Cults Like Us - by Jane Borden (Hardcover)

About the Book

An author and culture journalist argues that doomsday beliefs, deeply rooted in American history, have shaped the nation's culture, from its fascination with heroism and consumerism to its susceptibility to cult-like thinking and strongman leaders.

Book Synopsis

For readers of Fantasyland and Cultish, a colorful and enlightening pop history that explains why the eccentric doomsday beliefs of our Puritan founders are still driving American culture today, contextualizes the current rise in far-right extremism as a natural result of our latent indoctrination, and proposes that the United States is the largest cult of all.

Since the Mayflower sidled up to Plymouth Rock, cult ideology has been ingrained in the DNA of the United States. In this eye-opening book, journalist Jane Borden argues that Puritan doomsday belief never went away; it went secular and became American culture. From our fascination with cowboys and superheroes to our allegiance to influencers and self-help, susceptibility to advertising, and undying devotion to the self-made man, Americans remain particularly vulnerable to a specific brand of cult-like thinking.

With in-depth research and compelling insight, Borden uncovers the American history you didn't learn in school, including how we are still being brainwashed, making us a nation of easy marks for con artists and strong men. Along the way, she also revisits some of the most fascinating cults in this country--including, the Mankind United and Love Has Won--presenting them as integral parts of our national psyche rather than aberrations.

Review Quotes

"In this entertaining history, journalist Jane Borden asserts that cultlike belief systems are ingrained in US culture, beginning with the doomsday thinking of the Puritans who arrived in North America decades ago."
--BookBub, Best Nonfiction of 2025

"A fresh, provocative view of cults and those who love them."
--Kirkus

"Jane Borden's exploration of America as a nation powered by cults couldn't be sharper, funnier, or more timely."
--Beth Macy, New York Times bestselling author of Dopesick

"Jane Borden has turned years of rigorous research into an engrossing, unputdownable narrative. Anyone interested in cults, religious studies, or their own relationship to belonging should consider this book canon."
--Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking

"With wit and verve, Jane Borden walks you through America's cultish past. Cults Like Us explores history from the Puritans to the Oneida community to the current age to show how Americans have been susceptible to the most extreme--and sometimes most irrational--beliefs."
--Jennifer Wright, author of Madame Restell

"The fear and loss of confidence we are experiencing in U.S. governance has been disorienting. This book is a prelude to healing. It illuminates the heart of the matter."
--Robert Johnson, President of the Institute for New Economic Thinking

"Borden beautifully explains how cultish ideologies continue to hold our national psyche."
--Jane Marie, author of Selling the Dream

"I'm grateful for all the work Jane Borden has done to inform people about how deeply rooted group think is in our culture."
--India Oxenberg, author of Still Learning and producer of the documentary series Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

About the Author

Jane Borden is an author and culture journalist. She is the author of Cults Like Us and I Totally Meant to Do That. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and other publications. She lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at JaneBorden.com.