Inside Scientology

The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion

By: Janet Reitman

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Scientology, created in 1954 by a prolific sci-fi writer named L. Ron Hubbard, claims to be the world's fastest-growing religion, with millions of members around the world and huge financial holdings. Its celebrity believers keep its profile high, and its teams of "volunteer ministers" offer aid at disaster sites such as Haiti and the World Trade Center. But Scientology is also a notably closed faith, harassing journalists and others through litigation and intimidation, even infiltrating the highest levels of government to further its goals. Its attacks on psychiatry and its requirement that believers pay as much as tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars for salvation have drawn scrutiny and skepticism. And ex-members use the Internet to share stories of harassment and abuse.

Now Janet 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 to today, following its metamorphosis from a pseudoscientific self-help group to a worldwide spiritual corporation with profound control over its followers and even ex-followers.

Based on five years of research, unprecedented access to church officials, confidential documents, and extensive interviews with current and former Scientologists, this is the defining book about a little-known world.

©2011 Janet Reitman (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A detailed and readable examination of the life of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the church, and his successor, David Miscavige." ( Publishers Weekly)

A cautionary tale for the uninitiated

What did you love best about Inside Scientology?

I've always been somewhat wary of Scientology ever since meeting a few of them in my college days. The book is very good about giving a history of the organization and it's founder L.Ron Hubbard, a singularly greedy megalomanical individual.

Who was your favorite character and why?

For me there were no likeable characters. They all seemed very damaged and harmed by Dianetics/ Scientology. Although I'm very sympathetic towards their stories, I can't help but feel that their continuing desire to clear the planet which is a tenet of their belief is so misguided.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were multiple vignettes that painted a very colorful picture of the organization. I could almost feel the frustration and pain of the musical chairs incident that was organized by David Miscavige, another thoroughly loathsome individual.

If you could give Inside Scientology a new subtitle, what would it be?

Scientology : A Cautionary Tale, be advised.

Any additional comments?

There was an apocryphal story told about L.Ron Hubbard, where he stated that a man could become extremely wealthy if he started his own religion. Hubbard began a self help movement which was in reality a cult of personality from the base of his science fiction writing. Hubbard is American as any snake oil salesman, as much a fabric of the American subculture as was Aimee McPherson, Joseph Smith and a whole cadre of founders of other looney religious movements.

Good audible book

What did you love best about Inside Scientology?

I found this an interesting book and interesting to get the Hubbard background.

What other book might you compare Inside Scientology to and why?

Under the banner of god, I think is the name of the book I would compare this to.

What about Stephen Hoye’s performance did you like?

I did like his reading.

If you could give Inside Scientology a new subtitle, what would it be?

What are you getting into exactly?

Any additional comments?

I was unsure about this but I am glad to have listened.

Interesting but too much repetition

From chapter to chapter some parts of the history are repeated verbatim 2 or 3 chapters in ha row. It was so bad I double checked to see if I had restarted a chapter. I could understand the repetition several chapters later, but back-to-back it comes across as poor editing.

Overall an interesting account of the complicated evolution of an unusual organization.

Good story but, not a great reading

Would you try another book from Janet Reitman and/or Stephen Hoye?

Maybe, I thought the story was really compelling but the reading/reader was hard to listen to

Interesting book

I was curious about the church. The book covers mostly the history and scandal surrounding Scientology. I found it interesting.

Tedious.

Would you try another book from Janet Reitman and/or Stephen Hoye?

Yes.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

1. So what?2. People are dumb.3. I wouldn't insult sheep by saying, people are sheep.4. At least it's over.5. I already knew they were nuts, now I know just HOW nuts.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I love Hoye's voice, but he, and certainly the producers of this audiobook, should check the pronunciations of expressions of foreign origins. The BEST part of this otherwise pretty boring book is Hoye's pronunciation of "ne plus ultra." Knee plus ultra = a good laugh.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

This book is interesting but the subject matter is not worthy of the detail it is given and, consequently, it's kinda' boring. The book also repeats the same facts or ideas frequently. It needs editing. Hoye has got a great voice.

Scientology explained

Wow! I was very impressed with this book. It gives you a real look inside one of the most mysterious religions movements. I always thought Scientology was a weird religion but never knew exactly what it was about. This book really lays out the movement foundations and its current state.

The narrator was great. Never a dull moment.

Excellent book about a dangerous Cult

It is amazing that even the IRS is afraid of this organization which is clearly a for profit business and not a religion. This is as much of a cult as the one that Jim Jones ran. This book tells it all.

A comprehensive look at Scientology

I’ve read a lot of books about Scientology but I believe this is the most comprehensive book on the topic that I have ever read. I wish author would do an updated version since so much has happened since the books publication, namely Leah Remini’s Scientology and the Aftermath and Marty Rathbun’s seemingly deal with the devil to stop speaking out about Scientology. But even though the book is a little bit dated, it is excellent.

My cup of tea.

I am not an ex-Scientologist, I am not a member of any anti-Scientologist organization, and I am not affiliated in anyway with Scientology. I feel I must preface that. :) As one who is interested in many religions, cults and worship practices; this was definitely my cup of tea. The book was well written and the narration was FANTASTIC. Out of pure curiosity, I have visited many ex Scientology websites, watched the YouTube videos from Anonymous and ex members, I have been to the websites about Lisa McPherson and I have read a lot of Hubbard's teachings and information. There is a lot of in-depth information about Lisa McPherson in this book and I must say it was fascinating and of course, sad. The book flows nicely between the past and present and weaves in stories of ex members seamlessly. I was particularly interested Hubbard's relationship with John Whiteside Parsons. Parsons' relationship to the occult and Aleister Crowley was fascinating and did lead me to do some fun research. There are many things that disturbed me about this book, and it was not the writing or the author, it was the alleged forced abortions, abuse of church members, young children being shipped off to live, work obey and dress a tyrannical leader and also, this book does passively imply that Charles Manson may have used Hubbard's techniques in controlling his flock or "family" to commit the infamous Sharon Tate murders. This book delves deep into the realm of Scientology we "outsiders" do not experience and gives first hand knowledge of the inside from ex members, which I very much appreciated. I did not feel the author had contempt or ill will toward David Miscavige, or Scientology in general, but wanted to get to the bottom of the rumors, bad press and basically tell the story of what Scientology is and why Scientology is "a big deal." If you are interested in Scientology, get this book. I definitely wanted to hear more.