Don't Call it a CultDon't Call it a Cult

A “riveting” true crime exposé of the rise, cult tactics, and fall of Keith Raniere’s NXIVM—as seen in the HBO documentary series The Vow (Huffington Post).

“Details a staggering amount of relevant information the TV series left out.” —The Atlantic

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 . . .
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.

Sex trafficking. Self-help coaching. Forced labor. Mentorship. Multi-level marketing. Gaslighting. 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.