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Summary: Great Perspective from Someone Who Has "Been There"
Review: An excellent examination of the cult phenomena. Described as "The #1 Best-selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults," Haassan's book explains what elements are common to cults, and what defines a cult. As a former member of the the Unification Church (a.k.a. "Moonies") and a psychologist (he obtained his degree after exiting the Moonies), Hassan offers a unique perspective and insight into the cult movement. Although peppered with examples and anecdotes from the Moonies, Hassan is careful to keep the analysis general enough to apply to many other "questionable" groups and organizations. When is a cult not a cult? Does a group have to be "religious" to be a cult, or could a "non-religious" cult exist? Hassan answers these questions and more, and clearly defines the difference between unusual beliefs (which do not necessarily identify a group as a cult) and dangerous & destructive social factors (which, independent of the beleifs, make a group a cult, according to Hassan's definition). Strongly recommended for anyone who has friends or family in an "unusual" group; this book will help you to either dismiss your fears of cult involvement, or give you the advice you need to deal with this difficult situation. Even more strongly recommended for anyone who feels they are an a group that has been "mislabelled" by society as a cult. This book will either help you to understand what defines a cult (so you can defend yourself against criticism) or else give you an interesting perspective on how others view your organization.
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Summary: Sensitive, Intelligent and Truthful
Review: A former member of a small New Age Cult in New Jersey, I spent all of 1997 trying to figure out what really happened to me after almost twenty years of involvement. Mr. Hassan's book was a turning point. It helped me define my prior circumstances and gave me permission to declare unequivocally that I had indeed been seduced into a genuine cult. The book is reader friendly and yet psychologically and intellectually precise. Most of all, Mr. Hassan's sense of humanity shines between the lines. Thank You for helping us, your readers, understand and begin to heal.
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Summary: Good basic information
Review: A good book to start if a relative or a friend joins a cult. The book not only explains the mechanisms used by these groups, but it also tells good questions to ask as a "spiritual consumer".
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Summary: A most read for all that are influenced by cults
Review: As a ex member this book is something I have been waiting for. Reading about what happens in a cult, described in such accurate detail is a great help. This book is a most read for ex cult members, anyone with a loved one in a cult, and all clergy, or spiritual leaders.
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Summary: An onoing need for this book
Review: As a former 15 year member of America's largest unknown cult, once I crawled out of the mind control cult, Mr. Hassan personally confirmed to me that I was not alone. Mr. Hassan has always shown compassion and understanding to both active and former cult members.His book is a needed standard:use it!
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Summary: Very enlightening
Review: As a former member of a destructive cult, reading this book was therapeutic for me, giving insight into the psychological factors that induce people into destructive cults in the first place. The author defines "cults" not by examining unorthodox doctrines of groups, but by observing the amount of control the group exerts over the lives of it's followers. If you have family or friends in cults, this book tells the way to go about dealing with the problem, and also how to protect yourself from being recruited into a cult. A must-read for anyone affected by the cult problem
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Summary: Useful and Informative, Though Somewhat Dated and One-Sided
Review: As a former member of a large international cult, this was the first book I read on the mind control process, and it was a useful and informative introduction to the methods used to deceive and manipulate honest, intelligent people. I found the accounts of various cult members and ex-members enlightening, educational, and they helped me to affirm that I had made the right choice in leaving the group I had been in for nine years. The only drawbacks I would mention are that Mr. Hassan tends to preach (not overkill, though), and he has his own approach to exit counselling which is discussed and criticized in Michael D. Langone`s "Recovery From Cults", another must-read book for anyone who has left a cult, and especially for those who are in a group and have thoughts of leaving. I recommend Hassan`s book, however I recommend that the reader investigate other sources of information for a more well-rounded approach. Overall, a quick and sometimes funny, sometimes sad read.
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Summary: This book changed my life!
Review: As a former member of Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, I was convinced, even after I left, that there was no such thing as mind control. In fact, I even refused to read any books on the subject, nor would I read any of the first-hand accounts of former members. The reason for this was that I had a deep phobia about the very idea that mind control existed -- which I suppose is in itself a good argument that mind control is real. Finally, six years after I left the Unification Church, I steeled myself to read Steven Hassan's book, expecting to hate it and disagree with every word. To my amazement, Mr. Hassan's arguments won me over completely. I had to concede that his description of mind control had, in fact, happened to me. This revelation ended my six-year-long vacillation during which time I still felt some attachment to my former cult. I now realized what harm had been done to me, and I became very properly angry -- and, finally, I began to read the first-person accounts of other former members. This book set me free to think clearly about my experiences again, and to create the psychic break needed to get on with my life.
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Summary: Average people can finally understand mind control and cults
Review: Clearly and succintly written, Combatting Cult Mind Control takes you through an eye-witnesses' encounter with, and subsequent assimilation by, a modern-day cult. It show the "rest of us" how the average person can unknowingly become a cult member and how difficult it is to separate from them when reality sets in. If you think you and your loved-ones are immune, read on...
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Summary: A good starting point
Review: Cults don't exist to people in them. A cult is always something you can point a finger at and say, "that is a cult," or, "they are in a cult." A person in a cult never can look at their own situation objectively and see that they themselves are in a cult. This book was very helpful for me in such a way that I could relate very well to a lot of the experiences and tecniques. It convinced me that I had spent all of my life in a cult that did practice mind control, but most importantly it reassured me that my decision to leave was the right choice. It is a book that you can read again and again as you progress through the healing stage after leaving a cult or cult-like organization. Since cult's control what you are allowed to read, this was the first book that I would even look into, since it doesn't mention Jehovah's Witnesses specifically. I started reading it with the attitude that I was finally going to prove to myself and to others that I was not associatied with a cult. Much to my surprize there were many similarities, and that was when I could really open my eyes to the situation that I was involved in. Thank you for writing such an easy to read, informative and specific book on cults and their mind control techniques. The changes in my life are astounding, and the turning point was when I read this book.
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