Cults are not unique to the United States, but there is a long history of cults in America. "Compared to other developed nations, the U.S. does have this consistent relationship with cults," Amanda Montell, author of "Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism," tells LitHub. "Whenever I talk to my friends who are not American and I tell them I’m writing this book about cults, their eyes do not light up the same way that Americans’ eyes do.