Product Description

Most people understand Peoples Temple through its violent end in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978, where more than 900 Americans committed murder and suicide in a jungle commune. Media coverage of the event sensationalized the group and obscured the background of those who died. The view that emerged thirty years ago continues to dominate understanding of Jonestown today, despite dozens of books, articles, and documentaries that have appeared.This book provides a fresh perspective on Peoples Temple and Jonestown, locating the group within the context of religion in America and offering a contemporary history that corrects the inaccuracies often associated with the group and its demise.

Although Peoples Temple has some of the characteristics many associate with cults, it also shares many characteristics of Black Religion in America. Moreover, it is crucial to understand the organization within the social and political movements of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Race, class, colonialism, gender, and other issues dominated the times, and so dominated the consciousness of the members of Peoples Temple. Here, Moore, who lost three family members in the events in Guyana, offers a framework of U.S. social, cultural, and political history that helps readers better understand Peoples Temple and its members.

Customer Reviews (4)

An excellent introduction to the subject
The author of this book was not a member of Peoples Temple, but two of her sisters were and both died that fateful day in Guyana. Understandably, Ms. Moore has spent the past three decades trying to come to terms with that and figure out just what, exactly, happened. This book is her latest exploration into that dark topic.

Despite the personal connection, she is able to treat the topic neutrally and with a level head that is quite refreshing from much of the other material available on Peoples Temple, which is either unabashedly hostile or fawning hero-worship. It is, of course, a difficult balance: although there is much to deride Jones for, aspects of his ministry are indeed worthy of praise, and the book shows both the good and the bad.

This book seems more of a general introduction to the strange world of Jim Jones. I don't doubt that she could write a thousand-page magnum opus on the subject, but UJ&PT is more of an edited highlight of facts and interesting trivia that seems designed to pique the reader's interest on the topic and encourage further research. Indeed, each chapter ends with a "suggested reading" entry for just that purpose.

I learned quite a bit from this book, and I think that even experts on the subject will glean a few new nuggets of information to help fill in the puzzle that is Peoples Temple.

If you read only one book about Peoples Temple this should be it
The seasoned student of Peoples Temple may already be familiar with some of the primary source material in this new book by Rebecca Moore. However, more than just retelling the story of Peoples Temple through the primary sources, Dr. Moore offers something not seen before in a book about the Temple - an invitation to look at the sources the way a scholar would. This means that the book is both an introduction to Peoples Temple as an object of study and an introduction to the scholarly field of religious studies. This is primarily by way of example, but in the introduction "Framing the Subject", Dr. Moore addresses the conditions for the production of a large part of the body of knowledge of Peoples Temple: that much of the press coverage and the first books about the Tem-ple were based on information of defectors (because the vast majority of the community had per-ished in Jonestown) and thus were quite biased. Dr. Moore also underlines the importance of being critical of our own language because the language we use to describe the object of study guides what we look at and therefore shapes what we learn. The introduction in other words provides the reader with tools to evaluate information about Peoples Temple and to be critical of the way we construct Peoples Temple in our research - tools that Dr. Moore herself applies throughout the book.

The book is comprised of an introduction (as described above), and nine chapters. Chapter 1 pro-vides a short biography of Jim Jones, chapter 2 and 3 outlines the history of the organization, in-cluding the change in focus from religion to political goals, and the early history of Jonestown. Chapter 4 analyzes the opposition against the Temple: defectors, the Concerned Relatives, the me-dia and different government agencies. Chapter 5 analyzes the conditions in Jonestown. Chapter 6 looks at Congressman Ryan's visit to Jonestown and the tragic events of 18 November 1978. Chap-ter 7 outlines the handling of the bodies and the process by which the people who died at Jonestown were dehumanized. Chapter 8 examines how Jonestown has re-entered American culture and out-lines four canons for this re-entry: the popular canon, the scholarly canon, the canon of conspiracy theory and the artistic canon. Chapter 9 examines how survivors - loyalists and defectors - have put their lives together after the tragedy.

