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Zealot

A book about cults

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Zealot

By: Jo Thornely
Narrated by: Jo Thornely
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About this listen

 'a smart, daring and refreshing book.' - Weekend Australian

'deliciously sinister' - Herald Sun

Why would anyone join a cult?

Maybe they're unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they're disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens.

Whatever the reason, once people are in, it's usually very difficult for them to leave. Cults have ways of making their followers do loopy, dangerous stuff to prove their loyalty, and in return they get a chance to feel secure within the cult's embrace, with an added bonus of being utterly terrified of the outside world.

From the tragic JONESTOWN Kool-Aid drinkers to the Australian cult THE FAMILY to the fiery Waco climax of THE BRANCH DAVIDIANS, this book is a wide-sweeping look at cults around the world, from the host of the popular podcast ZEALOT.

'a piss-taker of rare boldness.' - Weekend Australian Religious Studies True Crime Funny Witty

Critic Reviews

prose where every sentence is alive with individuality and intelligence. ... She has opened the creaking lid of the vampire's coffin and let in a good old blast of fresh daylight.
Written with a wonderfully irreverent sense of humour, the book has a serious aim, to instil irreverence in the reader, because, after all, an excess of reverence was what got many of these cult members into danger in the first place and then kept them there.
All stars
Most relevant
I can’t rate this book highly enough. As a huge fan of comedic writing and cults, this book marks all the boxes for me. Jo’s podcast introduced me to the book, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the welcome distraction from life that both educated and amuses. I spent so much time simultaneously laughing and being very concerned about cults that my brain still feels conflicted. Everyone should check this book out.

Cults? Check. Comedy? Check.

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An entertaining book, researched in depth with fascinating detail, it offers an immensely interesting look into the world of cults. Sprinkled liberally with perfectly appropriate Aussie humour, I enjoyed this book greatly. Well read by the author too. I’m looking forward to listening this book a second time soon.

An entertaining, informative and enjoyable experience

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Fascinating, creepy, comedy. can’t wait for part 2. good job author. thank you for this book.

blowed my mind

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I originally thought the subject would be poorly served by a comedic approach but I was wrong. The approach is serious but refuses to dignify the subjects or treat them with anything other than well-researched, distant scorn. Completely worth the investment.

High expectations exceeded

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Jo,
It would be really good to add another chapter to your book which compares all the case studies and concludes what you have learnt from your research on cults. Deep down I feel that you have an insightful opinion that can be better expressed than slag humor at the end of every paragraph. I hope you follow up given all your hard work on the book to date.

Please write a comparative conclusion!

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