Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman | Open Library (original) (raw)

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The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion

Inside Scientology

The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion

by Janet Reitman

Reitman offers the first full, journalistic history of the Church of Scientology, in an even-handed account that at last establishes the astonishing truth about the controversial religion. She traces Scientology's development from the birth of Dianetics through to the present day.

Subjects

Religion Scientology New York Times bestseller nyt:e-book_nonfiction=2011-07-16 Scientologists Dianetics Cults United states, religion

Places

United States

Book Details


First Sentence

"The limestone and granite Church of Scientology in midtown Manhattan is located just northwest of Times Square, at 227 West 46th Street. Blending in seamlessly amid Broadway theaters, restaurants, and hotels, the place is very easy to miss, though it is seven stories tall and marked with a large metal awning proclaiming SCIENTOLOGY in gold letters."

Table of Contents

Introduction: The world's fastest-growing religion

II: The bridge to total freedom

Travels with the commodore

IV: The celebrity strategy

The seduction of Tom Cruise

Epilogue: What is true for you

Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Published in

Boston

Copyright Date

2011

The Physical Object

Pagination

224 p. ;

Number of pages

444

Edition Identifiers

Open Library

OL24881847M

ISBN 13

9780618883028

LCCN

2010049837

OCLC/WorldCat

651912263

Work Identifiers

Work ID

OL15976757W

Source records

Work Description

Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion, is based on confidential documents, more than 100 interviews with current and former Scientologists, and five years of research. This book confirms the astonishing truth within the controversial religion. Scientology conjures images of its celebrity believers, its notably aggressive response to criticism or its attacks on psychiatry, and its requirement that believers pay as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars to reach the highest levels of salvation. In Inside Scientology Reitman reveals all, starting with how the singular L. Ron Hubbard transformed a self-help group into a worldwide spiritual corporation. As Hubbard became increasingly paranoid and reclusive, a young acolyte named David Miscavige assumed control. After Hubbard's death in 1986, Miscavige quickly purged the ranks and began to transform the church once again. Miscavige has overseen some of the church's greatest triumphs -- among them a controversial billion-dollar IRS tax exemption and Tom Cruise's emergence as a vocal advocate -- but he has also created a climate of fear and intimidation, according to ex-members whose stories of abuse Reitman shares. Reitman is the first to examine Miscavige's twenty-five year reign and what it might mean for the future of the church. - Publisher.

Excerpts

De Vocht witnessed numerous séances, including those where Miscavige himself would stand up and reveal someone's crimes, having combed through their auditing folders. Well, people had very little sleep, they were eating rice and beans, they were half psychotic from working such long hours, and they'd go into a frenzy.

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