Montell describes how cults rely on language to spread their views. She investigates how charismatic cult leaders used language to gain members and deceive people, offering them a path to a better world that only the leader understands.
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Bookish sort that enjoys long bus rides for the people watching, scenery, and solitude for reading.
I may cross-post reviews from my personal blog at www.blairsbookblog.com. Also at Mastodon.
How I rate:
1: Did not finish. I couldn’t find the care to finish the book, and likely had to resist the urge to throw it across the room. I may have yelled at the book.
2: I didn’t like the book. But I finished it! I wouldn’t recommend it.
3: I felt that the book was okay. I think it had some problems, but it mostly worked. I might recommend it as something to try, but not necessarily love.
4: I liked the book. I may have minor problems with it, but I still recommend that you try reading it.
5: I enjoyed the book, I stayed up late reading it, and I’d consider buying a copy (or already did). I strongly recommend that you read it.
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flashy_dragon reviewed Cultish by Amanda Montell
An interesting and eye-opening look into the AI hype
5 stars
AI isn't as smart as we're being led to believe. While a few years old by this point, many of the points that Shane makes are still true.
It's a fascinating look into the current tech hype along with some of the types of attacks that it suffers from.
Highly recommended.
flashy_dragon finished reading Ruined by Sarah Vaughn
flashy_dragon rated The Dictionary of Lost Words: 4 stars
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an …
flashy_dragon finished reading The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an …
flashy_dragon finished reading Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 2 by Hayao Miyazaki
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 2 by Hayao Miyazaki
Nausicaä, a gentle but strong-willed young princess, has an empathic bond with the giant Ohmu insects, who open their hearts …
flashy_dragon finished reading Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan
flashy_dragon finished reading Desperate Duchesses (Desperate Duchesses, #1) by Eloisa James
flashy_dragon rated Desperate Duchesses (Desperate Duchesses, #1): 2 stars
flashy_dragon finished reading Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
In “Her Body and Other Parties,” Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, …
flashy_dragon rated Her Body and Other Parties: 1 star
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
In “Her Body and Other Parties,” Carmen Maria Machado blithely demolishes the arbitrary borders between psychological realism and science fiction, …