the horrors of cults on the news. People often wonder how seemingly normal people get pulled into a cult. How is possible for one human to gain complete control over a group of people to the point of mass suicide? The Cult Next Door proves it isn’t as difficult as one thinks for a charismatic leader to systematically break down a person’s defenses.
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard and Judith L. Carlone provides a detailed account of one woman’s journey into a cult and the strength it took to break free from the bonds that held her so deeply over the course of twenty years. This memoir shows that the average person can be belittled and isolated to the point where one begins to believe that another person is vital to survive. This is a story of one woman believing in herself and finding her inner strength.
The book begins with Elizabeth’s somewhat traumatic and abusive childhood. Not only was her mother physically and verbally abusive, but often subjected Elizabeth to her latest health craze. Her mother was consistently seeking new health remedies, and this opened the door for them to be influenced by George Sharkman. George was a biofeedback therapy assistant who started stress reduction sessions in Elizabeth’s mom’s apartment. George managed to charm and eventually control a small group of followers. These followers sacrificed relationships, money and free time to do as George required. Throughout the book, George makes outrageous requests that are rationalized as normal by his followers and anyone who questions his methods is punished. As Elizabeth continued to follow George year after year, she begins to question his methods internally. Through the determination of one of her friends, Judy, Elizabeth is able to see George for who he truly is and makes the brave decision to leave.
“I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.”This book was well edited and didn’t have any noticeable errors. It made it an easy read. The story line was interesting and flowed quickly. About a third of the way through the book the point of view switches from Elizabeth to Elizabeth and Judy. This provides an interesting twist and allows readers to understand how any outsider processed Elizabeth’s interactions with the cult.
Though parts were hard to read, the book painted a perfect picture as to how a person could be pulled into a cult or any abusive relationship. It is a great read for anyone who is curious about the control of cults or anyone who knows someone in an abusive relationship. The book clearly spells out the mentality of the victim. Though I really enjoyed this book, there are a few instances of sexual abuse. These scenes aren’t extremely graphic but include enough details for the reader to visualize what had happened. This book would not be appropriate for a younger reader or someone sensitive to content dealing with sexual abuse.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
