How does a Vampire Cult differ from a Satanic Cult? How do seemingly normal or ordinary citizens suddenly find themselves committed to a group whose leader promotes criminal activities and isolation from families and friends? What should you do if a loved one becomes indoctrinated by a potentially dangerous cult? This book focuses on various cults and their often criminal belief systems. Most readers are shocked by stories of mass suicides and ritualized cult killings, but few understand how such crimes come to be committed. Snow, a seasoned police officer with experience working on cult crimes, examines those cults that commit offenses from murder and fraud to kidnapping and sexual assault.
By providing specific accounts of dangerous cults and their destructive acts, Snow illustrates how seemingly innocent groups can turn pernicious when under the sway of a charismatic leader with an agenda, or when members take things too far. He offers advice on how to avoid falling victim to cult indoctrination, concluding with chapters on how to identify cults, how to protect yourself and your family, and what to do if a loved one is ensnared by such a group.
"[I]nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research."-Library Media Connection
"Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history."-Library Journal
"ÝI¨nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research."-Library Media Connection
?Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history.?-Library Journal
?[I]nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research.?-Library Media Connection
How does a Vampire Cult differ from a Satanic Cult? How do seemingly normal or ordinary citizens suddenly find themselves committed to a group whose leader promotes criminal activities and isolation from families and friends? What should you do if a loved one becomes indoctrinated by a potentially dangerous cult? This book focuses on various cults and their often criminal belief systems. Most readers are shocked by stories of mass suicides and ritualized cult killings, but few understand how such crimes come to be committed. Snow, a seasoned police officer with experience working on cult crimes, examines those cults that commit offenses from murder and fraud to kidnapping and sexual assault.
By providing specific accounts of dangerous cults and their destructive acts, Snow illustrates how seemingly innocent groups can turn pernicious when under the sway of a charismatic leader with an agenda, or when members take things too far. He offers advice on how to avoid falling victim to cult indoctrination, concluding with chapters on how to identify cults, how to protect yourself and your family, and what to do if a loved one is ensnared by such a group.
**
From Booklist
In this insightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders, Snow (an Indianapolis police officer) relies far more on previously published material than on first-hand reporting. Although the book contains plenty of quotes from concerned parties (witnesses, experts, etc.), the majority of the material is drawn from newspapers, magazines, and other media. On the other hand, Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions from his secondary sources and anecdotal evidence. The examples he chooses range from the well known (Jim Jones, David Koresh) to the obscure (Roland Robidoux, a religious cult leader whose followers let their own children die). His prose is one or two levels above workmanlike, and he infuses his narrative with enough drama to generate considerable empathy for the victims of cults. The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensnare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated. Pricey for public libraries but useful for reports and personal research. David Pitt
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Review
"[I]nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research."-Library Media Connection
"Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history."-Library Journal
"ÝI¨nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research."-Library Media Connection
?Well written and researched, this book belongs in all public libraries and should be considered in academic libraries where there is an interest in cult history.?-Library Journal
?[I]nsightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders....Snow handles his material perceptively, drawing sharp conclusions....The book concludes with a lengthy and quite valuable section on the workings of a cult, laying out methods cult leaders might use to ensare "converts" and offering tips on how to avoid becoming indoctrinated....useful for reports and personal research.?-Library Media Connection