Press

Select media appearances and press coverage:

LIVE TV & RADIO

KATU AM Northwest — "Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism"

Pix11 News — Origins of Sexist Language

WGN News Chicago — Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism

NPR: Wisconsin Public Radio — Linguist Explores How Cults Gain Followers

WNYC "All Of It" — The Language of Fanaticism

RadioWest — Amanda Montell On "The Language of Fanaticism"

KUOW — How to Rethink Gendered Insults

KPCC AirTalk — ‘Ok Boomer:’ Intergenerational Shots Fired by Gen Z

Sex With Emily on SiriusXM — Amanda Montell Is a Wordslut

Cheddar TV — New Book "Cultish" Dives Into the Social Science Behind Cult Influence

CULTISH REVIEWS

The Washington Post — 6/12/21

"Engaging and fun to read, 'Cultish' offers plenty of jaw-dropping details about life inside cults. But the book isn’t all voyeuristic pleasure. As Montell teases out the universality of cultish influence, she upholds the humanity of the people who do get swayed."

Booklist — 5/15/21 *starred review

"Montell’s masterful translation of our need to belong will mesmerize."

Kirkus Reviews — 4/18/21

"Engaging... provocative... A fascinating, enthusiastic narrative on the loaded language of cults."

The Atlantic — 6/10/21

"Savvy, enlightening... Montell... is a breezy writer and an empathetic guide to the various corners of American subcultures."

Buzzfeed Books — 6/15/21

"Phenomenal... Montell balances thorough anthropological analysis with personal anecdotes and interviews to create an illuminating read that will leave you wiser."

The New Republic — 6/28/21

“I think most people who read Cultish will feel convinced they have, at some point in their lives, been in a cult.”

Refinery29 — 6/1/21

"At times chilling, often funny, and always perceptive and cogent, Cultish is a bracing reminder that the scariest thing about cults is that you don't realize you're in one til it's too late."

BookPage — 6/8/21 *starred review

"Cultish demonstrates that we are all more susceptible to joining the in-group than we may realize."

Shelf Awareness

"With wit and wisdom, Cultish is catnip for word-lovers, and anyone who has caught themselves going down cultish rabbit holes."

Harper's Bazaar — 1/7/21

"In this juicy read, Montell breaks down linguistic and verbal techniques used by the cultish communities that influence our behaviors every day."

Bitch Media — 6/1/21

"Language scholar Amanda Montell has a treat for readers, myself included, who are obsessed with learning as much as possible about cults."

The Believer — 6/15/21

"I credit Cultish with ... connecting my cult membership with my love of language. Words traumatized me, but now they can heal me, too."

Popsugar — 6/2/21

"Through careful research and compelling writing, Montell breaks down how the right words can draw people into cults, as well as how none of us are as immune to cult-like thinking as we'd like to believe."

PureWow — 5/25/21

"Why do we fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon? Montell maintains that it’s not only because we're looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and stay in—extreme groups, but because we secretly want to know if it could happen to us..."

Publisher's Weekly — 4/12/21

"Montell is an engaging and well-informed tour guide through the world of 'cultish scenarios.'"

WORDSLUT REVIEWS

Kirkus Reviews — 6/4/19

“Just the kind of sharp, relevant scholarship needed to continue to inspire the next generation of feminist thought.”

Publisher’s Weekly — 5/22/19

“Montell projects an infectious glee about linguistics and feminism, foregrounding both their fun and their cultural relevance. Readers seeking a fresh, intellectually stimulating take on feminism will enjoy this one.”

Library Journal— 4/1/2019

"At its heart, this work reflects a tenet of sociolinguistic study: language is not divorced from culture; it both reflects and creates beliefs about identity and power."

The New York Times — July 30, 2019

“Her delivery is light and humorous … but the lesson is serious and cannot be overstated: In countless ways, gender affects how we talk and how others hear us.”

New York Journal of Books

“Montell is entertaining, passionate, and widely read.”

Manhattan Book Review — 10/2019

“Wordslut is smart, evocative, and intelligently written, not to mention scathingly funny.”

Time Magazine (print) — 6/3/2019

"In sharp and energetic prose, Montell makes readable deep dives into vocabulary."

Bust — July/August 2019

“With humor and passion for the subject, and supplemented by fascinating asides, Montell illuminates the significance of dozens of words and linguistic habits.”

Cosmopolitan — 5/2/19

“After you devour it in one sitting, you can whip out facts from its fascinating pages to shut down mansplainers at parties.”

Marie Claire — 7/5/19

“Funny yet informative, Amanda Montell's debut will teach you how to deal with catcallers, the history of curses and every gender biased insult in between.“

Harper’s Bazaar — 4/18/20

“Amanda Montell’s uproarious, whip-smart guide to destigmatizing gendered language ... [is] achingly relevant.”

Popsugar — 5/20/19

“Wordslut is a nonfiction entry that is equal parts brash and highly entertaining, taking a deep look at how gendered language shapes who we are."

CNN— 7/26/19

“You may find yourself rethinking your word choices once you wrap up this nonfiction superstar.”

HypeBae — 5/6/19

"Do yourself a favor and pick through chapters such as 'Women Didn’t Ruin the English Language—They, Like, Invented It' or 'How To Confuse a Catcaller (And Other Ways To Verbally Smash the Patriarchy)' before heading into a meeting, a weird conversation, school, or, you know, general life."