Don't Call it a Cult: The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM

by Sarah Michelle Berman

They draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.

Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labor. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a cult run by Keith Raniere and many enablers. Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman uncovers how dozens of women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities instead were blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world.

• ISBN10: 1586422758
• ISBN13: 9781586422752
• Publish Date: 20 April 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Steerforth Press
• Imprint: Steerforth
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781586422752

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Don't Call It a Cult is a well written journalistic examination of the often lurid and sordid facts surrounding Keith Raniere and NXIVM. Due out 20th April 2021 from Steerforth Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

I vaguely remember reading about the various trials surrounding NXIVM and Raniere. I have never been much of a true-crime reader, so I came into this read mostly ignorant of the situation, background, and facts of the cases. Sarah Berman is very capable and writes simply and convincingly. Although the book is meticulously annotated and supported with references throughout, it's accessible and understandable. I didn't feel that the author had an agenda and she didn't sensationalize the facts of the case (which are pretty shocking on that scale).

To me, NXIVM was even more remarkable for the vast scope of all the intertwined aspects and arms of the organization and also for the wealth and resources of its adherents. It's sobering to think that no matter how intelligent, well educated, or self-sufficient we are, no matter what economic advantages we have, we can all be manipulated and hoodwinked by charismatic and unscrupulous people/media.

The author presents the material factually and baldly, without flowery language or overemphasis. In my case that made the subject matter even more forceful: "It was uncomfortable imagining the words What was it like being branded? coming out of my mouth, but I knew I had to get there somehow". Many of the interviews which she relates make for uncomfortable reading and were related in such a direct way that it took my breath away.

The book includes a dramatis personae at the front to keep the primary players straight. The author has also done a good job with the annotations and the chapter notes and bibliography will keep readers busy for a long time.

Well done book. Uncomfortable reading in places though. Potential trigger warnings for sensitive readers: discussions on psychosexual torture and manipulation. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.