Published in 2022
352 pages
Sarah Steel researches, writes, records and edits ‘Let’s Talk About Sects’. Her writing has been published in The Guardian, Indiewire and ABC Online, and she has appeared on SBS’s The Feed and Channel 9’s Today Show. Her work has been commissioned for ABC Radio National’s Earshot program, and she has also featured on ABC Radio’s Overnights program. For Vivid Sydney 2022 Sarah presented the sold out panel discussion ‘Sects, Lies and Cults’ with three former cult members.
What is this book about?
At the heart of being human is the desire to belong. It can make us unspeakably vulnerable to the manipulations of others. Cult leaders prey on this desire, but so do many unscrupulous operators hiding in plain sight.
Sarah Steel, the creator of the popular ‘Let’s Talk About Sects’ podcast, has researched the cults you’ve heard of–and dozens you haven’t. What strikes her most are not the differences between bizarre cult behaviour and ‘normal’ behaviour but the depressing similarities. Her work reveals that we are all susceptible to the power of cult dynamics.
In Do As I Say, Steel tells the human tale behind the sensationalism. Sharing deeply personal stories, gathered over years of interviews with survivors, and some shocking tales about the world’s most famous cults, she sheds light on the high cost of unchecked coercive behaviours to individuals and communities at large.
“This book is a most comprehensive and studied look at cults, the leaders, and perhaps most importantly the survivors. Sarah Steel has given the world a real gem – one that will not only educate but also help to destigmatize those who have been harmed by cults and con artists. Bravo!” — Dr Janja Lalich, cult expert, academic and former cult member