Dr. Moore draws on a wealth of sources, including primary source material recovered from Jones-town and released under the Freedom of Information Act, first hand knowledge from her own ex-perience as a family member of two women in the Temple, first person accounts, news coverage and popular and scholarly resources, but instead of burying the reader in information, Dr. Moore carefully connects the dots and presents the story of Peoples Temple with all its ambiguity and con-tradictions without letting the reader get lost at any point.

If your ambition is to understand Peoples Temple and Jonestown - not judging, not condemning - then "Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple" is the book for you.

Poorly Written/Fictional At Best
This book is totally fictional. It is just another attempt for aself serving White American women to excuse racial genocide of Black Americans by a White man. This was not mass suicide it is and was GENOCIDE! Just like the Jews were victims of GENOCIDE. Please tell the truth next time or do not write another book that fails to give dignity to victims and survivors.

I find the use of the term "defector" as a very offensive word to those who did not allow themselves to be murdered by Jim Jones. By selecting to live and live life abundantly, I think history would agree with me that these people should be referred to as what they are...."VALIANT SURVIVORS".

I just kept wanting more to read!
Dr. Rebecca Elaine Moore sheds light and information regarding Jonestown, Jim Jones, and the People's Temple along with her husband, Fielding MacGehee. For Dr. Moore, it's both personal and professional since she lost her older sister, Carolyn Layton, and younger sister, Anne Moore, in Jonestown on November 18, 1978 along with Carolyn and Jim Jones' son, Jim Jon Prokes also known as Kimo Prokes. His stepfather was Michael Prokes. The overwelming tragedy of over 900 lives being lost in murder and suicide has been dismissed as brainwashed robots and zombies under the rule of a madman. You know the phrase, Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Under Jim Jones, his followers including Dr. Moore's sisters and nephew succumbed to the same fate. In Annie's suicide letter, we died because you wouldn't let us live is a hard line to forget. The reasoning behind Revolutionary Suicide comes across in depth in every book I read. I am grateful to Dr. Moore and others who are now sharing their stories. It is hard to imagine shunning people because of their connections to such a tragedy or catastrophe of biblical proportions. Unless we understand why such an event happened, we will never be able to prevent another situation occurring. Many of the followers were dehumanized after their deaths since their decomposed bodies and remains laid for days under the brutal South American sun. Then there was the argument between Guyanese and American governments over who should get the bodies. Then they were sent to Dover, Delaware, about 3,000 miles away from California where most of the deceased had grieving relatives, neighbors, and friends. Dr. Moore knows personally and firsthand about Jonestown, the People's Temple, and Jim JOnes from her sisters' relationships. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Religion, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2874 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The second edition of this highly regarded encyclopedia, preserving the best of the first edition's cross-cultural approach, while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this new edition is the definitive work in the field for the 21st century. An international team of scholars and contributors have reviewed, revised and added to every word of the classic work, making it relevant to the questions and interests of all researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
Told by a former high-level member of the Peoples Temple and Jonestown survivor, Seductive Poison is the "truly unforgettable" (Kirkus Review) story of how one woman was seduced by one of the most notorious cults in recent memory and how she found her way back to sanity.

From Waco to Heaven's Gate, the past decade has seen its share of cult tragedies. But none has been quite so dramatic or compelling as the Jonestown massacre of 1978, in which the Reverend Jim Jones and 913 of his disciples perished. Deborah Layton had been a member of the Peoples Temple for seven years when she departed for Jonestown, Guyana, the promised land nestled deep in the South American jungle. When she arrived, however, Layton saw that something was seriously wrong. Jones constantly spoke of a revolutionary mass suicide, and Layton knew only too well that he had enough control over the minds of the Jonestown residents to carry it out. But her pleas for help--and her sworn affidavit to the U.S. government--fell on skeptical ears. In this very personal account, Layton opens up the shadowy world of cults and shows how anyone can fall under their spell. Seductive Poison is both an unflinching historical document and a riveting story of intrigue, power, and murder.Amazon.com Review
Deborah Layton was, by her own account, a typical rebelliousyouth, with nothing in her dossier to indicate that she wouldeventually find herself in Jim Jones's People's Temple in Guyana,looking for a way out of the green hell that had become the People'sTemple Agricultural Project. She barely escaped in June 1978. Withinmonths, more than 900 people drank Jones's cyanide punch and committed"revolutionary suicide" in the face of mounting stateside pressure onthe cult, some of it prompted by Layton's own testimonials upon hersafe return home. Her brother, Larry, also survived, and as one of thefew left alive in Guyana became a scapegoat for Jones's crimes; he isnow serving a life sentence in federal prison.

