The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them

You're probably in a cult. You just don't know it yet. In The Culting of America, cult survivor, military veteran, and bestselling author of Uncultured Daniella Mestyanek Young delivers a gripping investigation into the invisible systems of control shaping our lives. Raised in the notorious sex cult the Children of God, she escaped to America as a teenager-only to find herself inside another rigid institution: the U.S. Army. Years later, as a Harvard-trained expert in organizational psychology, she began asking a dangerous question: What if we're all in cults-and America is built to keep us there? Blending personal narrative, cultural critique, and deep research, Young-together with award-winning author Amy Reed-introduces the cultiness spectrum: a ten-part framework that reveals how coercive group dynamics show up in spaces we trust, from religious groups and wellness brands to corporate offices, fandoms, political movements, and beyond. You'll never look at group loyalty the same way again. From the glamorized world of Playboy to the mission-driven violence of the military, from influencer culture to partisan politics, The Culting of America reveals how cultish behavior isn't just thriving in modern life-it's hiding in plain sight, woven deep into the fabric of American identity. With sharp insight, dark humor, and unflinching honesty, The Culting of America is both a wake-up call and a survival guide. It's for anyone who's ever felt uneasy in a group they believed in, who's begun to question the cost of belonging, or who's ready to take back their autonomy-without losing their place in the world. Whether you're part of a church, company, fandom, or political movement, the question isn't if you're in a cult. It's how much of yourself you've already lost.