Scott Carney's 'A Death on Diamond Mountain: A True Story of Obsession, Madness, and the Path to Enlightenment" is, as the summary points out, "an exploration of how those who go to extremes to achieve divine revelations—and undertake it in illusory ways—can tangle with madness." As a psychology student, I found the author's research to be quite fascinating. I can almost empathize with Mr. Thorson as there was a point in my life where I searched for answers and may have crossed the 'boundaries of normalcy' once or twice, but never to the levels of those in this book. I also like how Mr. Carney discussed the fad of mixing and matching religious traditions in order to 'reach a more enlightened state'. I've noticed this myself with some of the 'nouveau fad' religions that often spring up around the nation.
Overall, Mr. Carney's book provides fascinating insights into some of the cultlike practices that many of these groups use, and how they can be dangerous for those involved. I would recommend this book to those interested in investigative journalism or to those who are interested in studying cults. I won this book from the Goodreads.com website in exchange for a review.
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