The Culting of America

What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them

By: Daniella Mestyanek Young, Amy Reed

Narrated by: Daniella Mestyanek Young, Lizy Freudmann, Rebecca Slue

You’re probably in a cult. You just don’t know it yet.

In The Culting of America, cult survivor, military veteran, and bestselling author of Uncultured Daniella Mestyanek Young delivers a gripping investigation into the invisible systems of control shaping our lives. Raised in the notorious sex cult the Children of God, she escaped to America as a teenager—only to find herself inside another rigid institution: the U.S. Army. Years later, as a Harvard-trained expert in organizational psychology, she began asking a dangerous question: What if we’re all in cults—and America is built to keep us there?

Blending personal narrative, cultural critique, and deep research, Young—together with award-winning author Amy Reed—introduces the cultiness spectrum: a ten-part framework that reveals how coercive group dynamics show up in spaces we trust, from religious groups and wellness brands to corporate offices, fandoms, political movements, and beyond.

You’ll never look at group loyalty the same way again.

From the glamorized world of Playboy to the mission-driven violence of the military, from influencer culture to partisan politics, The Culting of America reveals how cultish behavior isn’t just thriving in modern life—it’s hiding in plain sight, woven deep into the fabric of American identity.

With sharp insight, dark humor, and unflinching honesty, The Culting of America is both a wake-up call and a survival guide. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt uneasy in a group they believed in, who’s begun to question the cost of belonging, or who’s ready to take back their autonomy—without losing their place in the world.

Whether you’re part of a church, company, fandom, or political movement, the question isn’t if you’re in a cult. It’s how much of yourself you’ve already lost.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Daniella Mestyanek Young (P)2025 Daniella Mestyanek Young

Impactful, moving, and educational

Daniella's contribution to the understanding of cult behavior reveals ignored aspects and layers of the topic. her book offers useful and potentially transformative information and conceptualizations of coercive control. it also offers ways to deconstruct our minds from these ways of thinking. the PDF with the audio book is very helpful in assisting consolidating the information. Hearing it read by the author is very moving. Certainly worth the time. thanks to Daniella for sharing her story, expertise, and time.

Important Perspective!

Love this smart, no-nonsense, unflinching take on the SPECTRUM of our collective culty-ness! Mestyanek Young speaks from frank experience and thorough research. Her honesty and nuance is refreshing. Not gonna lie, while I like her voice, I found the audio hard to listen to at times. I wish a vocal coach had supervised the recording or some had had EQ'd it better.

I learned so much

I think this is a mandatory read for anyone living in America in 2026. so enlightening.

The wake up call we need as Americans in 2026!

This book is EXACTLY what we need in America right now. It should be mandatory reading as we de-cult America in a post Trump world. An extremely well constructed, outlined and thoughtfully delivered piece of literature. The authors lived experiences, background and higher education provides a uniquely important perspective that adds to the books intrigue. I would HIGHLY recommend!

Navigating current affairs

Daniella easily shines light on the cult situation and helps to see how we got here. A must read if you or a loved one is in a cult or flirting with one.