NB: I received a finished copy of this book as part of a marketing campaign, but that has not affected the content of my review. This book was disappointing and pretty poorly written, but not worthless. There are far better books about Scientology out there, so don’t make this your first stop. But there are a few interesting glimmers here I haven’t read in any other Scientology books, so if the subject matter is something that really gets you going, you may want to check Ruthless out […]
Fascination and Understanding
My beloved and I have been watching Leah Remini’s fascinating and savvy documentary series, Scientology and the Aftermath, and have been incredibly impressed by the sincere passion and compassion she is bringing to the topic. Having long been fascinated by the cult, I am often amazed when discovering people I would otherwise respect or think of as sensible were members, including Remini herself. It’s a judgmental attitude born of my curiosity about the group and this book goes a long way to change that for […]
Of course, no religion can prove that it is “true.”
I’m honestly a little bit afraid to write this review, having learned what I learned by reading Going Clear. I don’t want to crap out and not write a review. Other Cannonballers have been brave. What am I so afraid of? An aggressively, violently litigious organization with enormous reach that picks legal and physical fights with anyone who questions their legitimacy. A for-profit company that practically bankrupted the US Treasury in their fight for IRS-recognized status as a religion. An abusive institution that uses its […]
Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?
Part memoir and part exposé, I feel like this book could be alternately titled Leah Remini: Giver of No Fucks. First off, I have been fascinated by Scientology for years now; more specifically the mindset behind the religion, how it came to be created, and how it has flourished over the years. It is straight up bananas. It’s like a real life science fiction story come to life. I think my first big introduction to it was Paul Haggis’s essay about Scientology after he left […]
At least it wasn’t Piers Anthony’s Utopia
If you’ve read the book Going Clear or seen the HBO documentary of the same name, the coercive tactics and cult-like secrecy used by the Church of Scientology will come as no surprise to you. What makes Beyond Belief unique is the inside view of the actual structure of the Sea Org itself. Jenna Miscavige is the niece of David Miscavige, the spiritual and financial head of the church. Her parents left their comfortable life in their custom built dream home to join the […]
Breaking with Scientology
Narfna wrote her review of Leah Remini’s Troublemaker yesterday afternoon and mentioned it being hard to put down and she was right! I picked this one up after my nephew went to bed last night (we were babysitting) and only had about 50 pages left to read by the time my husband requested we also go to bed. Scientology and their shady practices have garnered a lot of press over the last few years following the escape & testimonials of many high ranking people and […]