4 out of 4 stars
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George Sharkman was a therapist with a unique approach to counseling his patients, his main method being something he called 'biofeedback' and the practice of 'special energy'. Over time he developed something he called 'the program' within which he would take those willing to stick it out through a growth process. This small group of people and those recruited along the way had a couple of things in common. They mostly consisted of people who were well educated, talented, cultured, limited in social support, had difficulty in relationships with the opposite sex and were somewhat spellbound by George.
Elizabeth Burchard was one of those in the group, a brilliant person who seemed to have a bright future before her. Along the way she had to go to therapy sessions because the middle school psychologist diagnosed her with “social and emotional problems”. It was out of this and other series of quack therapists that her mother saw that she finally encountered George. He seemed like the right mentor to enable her to reach her full potential and live her dreams. In the process, she introduced to him people close to her. One after another lost something significant in their lives out of contact with this man, including herself. By the time she came to her senses, she was getting into her forties.
Judith, an acquaintance of Elizabeth, notices something is amiss, reluctantly befriends and helps the gentle-spirited lady out of the jaws of the ogre and his minions who were obviously taking advantage of her. Her encounter with George brought back earlier experiences in her life and enabled her to empathize with Elizabeth in what she must have been going through.
I like the fact that the author was able to remember details of her life under George’s shadow and bring a lot of details into the memoir, including conversations. It gave me the impression she must have kept a diary of some sort. I couldn’t help but draw similarities between George’s character and that of King Julien from the Madagascar animation movies. “Hurry up, before we all come to our senses!” (he said this while leading other jungle animals to make an unnecessary sacrifice to the water gods out of one of their own). Despite the fact that George’s heritage is Jewish, every time he was quoted I kept hearing him in King Julien’s Asian accent which made me laugh from time to time. This was a serious affair at the end of the day, the cult's culture bore a few similarities to the Jehovah(’s) Witness as described in The Seduction of Religion by Paul Singh. The Cult Next Door is a book written by Elizabeth R Burchard, LSW, and Judith L. Carlone. It is published by Two Poles Press LLW. The cover design is by Jared Phillips, although I think its a bit dated.
I give the book 4 out of 4 stars. The book has been professionally edited. The content is detailed enough to help many identify if/how another could be involved in a cultish situation. I would recommend this book to professional and religious counselors who need to help others regain their own identities after suffering various forms of long-term abuse.
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The Cult Next Door
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