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Summary: A harsh reality bite to the soul--it can happen again...
Review: Anyone who has ever wondered why the impossible happens or how the unbelievable comes to life--Seductive Poison is their book. It is an intimate and heartfelt look into a world that exists along side our own yet so many of us refuse to see. Cults are growing, multiplying really and becoming a phenomenon that society needs to concern itself with. Since the crash of the dot.com industry and our economy slow down--many people are afraid, confused and searching for answers. It is during these volatile and unsure times that fringe groups, sects, cults, whatever one may choose to call them, abound. It is during these times, that innocent folks just like you and me-afraid and yearning for comfort and answers-are more susceptible. Seductive Poison is a book that shows us that unless we learn from our history: dissect it, discuss its oddities, it can happen again and again. We are no better now than our relatives who said, incredulously: It could never happen here in Europe-not to the Jews! It could never happen in Bosnia. It could never happen in Uganda. Seductive Poison is a testament that it can happen to the best of us. One of the most moving books I have ever read. A harsh reality bite for the soul
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Summary: This book is a MUST read!
Review: I love to read, but I don't get blown away by a book too often. This was one of those books. The author does an awesome job of putting her arm around you and taking you with her on her tragic journey through Jonestown. It is a chilling introduction into the world of cults - and I hate to use the word 'cults' because this book makes it clear that this happens to "normal" people. ... After reading this book, it is easier to understand just how dangerous it is to allow someone else to think for you. I strongly agree with the previous reviewer who suggested that this book be added to the required reading list for high school and college students. In fact, it should be added to everyone's list!
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Summary: Required Reading. A vaccine for the human mind...
Review: Writing a review of Deborah Layton's "Seductive Poison" is not easy for me, because I can't think of any words that will be superlative enough to do justice to this book and to compliment the author on being so courageous and for so eloquently sharing intimate details of her experience of life in and her escape from a destructive cult.I didn't know *anything* about cults or anything about Jonestown for that matter (I was not only too young at the time these events took place but also literally on the other side of the world) till a few weeks ago when I feared that someone who I loved and still love dearly may be in a cultic group. A search on Amazon led me to Deborah Layton's book and reading Seductive Poison combined with the events happening concurrently in my life can only be described as a life-changing experience. Deborah Layton's account of life in and her escape from Jonestown is the most moving of any personal accounts I have ever read and I will admit that there were parts of the book that had me in tears... which says a lot. When I first read this book I was convinced that the book is just that... it's *a story which happened to someone else* and things like this don't happen today...until I started experiencing the effect of a mind-control group first hand -- happening to someone very close to me. If you ever do the mistake of thinking that this cannot happen to you... be sure to catch yourself, because 23 years later, after Jonestown, after Waco, after Heaven's Gate and numerous others... it's the same mind-control techniques and the same deceit and debauchery that is just as much prevalent today as it was then and potentially even more refined than it used to be. Seductive Poison helped me understand what a cult is and made me realize that I cannot try and deal with the situation I was faced with using the rules I knew so far. The rationalism and logic that you would expect to always be present and help a person make their own informed decisions and judgments are sometimes suspended - and always suspended when an individual is under a situation of being under the control of a destructive mind-control group or even an the influence of an individual. I never realized that until I read Deborah Layton's experience. Seductive Poison should be required reading in high-schools / colleges, just so more people are aware of the dangers lurking about them. I have personally bought over a dozen copies of this book to hand out to friends and family (Amazon must really love me by now!) and I don't think I'm done handing it out to people yet, because in my opinion, this book is a vaccine for the human mind and it is critical for *any* person living in today's society - in any country, in any environment - to develop some level of immunity which allows them to recognize a destructive situation before they get sucked in too deep. I'll end with a quote from an email I sent shortly after reading Seductive Poison and co-relating events in my life: "The mind is a very fragile thing, and I strongly believe that no stimulus and no words can go by without affecting a person -- I don't claim to know more or less about what is true or not, but I do believe in being pragmatic and using ones own judgment and critical thinking to set the boundaries for our actions." And last but not least, to Deborah Layton - thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your experience with all of us and thank you for being the amazing person I know you are.
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Summary: Seductive Poison
Review: I read this book with my book club and was not sure if I wanted to revisit this subject. However, I found this book to be incredibly interesting in terms of the psychology behind the cult members as well as that of the leader, Jim Jones. It was well written and articulate and left me with a better understanding of how such an organization could arise. As I followed Deborah Layton's story of the events as they unfolded, I found that I could not put the book down. Ms.Layton was most effective in conveying the evolution of her thinking throughout the experience. Although she paid a high price for her naivete', she has managed to get beyond her adversity and triumph. I want my teenage kids to read this book.
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Summary: facinating
Review: This is the story of Jonestown from the inside. It's told by one of the members of Jim Jones'inner circle. Deborah Layton makes no excuses for her actions and doesn't ask for pity. The book shows how educated, intelligent people can be drawn in to these cults. As the book goes on and Ms. Layton tells her story, it is possible to see how Jim Jones gained people's trust until they trusted him with their lives. This book is great for anyone interested in the psychology and inner workings of cults.
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Summary: Fantastical
Review: Hands down this book is one hell of a chilling roller coaster read. Scared me half to death. If it had not mentioned it being a memoir I would have believed it to be a trippy novel. The truth really is stranger than fiction.
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Summary: IF you read but one book this year.... Big Impact
Review: My copy of Deborah Layton's book is dog-eared through constant loans to friends. Never has such a book had such a long-reaching effect on my life. The story of her survival against all odds is amazing. If you read but one non-fiction book this year, make it SEDUCTIVE POISON. THis book can and has saved lives.
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Summary: BEST BOOK ever on a cult..................Must Read!
Review: (Please add this final comment to my review of this book which I submitted yesterday, Mar. 19. Thanks!) .....controlling his unsuspecting followers to their sad and tragic end. This is an excellent insider's account of the workings of a cult. This book reaffirms my belief that ANYONE can be deceived. This could have easily been a story about your child, your sister, brother, niece or nephew. Think about it!
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Summary: The BEST BOOK ever about a cult..... A must read!
Review: This story is about a normal, everyday family whose entire fabric is forever changed when 3 of its' family members get involved with the group, People's Temple. It's easy to see how someone could be seduced by the charismatic Jim Jones, as described in Chapter 3 of the book. Deborah was that someone and she thought nothing of joining such an important group with great ideals of making the world a better place. Besides, the leader made her feel so special. She was taught to put her faith in Jim Jones and never to question him. Deborah Layton describes how the leader deceived, lied to and controlled his unsuspecting followers for many many years right up until the deadly end.
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Summary: Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story
Review: Layton does an excellent job of conveying how a well-meaning, young person could become deeply involved with a movement that was actually controlling her and thousands of others for the sake of one person's power. With detail she describes to us her life as a child and teenager, the time leading up to her introduction to Jim Jones. She makes it clear how she was attrracted to him and his movement and how she steadily got drawn further and further in. The story is incredibly compelling and does much to explain how these things happen. I too was part of a cult for many years and I recognized many of the characteristics that Layton identifies. She also does a great job of expressing how terrifying life became within this group, the suspense of her escape is intense. I admire her courage and the work she has done to help others to understand why and how cults arise.
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