My reading list

[lighthart2000]

Background about me:
I came from a "Bible based" cult and during my recovery needed to weed out the "good" from the "bad" in my journey to my current belief system, which, surprisingly enough, IS Bible based. Some of the books I suggest are from a Christian "slant" but I feel offer invaluable advice for the cult graduate.


Boundaries : Townsend and Cloud
While this is a Christian based book it offers very good insight on the whole boundaries subject, how to build, maintain, and respect boundaries. The cult graduate is likely to have issues with boundary skills as a result of their cult involvement. Key book for healing, and setting appropriate boundaries.

Cults in Our Midst: Singer
Early book on cults. Good info. Singer was an awesome graduate advocate and will be well missed (I met her personally)

Captive Hearts, Captive Minds: Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships Lalich
Excellent Book on Recovery!

Breaking the Bonds & Combatting Cult mind control : Hassan
Two very good books on cult mind control, and how to break free (or help others).

Churches that Abuse : Enroth
While this is Christian based, it shows how what can seem normal and fine at first can go awry (in a hurry). People Temple (or Jones) originally came from a "mainstream" denomination, only to go horribly wrong...

Twisted Scripture : Chrnalogar
While I don't agree with many of her assertions (specifics allude me at the moment) the author encourages the reader to question instead of blindly accepting (Paul praises the Bereans for this!) Biblical Scripture. Coming from the background I did I found it a valuable read. In the broader view I think critical thinking is key to any search for the truth, so anyone asking you to blindly except their version of truth should avoided like the plague (IMHO).

Feet of clay : Storr
Interesting read, maybe light on the analysis -- disagree (strenuously) regarding Jesus -- interesting about Jung and Freud. Good (although incomplete) theory on gurus and their followers.


Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China Lifton
*The* Seminal Work on Mind Control... bar none. Understanding the various methods, means and processes of mind control is CRITICAL to healing from cult involvement. not all of the methods need to be put into use to classify the groups as a cult, but if the lists sounds like it fits yoru group.. maybe you should rethink your involvement (LIKE RUNNNNNNN)

I think this about covers it but I'll add to this thread if I've missed any.

Lighthart

[Roan]

The True Believer

by Eric Hoffer (A great American philosopher who was not a conman).

[George Glass]

...
Cults in Our Midst: Singer
Early book on cults. Good info. Singer was an awesome graduate advocate and will be well missed (I met her personally)

...

Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of Brainwashing in China Lifton
*The* Seminal Work on Mind Control... bar none. Understanding the various methods, means and processes of mind control is CRITICAL to healing from cult involvement. not all of the methods need to be put into use to classify the groups as a cult, but if the lists sounds like it fits yoru group.. maybe you should rethink your involvement (LIKE RUNNNNNNN)

I've read both of these books, too.

I, myself, have gotten a lot of insight from Sam Vaknin's Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited. I've also read Dr. Robert Hare's book, Without Conscience about Psychopaths.


Vaknin has an on-line resource, too. http://samvak.tripod.com/

I highly recommend that anyone interested in how and why cults work, to read up, as much as possible, about Narcissistic Personality Disorder. There is a lot of information about it in the web.

[Alanzo]

Here's a good reading list:

http://www.xenu.net/archive/books/

[DartSmohen]

Have you read THE FINAL BLACKOUT by Hubbard?

Probably the best thing he wrote.

[Voltaire's Child]

Can't remember if I've read that one. I thought "Fear" was pretty good.

Hubbard was not the best sci fi writer but there were times when he turned out pretty decent work.

For hard core sci fi, I like Vernor Vinge

and for softer sci fi, I'm very fond of Orson Scott Card.