Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple Paperback – November 9, 1999

Seductive Poison / 0-385-48984-6I purchased "Seductive Poison" after watching the intense Jonestown documentary. I was fascinated by the story, and hoped to learn more about it - and the memoirs of the intelligent ex-member Deborah Layton, interviewed in the documentary, seemed to be the best place to start."Seductive Poison" tells the story of Deborah's life, from her rebellious teenage years, her indoctrination into the church at a time when she needed guidance and stability, and her eventual escape from Jonestown. Her attempts to warn the outside world of the terrible conditions of Jonestown - where back-breaking labor was mandatory, sleep was all but forbidden, and torture was a constant reality - and to try to rescue the inhabitants of Jonestown were the stimulus behind Congressman Ryan's ill-fated visit. Deborah speaks heart-breakingly of the mass suicides, explaining that suicide was preferable to being shot in an impossible escape attempt... and death was preferable to the living nightmare that Jonestown had become.I am grateful to Layton for her unflinching account of her life inside Jim Jones' cult. There is a wealth of detail here, and it is frightening and fascinating to learn that Jones was not simply a 'good man' corrupted over time by power or madness; even from the beginning, he was controlling and domineering, insisting that members leave school, donate property, and break up families in order to be nearer to him. I was disappointed slightly to find that there is not a very good feel here for WHY some of Jones' more outrageous behavior was believed and condoned - we must accept that his followers were intelligent, normal people, and yet it seems odd that they should, on the face of things, appear so gullible. Case in point, when Jim's "second-in-command" Carolyn goes missing for a little over nine months and returns with an infant - blonde and pale-skinned, despite the fact that the baby was "supposedly" the product of a brutal rape in a Mexican prison. And what are we to make of the fact that Jones insisted that all men (except him) were homosexuals? Why did he have so many married male followers who chose to believe this? Deborah, unfortunately, cannot shed a great deal of light on why an intelligent adult would choose to believe such things - she was brought into the church as an inexperienced, bewildered seventeen year old. She does explain that the constant lack of sleep (even in the early days of the church), the admonitions to speak or think critically, and the fear of losing your friends and loved ones (people who left the church were shunned) helped pave the way to unthinkingly accepting all that Jones said or did.Possibly the most infuriating aspect of this book is not the actions of Jones, but rather the actions and inactions of the American officials charged with protecting Layton and her fellow members. US consul Dick McCoy stands out in particular, as if even half of Layton's narrative is true, the man comes off as being either criminally stupid or just plain criminal. The consulate does the absolute bare minimum to help Layton escape back to America, completely fails to visit Jonestown on their regularly scheduled basis - including failing to return to Jonestown for MONTHS after Layton's statement of the terrible conditions there, and steadfastly urges Layton to refrain from going to the press. Layton is surprisingly kind to the consulate, willing to chalk their behavior up to sheer idiocy and incompetence, but considering that the consulate was apparently aware of the fact that Jones was smuggling in guns and thought it was a joking matter, I'm more apt to wonder if some money wasn't changing hands. Even so, bribery can't explain the sheer apathy Deborah faces back in the states, with congressmen lazily asking her "why didn't you just leave" and apparently not grasping the fact that one cannot "just leave" a madman armed with guns, brainwashed guards, and the ability to torture and kill all your loved ones. Even brave Congressman Ryan fails to understand the depth of the situation and apparently does not genuinely believe Layton's concerns - that if anyone goes to Jonestown, they will be killed by Jim Jones and his terrified guards.The lesson of "Seductive Poison" is that friends and family do not join 'cults' - they join organizations, churches, and peace movements that draw them in with lofty ideals, allow them to make friends and bonds within the group, and then prey upon them by making them feel that leaving the group will entail leaving all their loved ones within the group behind. I would also add that any organization that feels it knows better for you that YOU do and wishes to pressure and order you to conform (like when Jones urges students to drop out of high school in order to be closer to the church) is an organization that is using you for its own means, rather than allowing you to flourish with their support and advice.~ Ana Mardoll

