“The Light on Synanon: How a country weekly exposed a corporate cult - and won the Pulitzer Prize” Seaview Books, 1980

Co-written by journalists Dave Mitchell and Cathy Mitchell and Professor Richard Ofshe, University of California, Berkeley, this book presents a remarkable account of courageous journalism. Despite intimidation from a multi-million dollar corporate cult, and at risk to themselves, the Mitchells continued to publish reports on Synanon in their small town weekly newspaper at a time when  nationwide media outlets had fallen silent - fearful of Synanon’s litigation campaign against the media. For its exposé of Synanon, the Point Reyes Light newspaper won the Pulitzer Gold Medal for Meritorious Public Service in 1979. This important book records crucial details of Synanon cult history that are largely ignored in some historical accounts.

- Suggested reading in the AA Minority Report

See also:  “The Social Development of the Synanon Cult: The Managerial Strategy of Organizational Transformation” by Richard Ofshe, University of California, Berkeley: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3709903?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents