The Program, Toni Natalie
The Program, Toni Natalie
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The Program
Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM

Author: Toni Natalie, Chet Hardin

Narrator: Toni Natalie

Unabridged: 7 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/24/2019


Synopsis

As seen in the HBO docuseries THE VOW: A jaw-dropping insider look into the world of the so-called "Hollywood Sex Cult" NXIVM chronicling the rise of enigmatic cult leader, Keith Raniere, from its "Patient Zero," his former girlfriend and test subject for his coercive control techniques.
Many have heard of NXIVM and its creator, Keith Raniere, the unassuming Albany man now prosecuted for ensnaring tens of thousands of people in the US, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere, to do his bidding and pay millions of dollars to participate in his self-improvement methodology. But where did Keith Raniere begin?

Enter Toni Natalie, Keith's Patient Zero, the first one indoctrinated into Raniere's methodology and the first one to escape. THE PROGRAM begins with the origin story of NXIVM, follows its rise to international prominence, and takes the reader into the downfall of Raniere through Toni's eyes. During this time she bore witness to the evolution of his methodology, including his use of sex, blackmail, and employment of psychological tools such as neuro-linguistic programming to control and punish those who would not heed his wishes. She uniquely details the fortunes lost and the lives left in disarray that she witnessed contemporaneously, including members of DOS, a group of women coerced into sexual acts under the guise of a "women's empowerment" inner circle, whom Raniere exercised extreme control over directly and through his lieutenants.

But far from being a victim's story, in the spirit of Erin Brockovich, Toni's is a nuanced narrative of a multi-dimensional woman saving herself, and then working tirelessly to help other women do the same for themselves. Today, Toni is happy, reunited with her son, and surrounded by friends and family--it is this perspective that makes her such a unique storyteller.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Sarah on July 17, 2016

Hurwitz writes very satisfying thrillers. This one is about a cult, how they recruit and keep members. While his good guy characters are rather mythic and very macho, he books are great to listen to during the daily commute.......more

Goodreads review by Mike on August 15, 2017

Rackley, who's been ex-communicated from the Justice Dept, is asked by a well-to-do couple to look for their young daughter. She's been absorbed into a self-help cult, who has isolated her from the world, insinuated itself into her finances and does her thinking for her. Tim, along with his deputy wi......more

Goodreads review by Lena on July 26, 2007

The Program tells the story of a disgraced cop who redeems himself by infiltrating a dangerous cult to rescue a vulnerable young woman. Hurwitz has done his research and writes with convincing detail about the methodology behind aggressive recruitment techniques, offshore financial shenanigans, and......more

Goodreads review by Jim on February 04, 2017

Extraordinary and explosive, author Gregg Hurwitz', "The Program", is far superior to the first book in his Tim Rackley series, ("The Kill Clause"). I was a bit worried getting into second book of this series after first book really didn't sit very well with me. However, Gregg Hurwitz is an intense......more

Goodreads review by Abibliofob on April 29, 2021

Tim Rackley, somtimes a US Marshall is one of my new heroes. The Program By Gregg Hurwitz is the second book in this series and in this one he faces the troubles that comes with cults. A man wants his help getting his daughter out from a group and then the troubles really start. How do you go about......more