Raven book cover

Raven by Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs Summary

Raven
Tim Reiterman with John Jacobs
4.32 (2625 Reviews)
History
Biography
Society
Overview
Key Takeaways
Author
FAQs

Overview of Raven

The definitive account of Jonestown's horror, "Raven" won the PEN Award for exposing Jim Jones's deadly manipulation. Reiterman survived the airstrip attack before 900 died, revealing a chilling truth: it wasn't mass suicide - it was murder. Soon an HBO miniseries.

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Key takeaways

1

The Untold Story of Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

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Part 1: The Making of a Messiah

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I first encountered Jim Jones and Peoples Temple as a journalist for the San Francisco Examiner in the mid-1970s. What b

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Jim Jones was born in 1931 in rural Indiana, a lonely child with an absent father and a mother who worked long hours. Fr

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In 1956, Jones founded his own church in Indianapolis, which he called Peoples Temple. He preached a message of racial i

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But even in these early days, there were troubling signs. Jones claimed to have psychic powers and performed fake faith

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Part 2: The Move to California

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In 1965, convinced that nuclear war was imminent, Jones moved his congregation to Northern California. The Temple flouri

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On the surface, the Temple appeared to be a model of progressive values. It ran social programs, protested for civil rig

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One former member described the psychological manipulation: "You were always told you were selfish. You were always told

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@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
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likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

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likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
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star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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483

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