Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman

As this book was released a few months ago there was much talk that this was the definitive biography or expose of Scientology.

Reitman tries to be objective but once the end of the book is reached it is clear that the overwhelming evidence is that the church is a church in name only to get the tax breaks.

If one wants to believe that it is a self help program that is more reasonable but this is an out there religion.

L Ron Hubbard created a cult of personality but the goalposts for what the church was and would be kept moving.

One must pay for all teaching in Scientology.Someone has made a fortune off this church.

The organization changes, Hubbard's personal guard and the strong arm methods used to go after anyone that speaks ill of the church all are covered. We learn about the Sea Guard his personal Navy.

This is some odd stuff.

Recruiting celebrities is a big part of the exposure growth and Tom Cruise becomes the biggest. Even Cruise when he advances to level three and finds out as he put it " the science fiction bullshit" goes off the reservation and has to be lured back to Scientology in the late nineties. Since then however he has become the face and even found himself mired in controversies as his attacks on pyshciatry become a lttle too heated for America's favorite movie star.

An interesting book. An odd thing to be sucked into. How anyone knowing of the space alien theme can still consider the faith as real is a stretch one finds it hard to understand.