''Deadly Cults: The Crimes of True Believers'' is a book about

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

s by Robert L. Snow. It was published November 30, 2003 by Praeger Publishers in hardcover format. Snow, a retired police captain and former commander of the

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

branch of the Indianapolis Police Department, has authored several other books on crime including ''SWAT Teams'' and ''Technology and Law Enforcement''. Snow primarily relied on published material for reference, but also includes quotes from witnesses and experts. The book includes nine chapters and is structured by type of group. Snow discusses how individuals are led to conform to the "rules" of the groups, and a chapter of the book includes advice on how to avoid joining them. ''Deadly Cults'' received a positive review in '' Booklist'', and a reviewer for ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' said it "belongs in all public libraries".

In the book's nine chapters, Snow presents case studies of controversial groups and movements and outlines how individuals are led to follow the "rules" of these organizations. The chapters are structured by the types of groups, such as "Religious Cults", " Occult Cults", " Millennial Cults", " New Age Cults", " UFO Cults", " Doomsday Cults", and "Suicide Cults". Snow primarily relies on published material for references as opposed to first-hand reporting. The majority of the book's references are secondary sources including magazines and newspaper articles, though Snow does also include quotes from experts and witnesses. Groups including the

Branch Davidians The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) were an apocalyptic new religious movement founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of ...

Church Universal and Triumphant The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth (and is now the corporate parent) of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's ...

, the Church of Satan, the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments, the Peoples Temple, Heaven's Gate, and the Unification Church are discussed in the book. Snow recounts results from a study of 353 former members of 48 cults in the United States, who recounted experiences after leaving their respective groups. After leaving the groups, 23 percent of former members stated they had attempted

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, 63 percent had

suicidal ideation Suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, means having thoughts, ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of ending one's own life.World Health Organization, ''ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics'', ver. 09/2020MB26.A Suicidal ideatio ...

, and 93 percent had experienced anxiety attacks. Snow devotes a chapter to deprogramming and advice on how individuals can avoid joining these groups from the outset.

Reception

David Pitt wrote favorably of the book in a review in '' Booklist'', and described it as an "insightful look at cults and their charismatic leaders". A review in ''Reference & Research Book News'' commented that Snow: "does not bother with groups that are demonized as cults merely because they diverge from someone else's idea of truth or proper deportment, but focuses on those that are responsible for major crimes such as murder and torture". The book received a positive review in ''

'', and Michael Sawyer wrote: "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."

Contents

Reception

See also

References

Further reading