"Every day, new and strange cases of violence and crime spring up throughout the world. In this collection of strange stories, the Associated Press examines the furthest edge of society's criminal behavior, cults - and their obsessive, egomaniacal leaders. Many of these stories unfold under normal circumstances: people looking to believe in something greater and seeking somewhere to belong. From the "friendly" sci-fi cult led by Marshall Applewhite to the group led by Beatles-loving Charles Manson, the faces of cult crime emerge. What drives people to embrace cults and their sometimes criminal behavior? AP journalists and photographers take a first-hand look at the world's most famous cases of doomsday cults."--Back cover.