Review by AnonReviewer2211 -- The Cult Next Door
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AnonReviewer2211
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Review by AnonReviewer2211 -- The Cult Next Door
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Cult Next Door" by Elizabeth R. Burchard, Judith L. Carlone.]
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard is a memoir that details her decades of suffering at the hands of a psychopath running a New Age cult. It has been co-authored by Judith L. Carlone.
After her father's untimely demise when she was only twelve, Elizabeth came into the care of her neglectful and insensitive mother, fond of alternative medicines and diets, and inclined to blindly trust outsiders. In her quest for self-improvement, her mother dragged her into Biofeedback therapy where George Sharkman, their future cult leader, was a technician. They found themselves enamored of his psychobabble and twisting of spiritual concepts, and on his dismissal from the Biofeedback clinic, started hosting him in their house to conduct his sessions. Thus started their journey filled with misery, seclusion, abuse, ill-health, and financial breakdown, which gave way to their eventual exit from the cult.
It is an exceptionally well-written memoir, never shying away from catharsis and poignantly recounting the humiliation, abuse, and brainwashing the author was subjected to. It is an eye-opener and myth-buster, attacking the prevalent myths such as educated people can't be persuaded into joining a cult. The misogyny and masochism have been brought to life with immense skill. Carlone, too, has made important contributions in getting Elizabeth to step out of the toxicity. The thing that I liked the most about the book is the sincere description of the relationship between the author and her mother and its evolution. It enables readers to better understand the latter's state of mind. Moreover, the discussion questions presented at the end of the book are brilliant and demand a thorough reflection on the reader's part.
However, there were mentions of voodoo concepts like bad energy fields, which I found to be scientifically unsound. Other than that, I did not find anything unpleasant about the book.
I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I did not give it a lower rating because I found it to be an incredible read and was in awe of the author's ability to put demons of her past on paper. Moreover, it is well-edited and has but a few grammatical errors.
I would recommend it to readers who are fascinated by cult culture and want to gain second-hand experience ( a first-hand experience would be utterly taxing) of being persuaded into defying science, logic, and their moral values to serve a selfish leader. The book also contains borderline profanity and mentions sensitive subjects like abuse, incest, and mistreatment of animals.
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The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Cult Next Door by Elizabeth R. Burchard is a memoir that details her decades of suffering at the hands of a psychopath running a New Age cult. It has been co-authored by Judith L. Carlone.
After her father's untimely demise when she was only twelve, Elizabeth came into the care of her neglectful and insensitive mother, fond of alternative medicines and diets, and inclined to blindly trust outsiders. In her quest for self-improvement, her mother dragged her into Biofeedback therapy where George Sharkman, their future cult leader, was a technician. They found themselves enamored of his psychobabble and twisting of spiritual concepts, and on his dismissal from the Biofeedback clinic, started hosting him in their house to conduct his sessions. Thus started their journey filled with misery, seclusion, abuse, ill-health, and financial breakdown, which gave way to their eventual exit from the cult.
It is an exceptionally well-written memoir, never shying away from catharsis and poignantly recounting the humiliation, abuse, and brainwashing the author was subjected to. It is an eye-opener and myth-buster, attacking the prevalent myths such as educated people can't be persuaded into joining a cult. The misogyny and masochism have been brought to life with immense skill. Carlone, too, has made important contributions in getting Elizabeth to step out of the toxicity. The thing that I liked the most about the book is the sincere description of the relationship between the author and her mother and its evolution. It enables readers to better understand the latter's state of mind. Moreover, the discussion questions presented at the end of the book are brilliant and demand a thorough reflection on the reader's part.
However, there were mentions of voodoo concepts like bad energy fields, which I found to be scientifically unsound. Other than that, I did not find anything unpleasant about the book.
I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I did not give it a lower rating because I found it to be an incredible read and was in awe of the author's ability to put demons of her past on paper. Moreover, it is well-edited and has but a few grammatical errors.
I would recommend it to readers who are fascinated by cult culture and want to gain second-hand experience ( a first-hand experience would be utterly taxing) of being persuaded into defying science, logic, and their moral values to serve a selfish leader. The book also contains borderline profanity and mentions sensitive subjects like abuse, incest, and mistreatment of animals.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Timewise by Robert Leet
