Review by bookiegalke -- The Cult Next Door
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bookiegalke
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Review by bookiegalke -- 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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The prevailing feature in all cults is the element of secrecy. What I find most intriguing is the fact that secrecy is used as a catalyst to manipulate the vulnerable. Surprising enough these vulnerable people are, more often than not, highly intelligent individuals.The reason their mental capacity makes them useful is because cults thrive on manipulation of thoughts and not critical thinking. This is one of the theories that are propounded in The cult next door by Elizabeth Rachael Buchard and Judith L. Carlone. This non-fiction book is the personal testimony to human vulnerability and the power of love to conquer evil.
For a period of 19 years, Elizabeth was a victim of a cult. George, the man behind the cult, in collaboration with his daughters, other cult followers and Elizabeth’s mother brainwashed Elizabeth into believing that there was something wrong with her. They manipulated her to believing that George was the only one who had the power to cure her. What stands out right from the onset of the memoir is that Elizabeth’s vast inheritance from her father was George’s target of a scam. He and his accomplices had no good intentions for her. As a result of her involvement in the cult, her bank accounts began to dry up. However, all hope was not lost.
Things began to turn around for Elizabeth when she met Judy. Judy was heaven sent; at least she was for me. When these two women encounter each other, they immediately become the best of friends. Through this friendship, Elizabeth began her journey towards freedom. She was able to recognize that the reason George targeted her was because she was vulnerable, intelligent and suffered from low self-esteem. He knew that she was desperately yearning for acceptance and used this as an opportunity to use her as his cash cow. I found it appalling that George’s primary targets were women because he knew he could use them as his sexual objects.
The writing style employed was two-fold. The first aspect begins with Elizabeth narrating how she found herself in the cult. The second aspect takes a therapeutical approach. Here the reader is introduced to Judy, Elizabeth’s co-author and the friend who walks with her through the healing process. The thing that I liked about this two-fold style was because it connects with the reader. Connection is established because the reader is able to know the features of the cult and could possibly even recognize it in the present day. This is because Elizabeth’s first-person narration gives validation to the negative effect the cult imposes on its victim. The book’s attempt at dispelling the different myths surrounding cults is ultimately achieved. By helping the reader understand these myths, the book makes an extraordinary contribution to the literature on cultism and mind control.It also helps to dilute the negative effect of cults on the victims.
Elizabeth’s journey towards healing was not a one-man show. Her family, friends and Christianity played different roles in her life. Cults can elicit a variety of reactions perhaps fascination, intolerance and even disbelief. What I found admirable and encouraging about Elizabeth’s story was the positive response from family and friends. The idea to begin the book with testimonials from friends in the first pages of the book was a good writing strategy. Overall, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to people who have an interest in learning about cults. Perhaps this could be the eye opener for a person who is already a victim of a cult.
******
The Cult Next Door
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4 out of 4 stars
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The prevailing feature in all cults is the element of secrecy. What I find most intriguing is the fact that secrecy is used as a catalyst to manipulate the vulnerable. Surprising enough these vulnerable people are, more often than not, highly intelligent individuals.The reason their mental capacity makes them useful is because cults thrive on manipulation of thoughts and not critical thinking. This is one of the theories that are propounded in The cult next door by Elizabeth Rachael Buchard and Judith L. Carlone. This non-fiction book is the personal testimony to human vulnerability and the power of love to conquer evil.
For a period of 19 years, Elizabeth was a victim of a cult. George, the man behind the cult, in collaboration with his daughters, other cult followers and Elizabeth’s mother brainwashed Elizabeth into believing that there was something wrong with her. They manipulated her to believing that George was the only one who had the power to cure her. What stands out right from the onset of the memoir is that Elizabeth’s vast inheritance from her father was George’s target of a scam. He and his accomplices had no good intentions for her. As a result of her involvement in the cult, her bank accounts began to dry up. However, all hope was not lost.
Things began to turn around for Elizabeth when she met Judy. Judy was heaven sent; at least she was for me. When these two women encounter each other, they immediately become the best of friends. Through this friendship, Elizabeth began her journey towards freedom. She was able to recognize that the reason George targeted her was because she was vulnerable, intelligent and suffered from low self-esteem. He knew that she was desperately yearning for acceptance and used this as an opportunity to use her as his cash cow. I found it appalling that George’s primary targets were women because he knew he could use them as his sexual objects.
The writing style employed was two-fold. The first aspect begins with Elizabeth narrating how she found herself in the cult. The second aspect takes a therapeutical approach. Here the reader is introduced to Judy, Elizabeth’s co-author and the friend who walks with her through the healing process. The thing that I liked about this two-fold style was because it connects with the reader. Connection is established because the reader is able to know the features of the cult and could possibly even recognize it in the present day. This is because Elizabeth’s first-person narration gives validation to the negative effect the cult imposes on its victim. The book’s attempt at dispelling the different myths surrounding cults is ultimately achieved. By helping the reader understand these myths, the book makes an extraordinary contribution to the literature on cultism and mind control.It also helps to dilute the negative effect of cults on the victims.
Elizabeth’s journey towards healing was not a one-man show. Her family, friends and Christianity played different roles in her life. Cults can elicit a variety of reactions perhaps fascination, intolerance and even disbelief. What I found admirable and encouraging about Elizabeth’s story was the positive response from family and friends. The idea to begin the book with testimonials from friends in the first pages of the book was a good writing strategy. Overall, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to people who have an interest in learning about cults. Perhaps this could be the eye opener for a person who is already a victim of a cult.
******
The Cult Next Door
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like bookiegalke's review? Post a comment saying so!
'if you encounter a man of rare intellect, you should ask him what books he reads'
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Latest Review: One Way or Another by Mary J. Williams
