Right under the noses of neighbors, clients, spouses, children, and friends, a secret society, simply called School—a cult of snared Manhattan professionals—has been led by the charismatic, sociopathic, and dangerous leader Sharon Gans for decades. Spencer Schneider was recruited in the eighties, and he stayed for more than twenty-three years as his life disintegrated, his self-esteem eroded, and he lined the pockets of Gans and her cult. Cult members met twice weekly, though they never acknowledged one another outside of meetings or gatherings. In the name of inner development, they endured the horrors of mental, sexual, and physical abuse, forced labor, arranged marriages, swindled inheritances and savings, and systematic terrorizing. Some of them broke the law. All for Gans. “During those years,” Schneider writes, “my world was School. That’s what it’s like when you’re in a cult, even one that preys on and caters to New York’s educated elite. This is my story of how I got entangled in School and how I got out.” At its core, Manhattan Cult Story is a cautionary tale of how hundreds of well-educated, savvy, and prosperous New Yorkers became fervent followers of a brilliant but demented cult leader who posed as a teacher of ancient knowledge. It’s about double-lives, the power of group psychology, and how easy it is to be radicalized—all too relevant in today's atmosphere of conspiracy and ideologue worship.
Winter Pasture
Li Juan
audiobookThe Dead Ladies Project
Jessa Crispin
audiobookThey Said This Would Be Fun : Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up
Eternity Martis
audiobookFlat Earth News : AN AWARD WINNING REPORTER EX
Nick Davies
audiobookBean Counters : The Triumph of the Accountants and How They Broke Capitalism
Richard Brooks
audiobookbookThe New Honor Code : A Simple Plan for Raising Our Standards and Restoring Our Good Name
Grant McCracken
audiobookEyewitness Bible Series: Christmas Collection
Christian History Christian History Institute
audiobookCollision of Empires
Prit Buttar
audiobookDrinking Water : A History
James Salzman
audiobookAt the End of Life
audiobookBreasts
Florence Williams
audiobookThe Tyranny of E-mail: The Four-Thousand-Year Journey to Your Inbox
John Freeman
book