"Cults Inside Out: How People Get In and Can Get Out" by Rick Ross

[chipgallo]

I am starting to read this today, Kindle edition. The reader reviews on Amazon fell into (mostly) two camps: five stars or one star. Ross or his staff answered many comments and pointed out that the lower ratings were not "verified purchase" and probably didn't read the book.

Always nice to have some new anti-cult reading material over the holidays!

 

[chipgallo]

About 50% through the book. This weekend I ran across a 1999 film called "Holy Smoke" by Anna & Jane Campion which concerns an exit counselor who is hired to work with Kate Winslet's character. Someone did their research as the action follows the Rick Ross play book for the first half of the film. It starts to deteriorate into sexual shenanigans after Harvey Keitel's counselor makes a few rookie mistakes (in spite of his claiming 189 "exits" with a low recidivism rate).

They even have a sequence where videos of other cult leaders and their victims are shown for the family. Marshall Applewhite and Charlie Manson are shown but not Hubbard.

IMDb: Holy Smoke (1999)
While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144715/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt

 

[AnonyMary]

Thanks, Chip. I bought the kindle edition as well and am hoping to start it by next weekend. I promised Rick that I would provide a review of it at Amazon. Hoping you will as well. I'm a big fan of Rick's work. His information about Scientology, discussed in part in an article on Tony Ortega's Bunker recently, made me feel good that he, unlike Tony, was clear about calling Scientology a term 'cult' - in fact writes about Scientology in detail when discussing cult traits and tactics. Looking forward to reading the whole book.

Mary