There is a simple naiveté at the root of SeductivePoison. Layton's own youthful innocence, foremost, but also thedesire to trust another person, the need for belonging and meaning,which led so many perfectly normal Americans to place their faith in asuicidal madman. Far from confirming the simplistically monstrousJones of the public imagination, Layton paints the man as a dark,twisted shaman, by turns soothing, then suddenly malevolent and petty,with a hugely sadistic streak that belied his perfectly coifed hair,expensive suits, and impressive political connections. The scenes inwhich she describes her escape and flight to safety are wrenching, herlast-minute conversation with Jones and his seductive appeal for herto return home to Jonestown are chilling, and her fear and indecisionare still palpable on the printed page. For Layton to recount talesthis personal and horrifying must have been tremendouslydifficult. For her to lift those recollections above thebargain-basement freak-show reputation the People's Temple hasachieved in the popular imagination and depict them with the power ofgreat tragedy is nothing but extraordinary. --Tjames Madison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (270)

A captivating and excruciatingly personal testament to what blind faith in a charismatic religious leader can do
A captivating and excruciatingly personal testament to what blind faith in a charismatic religious leader can do -- not just to an innocent convert, but to her nuclear family and the 1,000 members of the Peoples Temple congregation.In the turbulent times of the 70s in liberal Northern California, pastor Jim Jones formed a religious community to which poor, religious-mindedurban dwellers and young white liberals flocked in search of meaning and a better life. Jones' increasingly dictatorial, paranoiac and cruel rule went unnoticed (ignored?) by popular political leaders who were manipulated by his ability to deliver them a large racially rainbowed audience In exchange for their endorsement of his legitimacy.Woven into the tragedy of The Peoples Temple community is the story of how a young, bright Berkeley rebel, slowly indoctrinated into the inner circle, put in motion its shockingdemise.

Great book that explains the social psychological reasons why people join cults
I have used Debbie Layton's book in my Social Deviance class to examine the reasons and circumstances surrounding why people join "cults" and what happened inside the group. Debbie Layton, through her vivid and uncompromisingly personal examination has helped to enlighten how organizations like the People's Temple that start out doing "good" and helping people to becoming a prison like cult that controlled and monitored the behavior and thoughts of all its members. Her book is an absolutely crucial and invaluable look at the inner workings of utopian groups like Jonestown and the dangers of being in the aura of a highly charismatic leader, Jim Jones.
Debbie opens up very personal parts of her life, family history and inner thoughts and feelings to give the reader a surreal and personal view of what happened to her and others over the many years they were involved in the group. If you are interested in the learning about new religious movements and why people join them and how they turn bad this is a must read. Great writing that penetrates the subject matter in a way that is understandable to the layman and great as a case study in social movements, new religious groups and utopian cults. A must read for all those interested in Jonestown and what happened there over 30 years ago. Debbie's privileged position in the group as a close assistant to Jim Jones and other leaders of the group gives her account a weight and detail that few others could match.

I highly recommend this book to all,
Dr. Mode

People's Temple member tells all.
Jim Jones screws her on the bus, on the men's room floor, publicly humiliates her, and she still goes to Guyana with him? Still this book will be useful for cult or mass psychology purposes.

A Real Page Turner
The first 50 pages are a bit slow, but after that I couldn't put this book down.

an amazing book.
This should be the first and possibly only book that you read regarding the Jonestown disaster.You are not reading about the events, you are living them as if you are there.Deborah goes into such detail leading up to her escape and the mass suicide that occured soon after it was more like watching a movie rather than reading.I had many questions about how a normal, intelligent student with a loving family could fall so deeply into a cult for so long.I now have none.Deborah takes you back in time.You are trapped in the jungle, in the heat, scared for your life, unable to trust anyone outside the cult and terrified of the cult itself.Her own family, her own mother could not be trusted....only the Godlike Jim Jones.He was a master manipulater who made even the most basic truths in life seem like outrageous lies.
I can't imagine how difficult it was to open these deep wounds 20 years later but the result is fantastic. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 713 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more

