Let’s get together and look for our summer reading at Beyond Bedtime Books, an independent used bookstore located in Dormont, PA! On the last Friday night of the month they offer an after hours event where you can browse their books with a complimentary glass of wine and enter to win a raffle that supports a local business.
Let’s get together and look for our summer reading at Beyond Bedtime Books, an independent used bookstore located in Dormont, PA! On the last Friday night of the month they offer an after hours event where you can browse their books with a complimentary glass of wine and enter to win a raffle that supports a local business.
Come join us for a wonderful Russian breakfast prepared by Natalia and try signature premium Russian coffee brewed by her husband. You don’t want to miss this great opportunity to try new foods and see some new and familiar faces!
Join us at Maria’s for a discussion of “Cultish – The Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda Montell!
“What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .
Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day.
Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.”
Please bring a snack or drink to share. Hope to see you there!
Let’s hang out and chat! We can chat about Spring Break plans, Spring events coming up in USC that are a must see, and Summer Camps for kids. Have a little breakfast item, coffee, or a mimosa! And if you have small kids, feel free to bring them too. My PM Kindergarten son will be home and would love to play!
Come eat, drink, and chat! Just bring yourself. We will also have a wine tasting and chocolate pairing. Whether this is your first year in the club or you’ve been a member for years, we would love to have you come learn more about the club and the board. We hope to see you there. Cheers!