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Let's sell these people A Piece of Blue Sky
Let’s sell these people a Piece of Blue Sky: the new, unexpurgated, unabridged version of the classic history of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. Exposing Hubbard’s false claims to be a war hero, a nuclear physicist, an explorer and a protégé of Eastern gurus, and showing the true malevolence of Scientology.
“invaluable for its history and insight into the character of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.”
—Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief
“Atack’s concise writing style and dry sense of humor make for enjoyable reading ... If you only have time to read one book about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology, this landmark work is the one. It continues to stand out as the authoritative history ... which is why so much of Blue Sky is re-hashed in subsequent books”
—Miles Ferguson
“Before there was the net, and before there was safety in numbers, there was Jon Atack.”
—Arnaldo Lerma
“This is the best book I have read about Scientology. Jon Atack combines personal experience with meticulous research to courageously expose the lies and abuses at the heart of the Church of Scientology.”
—Steve Cannane, ABC Lateline, Australia
“In more recent years other, newer books about Scientology have been released. A few of these have been especially good, but none reproduce the detail and narrative clarity of Atack’s book. This revised version of A Piece of Blue Sky promises to reveal even more fully the intricate machinery of fantasy, hypocrisy, lies, manipulation and abuse that are at the heart of Scientology.”
—Christian Szurko, DialogCentre UK
“Jon Atack is the definitive resource of all things “Hubbard.” ... Read this book for the factual, accurate details about Scientology’s founder.”
—Steven Hassan, author Freedom of Mind
“When I first read Jon Atack's amazing book A Piece of Blue Sky it was a series of revelations ... Jon's book gave me considerable relief as to what was really going on behind the facade”
—Michael Pattinson, ex-OT 8
“This book is fascinating.... and fresh. There's something interesting on every page. I've read every exposé and this one is on the top of my list.”
—Paulette Cooper, author The Scandal of Scientology
“still the most reliable of the many books on the subject.”
—Tony Ortega, former editor, Village Voice
“an unrivalled piece of superb scholarship ... All future scholarship on Scientology will build upon his contribution.”
—Professor Stephen Kent
“invaluable for its history and insight into the character of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.”
—Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief
“Atack’s concise writing style and dry sense of humor make for enjoyable reading ... If you only have time to read one book about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology, this landmark work is the one. It continues to stand out as the authoritative history ... which is why so much of Blue Sky is re-hashed in subsequent books”
—Miles Ferguson
“Before there was the net, and before there was safety in numbers, there was Jon Atack.”
—Arnaldo Lerma
“This is the best book I have read about Scientology. Jon Atack combines personal experience with meticulous research to courageously expose the lies and abuses at the heart of the Church of Scientology.”
—Steve Cannane, ABC Lateline, Australia
“In more recent years other, newer books about Scientology have been released. A few of these have been especially good, but none reproduce the detail and narrative clarity of Atack’s book. This revised version of A Piece of Blue Sky promises to reveal even more fully the intricate machinery of fantasy, hypocrisy, lies, manipulation and abuse that are at the heart of Scientology.”
—Christian Szurko, DialogCentre UK
“Jon Atack is the definitive resource of all things “Hubbard.” ... Read this book for the factual, accurate details about Scientology’s founder.”
—Steven Hassan, author Freedom of Mind
“When I first read Jon Atack's amazing book A Piece of Blue Sky it was a series of revelations ... Jon's book gave me considerable relief as to what was really going on behind the facade”
—Michael Pattinson, ex-OT 8
“This book is fascinating.... and fresh. There's something interesting on every page. I've read every exposé and this one is on the top of my list.”
—Paulette Cooper, author The Scandal of Scientology
“still the most reliable of the many books on the subject.”
—Tony Ortega, former editor, Village Voice
“an unrivalled piece of superb scholarship ... All future scholarship on Scientology will build upon his contribution.”
—Professor Stephen Kent
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 1990
173 people are currently reading
1009 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 19, 2014
Finally reading Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky felt a lot like... homework. It's been on my to-read list (in that list's various formats) for just about twenty years. Atack's book is turgid, tendentious, and excessively repetitive—it's by no means the best possible book about Scientology, and it's probably not even the best actually-written book on the subject; I've heard good things about 2013's Going Clear by Lawrence Wright as well—but it's also undeniably a courageous and important historical document about Scientology and its highly charismatic, deeply flawed creator, L. Ron Hubbard.
