Baker

The author does her best to present the information in an unbiased manner, albeit the listener can't help but draw inevitable conclusions about the Church of Scientology from the facts and eye witness testimony presented within. The book begins with a history of LRH and how the church itself evolved over the years. Although most people will tend to be interested in the later stuff involving Tom Cruise (which is quite fascinating), the author does a good job of covering all aspects of the church's history.

Several themes crop up again and again, among them are the church's insatiable appetite for money collection, repeated use of lawyers to bully church "enemies", and the ultra-secretive nature of the church's "cannon". The author also shows the very subtle way that people are lured into the religion. At the surface the church promotes very practical applications of "LRH technology" such as auditing to rid the mind of unpleasant memories or reading/scholastic programs to help children learn. However, these are merely for show. At the heart of scientology is a manipulative program designed to draw people deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole until they end up turning over a significant portion of their income to the church.

All of this is done in a rather entertaining fashion with a really good narrator. Some parts were actually quite shocking. Highly recommended.

Really enjoyed listening to it. I am finishing my second listen. Because of the material involved, most Americans will find the book interesting and a almost like a bit of closure on the whole 9/11 incident. The author did a great job of getting accurate information, which is important for this historical event. Thanks.

For people who enjoy television shows like "24" or Tom Clancy type of movies/books, you'll likely love this book as much as I did. A unique story with some action, lots of suspense, and good dialog. I also like that the story remained focus on events that happen over a few days and doesn't try to become overly epic. It has the right amount of depth without getting overly complicated. The great story is topped off with a brilliant narrator.

Suspenseful, gripping, nice plot twists, good character developments, good pacing to the story. Thoroughly enjoyed it.