Don't Call It a Cult

The Shocking Story of Keith Raniere and the Women of NXIVM

By: Sarah Berman

Narrated by: Ewa Wolniczek

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

As seen in Season Two of the HBO docuseries THE VOW

They draw you in with the promise of empowerment, self-discovery, women helping women. The more secretive those connections are, the more exclusive you feel. Little did you know, you just joined a cult.

Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labor. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. Investigative journalist Sarah Berman explores the shocking practices of NXIVM, a cult run by Keith Raniere and many enablers. Through the accounts of central NXIVM figures, Berman uncovers how dozens of women seeking creative coaching and networking opportunities instead were blackmailed, literally branded, near-starved, and enslaved. Don't Call It a Cult is a riveting account of NXIVM's rise to power, its ability to evade prosecution for decades, and the investigation that finally revealed its dark secrets to the world.

©2021 Sarah Berman (P)2021 Steerforth

Critic reviews

*SHORTLISTED for the 2022 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize*

*FINALIST for 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book*

*One of Oxygen.com's best crime books of 2021.*

"...Sarah Berman’s Don’t Call It a Cult is a thoroughly reported work that details a staggering amount of relevant information the TV series left out."—The Atlantic

"...investigative journalist Berman front-loads her startling, comprehensive exposé on the NXIVM group with key information on how the association became popular yet remained elusive to law enforcement...the author’s engrossing reportage meticulously reveals the tumultuous rise and fall of NXIVM after numerous criminal indictments and prosecutions...File this alongside Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear and Jeff Guinn’s The Road to Jonestown...An incendiary, serpentine report on criminal manipulation of staggering proportions."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Investigative journalist Berman debuts with the definitive look at the NXIVM cult, which victimized dozens of women for more than a decade ... This deep dive behind the headlines isn’t to be missed."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Very in Depth

I have been obsessed with the NXIVM story this audio book is the most thorough.

Really great

The narrator is wonderful. There is so much great content and it is arranged very thoughtfully !

excellent, engrossing

great writing which made the bizarre NXVIM behaviors and chronology easily understandable. Please do a follow up to tell the story of what happened members after a few years out

Captivating

Extremely well done.
Well-researched. Well-written. Well-performed. This is a must read/listen if you are at all interested in cults, true crime, or love story telling.

While we are patiently waiting for Season 2 of The Vow..

This book gives more detailed information about KR trial and others caught in the NXIVM web of deception.

Very informative

I really enjoyed this book and listened intently daily. This book has more detail information than the Netflix documentary so if you are interested in crime this book is very detailed.

Best so far

This is the best NXIVM investigative work available so far. It's well researched and covers the subject well, up to conviction. Although this book contains satisfying interviews from key parties, if you're looking for a memoir, I recommend Toni Natalie's book.

Very Well Done

Sarah Berman does a great job of telling the NXIVM story from several angles. Ewa Wolniczek's narration is superb.

Eye opening

I felt like I was part of the story. It was written and narrative so well!

It reminded me if when I was lured into a family that was run like a cult. They appeared to be normal, but insidiously they started controlling every aspect if my life. They went as far as having me sign a privacy contract to be able to leave. I never thought I would for something like that since I’m college educated, but it can happen to anyone if we don’t know what to look out for.

It’s important to establish and constantly protect your boundaries.

Amazing Bundling of Stories!

I had been waiting for this book to come out, and it was quite riveting. As someone who has read Sarah Edmondson's book, India Oxenberg's book, and Toni Natalie's book, as well as watching The Vow; This is an EXCELLENT linking of timelines in an easily digestible manner. Interviews with survivors I had never heard from before, and the viewpoint of a truly invested journalist. Book is well worth it. 💙