Ever since reading "Raven," I've been consumed with thoughts and questions about Jonestown. Why did Peoples Temple members so willingly follow Jim Jones? Did they want to die, or did they feel they had no choice? Could I ever fall prey to a cult? What was life really like in Jonestown? Did anyone enjoy it there? Did they realize they had been duped?Deborah Layton's book will give shape to some of those answers. But I suspect that even she, on some level, can't exactly explain why she fell under Jim Jones's spell as a headstrong and rebellious teenager. But she tries, and the result is haunting.The first part of the book is very good, but when she arrives in Jonestown for the first time, my blood turned cold. The story really gets rolling from there.Her descriptions of life there are the kind of in-depth, firsthand account I've been craving. Your heart will break for the people who are trapped in Jonestown. Layton's book is populated with humanizing stories of other temple members, such as Beth, Jim Jones's daughter-in-law, and Mary, one of the workers in the kitchen. Her book is a more intimate view of some of these people, and she makes them come to life.The story of Layton's post-Jonestown life and recovery are interesting, too. Her anxiety about being found by the temple and killed is palpable. Hell, I don't know how she slept at all in the time period between escaping and the massacre.This book has it all: heartbreak over her agonizing decision to leave her mother behind, her fear for her brother, Larry, suspense when she begins to plot her escape and terror when the wheels go into motion, and at every turn, temple members are intercepting her.Wow, wow, wow. If you are at all interested in the subject of Jonestown, this one is a MUST READ. Layton is so brave for sharing her story and giving the rest of us a glimpse into the events of the Peoples Temple.

I read this book after hearing about it in an article recently, given the anniversary of the horrible events in Guyana. It's a compelling story, well-told and I truly could not put it down. I read it in 2 days.I felt so sorry for Debbie Layton, her family and all the others who were fooled into joining Jones' so-called church. I was very young when the events in Jonestown occurred, and I learned a lot of things from this book that I never knew (socialism/communism link, government complacency, etc). Before reading Layton's account, I admit I was skeptical. How could any reasonable person fall into a cult? But after reading this, I can feel the desperation of Layton when she was recruited. She was very young, vulnerable and insecure. She was the perfect target for Jones. I think that anyone with an interest in psychology, cults, religion or true-crime would thoroughly enjoy Layton's account. I hope the people who escaped Jonestown have found peace.

If you've ever watched or read anything about the Jonestown story and the lives involved, read this book. It's an insider - a real insider - view of a topic the general public never hears about. Unfiltered, honest and at times brutal, this memoir will leave you with a new compassion and empathy for the people who get involved in cult life.

This book shows you how a person’s mind can be controlled by cult leaders. Anyone can fall into the trap of a cult. Cults also consult with one another to learn the tricks and to work together to keep governments and concerned relatives at bay.

Having read the ‘Manson’ story as an opener regarding cults, I was interested to take the cult phenomenon to the next stage.For the likes of you and I it is almost impossible to comprehend how anyone with half a brain could get sucked into something like this. I think it is fair to say that only certain kinds of intellect are susceptible and vulnerable to this type of brainwashing – but they are out there if you look long and hard enough and know what you are looking for … and cult leaders do know!This book is a fascinating and very worthwhile read, and of course it's a very tragic tale. Whilst we learn a lot about the ways and so called ideals of Jim Jones, you never really discover what motivates him? I t certainly wasn’t money, even though he had millions of dollars at his disposal. It wasn’t the good life or even a comfortable life – all against his socialist values of course, but he was a fake! Was it a power trip or were he simply delusional and an ace manipulator? There’s no doubt he was cunningly clever, he could mix above his station – all were taken in by him. Did he simply lose his way and become s dictator?So why did it all turn so sour and why couldn’t he just build his lovely little ‘socialist’ haven and treat his congregation with respect – he seemed to have the money and the wherewithal to do exactly that. Perhaps these people defy logic and can't be worked out?I can only suggest that you read it and see what you think?My only complaint about his excellent book is that there are no pictures of the devastation and carnage that Jonestown became, though there are plenty on the net. I do feel the end of this awful tale should have been shown here – it really would have finished this read off perfectly andemphasised the tragedy of it all. Some of the overhead shots of the aftermath will stay with me forever!

Fantastic read from start to finish......my heart was pounding towards the end of the book! I am buying the hard copy as a gift for someone. You won't be disappointed ....... Buy it!