Product Description
More than a quarter of a century after the fall of Peoples Temple, in which the world witnessed the devastating loss of over nine hundred lives—including those of Congressman Leo J. Ryan and several journalists—the tragedy of Jonestown continues to mystify. In a sensitive account that traces the rise and fall of the idealistic community movement that preceded the deaths at Jonestown, Denice Stephenson uses letters, oral histories, journal entries, and other original documents—many published here for the first time—to bring this inexplicable event into a very personal and human perspective.

-Coincides with the premiere of the new play "The Peoples Temple" by writer/director Leigh Fondakowski (The Laramie Project) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

From the Voices of Jonestown!
On November 18, 1978, tragedy occurred at an airstrip in Port Kaituma in Guyana when Congressman Leo Ryan from Northern California, Patty Parks (a People's Temple defector), Greg Robinson (photographer for the San Francisco Examiner), Don Harris (NBC reporter), and Robert Brown, another newsman, were shot to death by the People's Temple armed gunmen. The tragedy would only get worse and not better. There were survivors at the airstrip. But back in Jonestown, Rev. Jim Jones would finally have his white night in which this was no suicide drill. It was the real thing! Not everybody went willingly. The children event infants who were born in Jonestown were the first victims. There was one dissenter in the crowd and her name was Christine Miller. Jones had already made his mind up to complete the white night after years of practice. there was no going back. His members believed that they would be tortured and killed after the Congressman's death. That they were all responsible and not just those who committed the actual crimes. Even the children of Jonestown would not be spared, for two hours, there was death with armed gunmen surrounding the pavilion where only a day before there was a celebration regarding Ryan's visit. There was music, food, and a good time. Now it was going to be the end and it wasn't going quietly. Jones achieved infamy in death that would be associated with mass murder or suicide. Jones himself was dying anyway.
For Stephenson, she has researched and has used this opportunity to show the humanity of Jonestown and the People's Temple. He had taken in the disenfranchised, the forgotten, neglected, and unwanted. Jones made them feel not only welcome but to be part of a larger collective community. His members were so dedicated that they moved their lives across country from Indianapolis to Northern California and finally Jonestown. Jones may have falsified his healings to gain attention and membership but he also helped establish nursing home and foster homes all under the church. We all think that we are incapable of being lured into a cult. Actually, Jones gave his people what they needed and he expected the same sacrifice in return. Slowly, Jones stripped his members of their finances, their homes, jobs, and obligations for the People's Temple. He provided jobs, food, and shelter as well as a great community of good people. Jones left Indianapolis because people weren't committed enough to the cause or maybe he was afraid of the exposure of his dark side. The other side of Jim Jones was equally dark but it was veiled heavily by his presence and lively performance on stage. Most of the members didn't join the People's Temple because of Jim Jones but because of how his other members were so selfless, generous, and kind to them for all their needs. Of course, now thirty years later, the search for answers to those questions of what happened on November 18, 1978 are still in debate. But the author has made a conscious effort to humanize the people of Jonestown as more than a number and faceless bodies which were splashed all over the news. For years, I have researched true crime and criminal psychology to understand the concept of Jonestown. This book has helped me understand the people who have been taken from us that day. We were robbed of them as well as their families and friends. 900 isn't just a number, they were people.

The Real Peoples Temple
This book provides a rare glimpse into the thoughts of real Peoples Temple members and the words of Jim Jones himself. People tend to forget that these were real people who saw Peoples Temple as an organization that was trying to fix the way racism was controlling America. The documents in this collection are well chosen and well presented and the photos add even more interest to this invaluable source. If you are interested in learning more about Peoples Temple, this is a must buy.

Miss you dad..
What a great collection letters, photos and memories from the life and times of the Peoples Temple.

I found it to be an easy read, the chapters have a nice flow, and it does something different than other PT books I've read. It does not show the PT members as crazied followers of a madman, but as a family. A family that was genuinely trying to create a better world. That is, until things got bad and people from the states wouldn't leave them alone.

