Cults in our Midst (book)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Cults in Our Midst | |
| Author | Margaret Singer Janja Lalich Robert Jay Lifton, Foreword |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Cults |
| Genre(s) | nonfiction psychology cults |
| Publisher | Jossey-Bass |
| Released | September 1996 |
| Media Type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 374 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-787-90266-7 |
| Preceded by | Captive Hearts, Captive Minds |
| Followed by | Crazy Therapies, Bounded Choice |
Cults in Our Midst: The Hidden Menace in Our Everyday Lives is a nonfiction psychology book on cults, by Margaret Singer and Janja Lalich, Ph.D., with a foreword by Robert Jay Lifton. The book was published by Jossey-Bass in 1996.
| What makes Cults in Our Midst so absorbing is Singer's ability to show the extremely damaging effects of cults as well as the lure that cults may have for the "average" people in "normal" life.. | ||
| While Midst does present numerous examples of deceptive recruitment and other unethical practices, no new ground is broken. Further, as the title implies, Singer's approach is alarmist and often tabloidesque. Lalich's earlier Captive Hearts, Captive Minds (LJ 7/94) is a better choice, contending with cult-associated problems in a more pragmatic, more substantial, and less hysterical manner. | ||
Contents |
[edit] Contents
- Foreword, Robert Jay Lifton
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction to the Revised Edition
- Introduction to the First Edition
- Defining Cults
- A Brief History of Cults
- The Thought Process of Brainwashing, Psychological Coercion, and Thought Reform
- What's Wrong with Cults?
- Recruiting New Members
- Physiological Persuasion Techniques
- Psychological Persuasion Techniques
- Intruding into the Workplace
- The Threat of Intimidation
- Rescuing the Children
- Leaving the Cult
- Recovery: Coming Out of the Pseudopersonality
- Postscript to the First Edition: The Millennium, Cults and the End of the Century
- Postscript to the Revised Edition
- Chapter Notes
- Resources and Organizations
- Further Reading
- The Author
- Index
[edit] Related lawsuit
For more on this topic, see Margaret Singer - Sued by Landmark Education
In 1996, Landmark Education sued Dr. Singer, for defamation. Singer mentioned Landmark Education in Cults in our Midst; it was unclear whether she labelled Landmark Education as a cult or not. Singer issued a retraction stating that she did not intend to call Landmark a cult, nor did she consider it a cult. [3] Singer removed the references to Landmark Education from subsequent editions of the book.
[edit] References
- ^ San Francisco Chronicle, 1993.
- ^ Bill Piekarski, Southwestern Coll. Lib., Chula Vista, California, Library Journal, 1995, Reed Business Information, Inc.
- ^ Dr. Margaret Singer, retraction, Landmark Education, website, files
[edit] External links
- Excerpts from Cults In Our Midst, Factnet.org
- Chapter 11: Leaving the Cult / Recovery, RickRoss.com
- Landmark Education vs. Singer, litigation public documents pertaining to Landmark Education's case involving Cults in Our Midst
