The Followers bookcover

The Followers

Holy Hell and the Disciples of Narcissistic Leaders: How My Years in a Notorious Cult Parallel Today's Cultural Mania
4.9/5.0
21,000+ Reviews
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Description

Radhia's personal story and comprehensive knowledge along with her authentic, and unfiltered humorous style presents a compelling portrayal of both the political and cultural dynamics of group-think and mind control.


After twenty-five years of her adult life in a cult, under the influence of a narcissistic sociopath she sought to understand why she made the choices she made in her life, so she could better understand why others make their choices. The Holocaust or any genocide instigated by a narcissistic authority does not happen because of one man. It is the collective consciousness of their followers that supports and enacts those atrocities. Like Moonies under Sun Myung Moon, Germans under the influence of Hitler, or the Branch Davidians under David Koresh, a percentage of America has fallen into a cult of personality. Radhia set out on a journey to explore common traits that every human being possesses.


She makes the strong parallels between her devotion to a cult leader-an authority-whose damaging behavior and influence she willfully ignored, and the followers of other authoritarian leaders. This is not about policy or political ideology or even the guru or our political leaders, as much as it is about the followers from the viewpoint of a follower.


"Written from the perspective of an insider, this compelling personal story, told with both brutal honesty, and raw humor draws us into the mindset of cult followers. It shines a light on how easily intelligent questing people can find themselves unwittingly following a cult leader. As much a personal story as a probing exploration of the mental and emotional states of cult leaders and followers, this fascinating book is hard to put down." - Lorell Frysh PhD.

Product Details

PublisherSage Card Publishing
Publish DateMay 26, 2021
Pages436
LanguageEnglish
TypeBook iconPaperback / softback
EAN/UPC9781737125808
Dimensions8.5 X 5.5 X 0.9 inches | 1.1 pounds

Reviews

"Cult leaders believe they are special individuals over and above everyone else. They believe they should be listened to, obeyed and envied; they are almost all pathological narcissists. Radhia Gleis has written a book that deftly weaves poignant personal stories that are astonishingly candid, and at times very familiar. She inter-weaves this intimate and intense life story with the analysis of how a malignant narcissistic cult leader who was able to lead a group of people down the Primrose Path, and how this illustrates the way in which Donald Trump became so powerful in American politics. As a former member of a cult this book really hit home for me. The similarities between the Cult leader, and Donald Trump both emerge as individuals with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder who found a population that needed a leader to take over the responsibilities of life for them and tell them what to do. They become dictatorial and exploitative. This is an illuminating story of a person's realization of how outside influences guided her path and her eventual escape from all that disillusionment." -Gregory Tyler, Geosciences/Physics/Engineering/AP Environmental Science Palm Desert High School

"The Followers is a personal account and accomplished study of how regular people can find themselves in a cult without even being aware of it, simply in their search for meaning and connection in a superficial world. The writing is intelligent, vulnerable, humorous, and compassionate, and the parallels to present-day cults of personality are unmistakable. This is such an important book in these times that I alternately laughed and cried while reading it." -Alighta Averbukh L.Ac, MSOM, Life Coach

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