The title comes from something Hubbard himself is supposed to have said, about giving adherents a "piece of blue sky" to believe in—and like much of Hubbard's output, the phrase holds multiple and even contradictory meanings. A piece of blue sky seen through gray clouds can be a glimmer of hope... but blue-sky thinking is also by definition ungrounded by reality, and I will not hide the fact that I find much more of the latter than the former in Scientology. Atack is—heh—preaching to the converted here.
Much of Atack's book is devoted to Hubbard's own personal failings—an ad hominem approach, to be sure, but justifiable, since so much of Scientology is formed in the image of its founder. Part of why I found Atack's account so believable is because, as a science-fiction fan, I was already aware of Hubbard's history as a pulp science fiction writer—and not just of Hubbard's earlier fiction and Dianetics' start in the pages of John W. Campbell Jr.'s Astounding magazine, but of the ensuing reaction to Hubbard's change of career (which some might say was not a change at all) among other science fiction writers and fans.
Part is more personal. Twenty years or so ago, while I was living in Los Angeles, I received an answering-machine message from a Scientologist, calling from the "Celebrity Centre" in Hollywood. It was a case of mistaken identity—as it turns out, my name is not especially uncommon, and another Alan Scott must have attended one of their functions. This Scientologist must have been following up on what had seemed like a promising lead. But the message was quite long, and went through several distinct changes of emotional tone, from cajoling to whining to vaguely threatening, as if I (or, rather, the other Alan) were being "beseiged by a series of half-smiling, half-menacing justifications" (a phrase I read with a distinct shock of recognition, on p.39 of Atack's book). I don't think the caller quite realized that when she clicked through that robotic checklist of emotional triggers, any one of which might have been believable, the cumulative effect of her attempts at manipulation was to render all of them ludicrously ineffective.
I did not return the call, then or ever.
At the risk of being declared a Suppressive Person (do they still do that?), I have to agree that Atack paints a convincing picture of an organization founded on fraud, that only went further off the rails as it grew larger, more financially powerful, and more fiercely fanatical. Any authority that claims it cannot be questioned—that knows only attack, and never defense—is by that very token corrupt.
Odds are, no one's going to pay attention to this review—unless it's attacked. Hope Scientology has learned something in the intervening decades... In the end, the inescapable conclusions anyone can draw from A Piece of Blue Sky are that Scientology is made up of fallible people (no, not like Soylent Green, exactly)—and it doesn't seem to make them any better at dealing with criticism, adversity, or the slings and arrows of entirely ordinary fortune. In many ways, Scientology leaves its adherents worse off—poorer, unhappier, less flexible—than other belief systems. This is perhaps a consequence of focusing so much on recruiting unhappy people—the satisfied rarely look for new beliefs. Scientology must bring some measure of fulfillment to some people... but it's a fulfillment that could be gained through just about any other belief system—or none—at far less cost.
The title comes from something Hubbard himself is supposed to have said, about giving adherents a "piece of blue sky" to believe in—and like much of Hubbard's output, the phrase holds multiple and even contradictory meanings. A piece of blue sky seen through gray clouds can be a glimmer of hope... but blue-sky thinking is also by definition ungrounded by reality, and I will not hide the fact that I find much more of the latter than the former in Scientology. Atack is—heh—preaching to the converted here.
Much of Atack's book is devoted to Hubbard's own personal failings—an ad hominem approach, to be sure, but justifiable, since so much of Scientology is formed in the image of its founder. Part of why I found Atack's account so believable is because, as a science-fiction fan, I was already aware of Hubbard's history as a pulp science fiction writer—and not just of Hubbard's earlier fiction and Dianetics' start in the pages of John W. Campbell Jr.'s Astounding magazine, but of the ensuing reaction to Hubbard's change of career (which some might say was not a change at all) among other science fiction writers and fans.
Part is more personal. Twenty years or so ago, while I was living in Los Angeles, I received an answering-machine message from a Scientologist, calling from the "Celebrity Centre" in Hollywood. It was a case of mistaken identity—as it turns out, my name is not especially uncommon, and another Alan Scott must have attended one of their functions. This Scientologist must have been following up on what had seemed like a promising lead. But the message was quite long, and went through several distinct changes of emotional tone, from cajoling to whining to vaguely threatening, as if I (or, rather, the other Alan) were being "beseiged by a series of half-smiling, half-menacing justifications" (a phrase I read with a distinct shock of recognition, on p.39 of Atack's book). I don't think the caller quite realized that when she clicked through that robotic checklist of emotional triggers, any one of which might have been believable, the cumulative effect of her attempts at manipulation was to render all of them ludicrously ineffective.
