It’s impossible to put this book down - incredible story, so well researched and well told.

I've lost friends to OneTaste and had to bail out of a work retreat accidentally programmed at a venue owned by OneTaste founders. Very glad @ellenhuet.bsky.social exposed the manipulation driving it. Here she is in convo with Jules Evans (www.ecstaticintegration.org).

🎙️ON AIR: We're talking to investigative journalist and features writer @ellenhuet.bsky.social about OneTaste, a company dedicated to “orgasmic meditation,” and how its cult-like nature led to a criminal conviction. ❓ Did you have a connection with OneTaste? Tell us about it. 📻 Listen:

📖 Today, a Story Time episode featuring @ellenhuet.bsky.social reading from her new book, EMPIRE OF ORGASM: SEX, POWER, AND THE DOWNFALL OF A WELLNESS CULT (MCD Books). 🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Truly, it’s a bonkers story that you should absolutely read.

One charismatic person takes their trauma or extreme life experience and draws universal truths from it. Start charging money for those truths. Add in attachment theory/victim blaming. And gear everything towards getting young women to have sex with old men they are not attracted to.

Ooh boy, this is a wild one. It’s meticulously reported and compellingly written by @ellenhuet.bsky.social. I’ve read a lot about cults and this has all the hallmarks.

They felt safe telling each other something most people wouldn’t understand: they kind of wanted to join a cult again, Audrey said, “because we’re bored and lonely.” #SundaySentence from the riveting Empire of Orgasm by @ellenhuet.bsky.social #Booksky💙📚

Just found out about this book via this post and IMMEDIATELY went to my library’s website to place a hold

This deeply sad article by @ellenhuet.bsky.social and @rachelmetz.bsky.social made me think of Eleanor Rigby: All the lonely people. Where do they all come from? www.bloomberg.com/features/202... (Aside: Paul McCartney's songwriting always struck me as a depressive trying hard to stay cheerful.)

IT’S PUB DAY BABY HELL YEAH

Happy publication day @ellenhuet.bsky.social!!

On the latest podcast episode, @ellenhuet.bsky.social discussed her book investigating the true story of OneTaste, a sex wellness cult. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

Ayyyy @ellenhuet.bsky.social

Breaking News: Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller who is running for mayor, was detained by ICE agents at an immigration court as he tried to escort a migrant out of the courthouse to prevent his arrest. nyti.ms/4jWkANE

NEW from me: a quick profile of Alexandr Wang, who left his company Scale to become one of Meta's most $$$ expensive hires with some fun details like - why his name is missing an e - how YC thought he "may be arrogant or brilliant" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

“I was born here,” Jason Brian Gavidia shouted as a federal agent twisted his arm & pressed him against a fence outside his auto body shop in a working-class L.A. suburb. “I’m an American, bro!” Vivid @nytimes.com reporting on the targeting of U.S. citizens of Hispanic descent.

NEW: @kateclark.bsky.social and i went deep on the unhinged spying saga between Rippling and Deel for @BW (and this gif!!!) two of the world's most valuable startups are volleying accusations back and forth at the center is one alleged spy, who says he smashed his phone w an axe (!)

Ron Chernow’s new book about Mark Twain is more about disappointment than success

NEW @bloomberg.com feature from me on @hf0.bsky.social, the 12-wk live-in startup accelerator that calls itself a "monastery for hackers" at HF0, founders tune out all distractions and build. the coaching incorporates mindfulness (and cold plunges) gift link 🎁: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

this is, regrettably, very me www.wsj.com/lifestyle/fo...

Kudos to the student journalists at The Tufts Daily, who crashed a last-minute issue of the paper to cover the outrageous arrest and detention of Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk: issuu.com/tuftsdaily/d...

a summary: nymag.com/intelligence...

somehow this is the funniest part of the rippling-deel spy lawsuit to me. of course there's a dogs slack channel, and of course that's a channel you preview but don't join

new cult-ish content! i wrote a short explainer about the Zizians for @bloomberg.com's daily tech newsletter trying to answer: In what ways are the Zizians representative of the rationalist/AI safety/EA world, and in what ways do they deviate? gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

i talked about robot anxiety and why we take it out by vandalizing Waymos with @morgansung.bsky.social for Close All Tabs! podcast podcast podcast. also including @rcalo.bsky.social

a fascinating longread in nymag from @anya1anya.bsky.social about ISTA -- the neo-tantra group that promised sexual healing but faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse www.thecut.com/article/the-...

Earlier today the LA Times had AI-generated counterpoints to a column from @gustavoarellano.bsky.social. His piece argued that Anaheim, the city he grew up in, should not forget its KKK past. The AI "well, actually"-ed the KKK. It has since been taken off the piece. www.latimes.com/california/s...

NEW: security researchers found what they say appears to be a backdoor into Eight Sleep beds, which could allow company engineers to SSH into any bed in theory, they could see if you're home or not, if you're sleeping alone or with someone in today's newsletter for @bloomberg.com

after the ban-unban whiplash, my favorite tiktok culture analyst @carmeldea.bsky.social kept telling our group chat that the tiktok vibes were off. so i turned her thoughts into a newsletter for @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

I recently finished listening the final episode of the Foundering. I thoroughly enjoyed the storytelling by @ellenhuet.bsky.social. If you’re interested in captivating stories about real people and events, I highly recommend checking it out. #bloomberg #openai #samaltman

genuinely curious if the term "masculine energy" is getting thrown around more in tech/sf circles right now than it was a year or two ago

NEW businessweek feature from me, all about ZYN!!! - how zyn's popularity could put the product at risk - deep dive into zynfluencer mania (e.g. man in zyn costume on scooter) - PLUS, in a feat of gonzyn journalism, i try a 6mg zyn and almost barf gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Such a pleasure to work on this with @ellenhuet.bsky.social. She even tried an upper deckie for journalism! 🎁 Gift Link: Zyn’s Online Hype Risks Leading to the Nicotine Pouches’ Downfall www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

excellent @ering.bsky.social piece that gets to the heart of a key question in vc right now www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/t...

What happens when a mall dies? In my latest newsletter, I visit two of San Francisco's moribund shopping spaces -- the former Twitter building, and the former Westfield mall. What I find is very liminal. buttondown.com/thehypothesi...

Luigi Mangione’s mother reported him missing to San Francisco police last month The alleged shooter had reportedly gone dark with friends and family in recent months sfstandard.com/2024/12/09/l...

a terrifying investigation everyone should read, from @jackiedavalos.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

for bloomberg's Tech Daily newsletter, a little riff on the question: what makes humans want to attack waymos and other robot cars? ft. @rcalo.bsky.social talking about robots' "twilight" liminal nature, and also ft. hitchBOT, may it rest in peace www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

i’m going to remember this piece for a long time: www.esquire.com/news-politic...

i hate pumpkin pie but i love discussing cultivars