I blame the 'concerned relatives' for more than 900 deaths on November 18th, 1978.

Reminded me of The Killing Fields
After having read Deborah Layton's book about Jim Jones, I thought I wanted a somewhat more objective book so I ordered this one. And it didn't disappoint me. Dear People is a compelling presentation of personal stories, official documents and fascinating photos which really gave me the information I was looking for. No drama or ethos, just the plain facts. I've read many books about the Pol Pot era in Cambodia, and frankly this book fits right in - only in another setting with another crazed leader (both utopian communists, by the way). It baffles me still every day how intelligent and otherwise sane people can fall for crazed lunatics like Jim Jones.

By the way, I think that that very impressive farewell note (the Last Words), which starts off the book, supposedly from an unknown PT member who wrote it during the mass suicide, was prepared way in advance. I simply can't believe anyone can have the clear state of mind to write a letter like that while hundreds of people are dying around you, including more than 200 small children. But if it is true, it just goes to show how utterly brainwashed and inhuman these cult-members had become.

Dear People Remembering Jonestown
I have read so many books regarding Jonestown/Jim Jones and I will never understand why this tragedy happened. Dear People, Remembering Jonestown brings you so much closer to the people that were in Jonestown on that tragic day. I loved the personaL letters and interviews. I specially like the personal letters from Carolyn Layton and Maria Katsaris, two of Jims closes and very personal assistants. I loved this book! If you are thinking about reading this book I recommend you read first, Seductive Poison and Six Years with God. These two books are two of the most personal stories I have read about those that were the closes to Jim Jones. I highly recommend Dear People, well put together.


A.M.O
Van Nuys, CA ... Read more

Product Description
In this superb cultural history, Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Joness Peoples Temple--how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes?The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organiational base of the Temple is analyed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalied practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

About This Book...
This review is for the Transaction Books first edition in hardcover: cloth over boards with a sewn binding in dustcover. 381 pp. Appendix. 40 pp of End Notes and a 10 p Bibliography. Indexed.

"If we are to learn anything of value from the murders and mass suicide at Jonestown, its history must be salvaged from popular myths, which are little more than superficial atrocity tales. In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple - how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes? The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organizational base of the Temple is analyzed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalized practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power. The author then traces the situational causes of the Temple's conflict with its detractors, the collective migration to Guyana, and the mass suicide. By assessing the degree to which the Peoples Temple was truly an aberration or simply an exaggeration of our society's contradictions, the author deepens our understanding of a modern scape-goat."

About This Book
This review is for the Transaction Books first edition in hardcover: cloth over boards with a sewn binding in dustcover. 381 pp. Appendix. 40 pp of End Notes and a 10 p Bibliography. Indexed.

"If we are to learn anything of value from the murders and mass suicide at Jonestown, its history must be salvaged from popular myths, which are little more than superficial atrocity tales. In this superb cultural history, John R. Hall presents a reasoned analysis of the meaning of Jonestown: why it happened and how it is tied to our history as a nation, our ideals, our practices, and the tensions of modern culture. Hall deflates the myths of Jonestown by exploring the social character of Jim Jones's Peoples Temple - how much of what transpired was unique to the group and its leader and how much can be explained by reference to wider social processes? The book begins by examining the cultural origins of Jonestown: Who was Jim Jones? Where did he get his ideas and followers? How was his Peoples Temple established? The organizational base of the Temple is analyzed through relevant comparisons with modern institutionalized practices in economics, bureaucracy, social control, public relations, and power. The author then traces the situational causes of the Temple's conflict with its detractors, the collective migration to Guyana, and the mass suicide. By assessing the degree to which the Peoples Temple was truly an aberration or simply an exaggeration of our society's contradictions, the author deepens our understanding of a modern scape-goat."

