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Jane Borden's "Cults Like Us: Why Doomsday Thinking Drives America" develops a simple thesis: The English Pilgrims who famously landed at Plymouth Rock were essentially a doomsday cult — even if they lacked a charismatic leader — and together with the Puritans who followed them passed on seven key elements of belief that have shaped America ever since.

There are more complex ideas behind this thesis, as Borden draws on a wide range of insightful research, lending nuance and depth to her argument.

Any one of Borden's fascinating chapters could warrant an interview in itself.

Even movements led by feminists and Black separatists resonate with the same constellation of beliefs, as Borden demonstrates with harrowing examples.

Mr El Paraiso told the leaseholders the investor had bought flats in nearby Borden Court from landlords who were making a loss on them.