Rolling Stone Sects Appeal: 5 Books About Cults and Why People Join Them From NXIVM to FLDS to the standoff in Waco, these books tell the stories of both famous and secretive cults, from the inside out By svetazi - stock.adobe.com Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. A cult’s recruitment process and psychological hold on its members can seem like an obvious red flag to outsiders, and leave us thinking, as individuals, that we’re way too smart and savvy to ever fall into anything like that. But it happens consistently. From ancient times to the modern day, there’s always been an ever-present person who comes along and strikes the perfect combination of intrigue and awe among followers, with control and manipulation not far behind. From the Manson Family to ISIS, Waco to Jonestown and beyond, the best books about cults take a deep dive into the testimonials from survivors and overviews of the experts.