The Most Objective Book So Far about Jonestown!
First of all, this book is not an easy read. The book is written by a sociologist who studied the case of Jonestown, Jim Jones, and the People's Temple. Be weary, this book is not beach material. If you have read other books on Jonestown and wanted some fresh insight like myself, this book will be ideal for you. Unfortunately, the print is small and plain. There are no photographs in the book or maps and charts like there should be to help understand the reading material. The author does paint an objective view of Jonestown. He doesn't disregard already reported facts but incorporates them into understanding the situation better.
Even thirty years later, we are still trying to understand Jonestown before another catastrophe of such magnitude can happen again. The author has no obvious connections to Jonestown, Jim Jones, or the People's Temple. The book is thoroughly researched and referenced with other books regarding the same subject. The author is a social scientist and this book chronicles the social science and the make-up of Jonestown. I find this book to answer other unanswered questions but I wished the layout was far more reader friendly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A scholary look at the people of Jonestown
I am a professor of psychology. Dr. Maaga's book is an exceptional look into psychological and sociological factors that played a role in the Jonestown tragedy. It delves into the lives of people involved in this event in ways never elaborated in the media. The book discusses both the heartfelt desire of those in the People's Temple to reach out to vulnerable human beings as well as the darker side of charismatic, authoritarian influence. This is a superb study in human psychology. I recommend it highly!

Remembering Jonestown as more than a mad experiment gone wrong!
Like the other reviewer, I read this book in one day or a couple of hours. First of all, it's not for everybody because the book is designed for scholarly reading but for those who want to know more about Jonestown, then this book offers another view in the elite power group of mostly women leadership in the Jonestown and People's Temple. I thought this book was a refreshing and positive look at Jonestown by a compassionate author. I was interested in learning about the women who were Jones' inner circle. While the author does depart from the usual rhetoric of anti-Jonestown like other authors, she does offer a sense of understanding deeper but doesn't apologize for the murder/suicide that occurred on November 18, 1978. Sadly, while the world thought that 900 Americans went crazy in the jungle and killed themselves is simply a myth and not true. In fact, there was obvious resistance, struggles, jealousies within the community in Jonestown. The question is why didn't they choose an alternative way out of the mess? Why simply could they have walked away? There was a lot of brainwashing, persuasion, convincing, etc. about the nightmares in the United States. The fear of a nuclear holocaust was present until the 1980s. Annie Moore wrote "We died because you did not let us live" as her final words in her suicide letter found in Jonestown. Sadly, I believe that Jones and his inner circle could have stopped the suicide if they chose too but we'll never know. The author does mention the 270 children who first died in Jonestown on November 18, 1978 followed by the elderly. The People's Temple has been misunderstood becaues they did do a lot of humanitarian projects in San Francisco such as care for the elderly, the sick, the drug addicts, alcoholics, outcasts of society. The People's Temple had dedicated followers like Grace Stoen who was empowered to do something positive for the community. Of course, Jones has a lot of blame to be dumped on him for obvious reasons simply because he was their leader and thought of all the potential ways to prevent resistance, escapes, etc. For all the good that the People's Temple did, it was equally met by a horrendous outcome that happened on November 18, 1978. Yes, this book helps explain Jones and his relationships with the women in the temple but there is more and there will always be more to People's Temple, Jonestown, and Jim Jones.

Required reading, but not the final word.
The author makes a fairly cogent point about the fact that most interpretations of Jonestown do not allow for the agency of the women involved with Jones and their power within the circle of power that organized and ran the organization in all three of its phases. That said, there is much that is left out, and I was disappointed because there is so much more research out there that is not even listed in her bibliography. Her history is lacking, too, in that she refers to the Unification church as the first media reference to concerns about cults and brainwashing, when in fact, the root of cult concerns goes back to Charles Manson and the media interpretation of what happened there -- particularly in references to his female followers. A major gap, in my humble opinion, that speaks to a lack of historical awareness on the part of the author.

Still, it's a very interesting book, and one that had me turning the pages fast enough that I was able to read the entire thing in one uninterrupted day. I learned much that was valuable in the sense of what the socialism of Jonestown stood for and why it was important, which leads me to some other areas of research. That's always exciting.

I would say it should be required reading for any serious scholar of Jonestown, but certainly not the final word. ... Read more

Product Description
A brief biographical account of Jones and a description of his church and the mass suicide which he inspired. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic
The Rev Jim Jones is so right about everything he says.This book should be read by everybody considering mass worship, it has certainly changed mine and Ood's lives.A must for every serious cult fan... ... Read more