"Inside Out tells a riveting story of life inside a fringe group of political activists, not unlike the SLA and others that emerged from the U.S. Left in the 1970s. With passion, insight, and wit, Stein unravels the mystery of this secretive cult called the O. – a tale made all the more real because of the author’s frankness about her own 10-year involvement with the group. The processes of induction and indoctrination, and the increasing devotion of O. members, who over time are exploited by a corrupt leader, come alive in absorbing detail. This book makes a significant contribution to the study of the social psychology of closed groups, as well as to our understanding of fanaticism and idealism gone astray – all subjects of compelling importance in this post-9/11 world."
Janja Lalich, Ph.D. Department of Sociology
California State University, Chico
Coauthor: Captive Hearts, Captive Minds and Cults in our Midst
Alexandra Stein was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has also lived in England, France and the United States. She has a Ph.D in Sociology and a Masters in Liberal Studies, both from the University of Minnesota. Her academic focus is on the social psychology of extremist groups. She also writes creative non-fiction and has won two writing awards from The Loft and a Norcroft residency.
Inside Out is published by:
NORTH STAR PRESS OF ST. CLOUD, Inc.
P..O. Box 451, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56302
(320) 558-9062
nspress@cloudnet.com