I did not return the call, then or ever.
At the risk of being declared a Suppressive Person (do they still do that?), I have to agree that Atack paints a convincing picture of an organization founded on fraud, that only went further off the rails as it grew larger, more financially powerful, and more fiercely fanatical. Any authority that claims it cannot be questioned—that knows only attack, and never defense—is by that very token corrupt.
Odds are, no one's going to pay attention to this review—unless it's attacked. Hope Scientology has learned something in the intervening decades... In the end, the inescapable conclusions anyone can draw from A Piece of Blue Sky are that Scientology is made up of fallible people (no, not like Soylent Green, exactly)—and it doesn't seem to make them any better at dealing with criticism, adversity, or the slings and arrows of entirely ordinary fortune. In many ways, Scientology leaves its adherents worse off—poorer, unhappier, less flexible—than other belief systems. This is perhaps a consequence of focusing so much on recruiting unhappy people—the satisfied rarely look for new beliefs. Scientology must bring some measure of fulfillment to some people... but it's a fulfillment that could be gained through just about any other belief system—or none—at far less cost.
December 16, 2013
Highly critical history of Scientology and its abuses, biography of L. Ron Hubbard, and outline of the type of 'auditing' that the author has experienced. Written in a journalistic style, it can be difficult to slog through, but is fascinating if you are interested in the material. Of particular interest is the information about Hubbard, who reminds me of basically any character from Philip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly." (I am not kidding.) In a way, I can also now see why Scientology is attractive in the initial stages where it can build the confidence of memebers. I don't believe the rank and file Scientologist is neccessarily a bad person. I do believe that the leaders have been and have perpetrated systematic abuse both of memebers and critics, and at its core, the whole thing is a scam. I'll stick to reading the Buddhist stuff for myself.
July 27, 2024
i wasn't too keen, i do enjoy Jon Atack books but this was pretty slow.
June 8, 2012
Excellent in-depth look at the multinational scam/cult that is Scientology by an ex-member. Download a copy here:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Sh...
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Sh...
December 31, 2016
It is impossible to be neutral on a figure like L. Ron Hubbard, and while this book does attempt to be neutral, Atack drops the neutrality at the ending section of the book, because the evidence only points one way.
CS Lewis famously set up a "trilemma" for Christ. Either he is a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. In the case of Hubbard, the trilemma is easy - he is both a liar and a lunatic.
Atack begins with his account of his life in Scientology, and his disillusionment with it, then moves into Hubbard's life. Hubbard made grandiose claims for himself, but Atack employs primary sources to show the real Hubbard, a man of no accomplishment who portrayed himself as a hero. He was a poor student, a poor seaman, and a charlatan who stole from people who trusted him.
He esteemed himself and despised himself with equal measure, was a serial adulterer, and an absolute quack who attempted to mix basic Freudian psychotherapy, hypnosis, Thelema, and pulp science fiction to cure both himself and others, but simply wound up destroying both.
If you are interested in cults, modern UFO religion, or have been curious over the Leah Remini Aftermath program, this is an excellent read to understand the founder of Scientology and its ignoble origins.
CS Lewis famously set up a "trilemma" for Christ. Either he is a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. In the case of Hubbard, the trilemma is easy - he is both a liar and a lunatic.
Atack begins with his account of his life in Scientology, and his disillusionment with it, then moves into Hubbard's life. Hubbard made grandiose claims for himself, but Atack employs primary sources to show the real Hubbard, a man of no accomplishment who portrayed himself as a hero. He was a poor student, a poor seaman, and a charlatan who stole from people who trusted him.
He esteemed himself and despised himself with equal measure, was a serial adulterer, and an absolute quack who attempted to mix basic Freudian psychotherapy, hypnosis, Thelema, and pulp science fiction to cure both himself and others, but simply wound up destroying both.
If you are interested in cults, modern UFO religion, or have been curious over the Leah Remini Aftermath program, this is an excellent read to understand the founder of Scientology and its ignoble origins.
September 14, 2021
I picked this up on kindle, thinking it would be another long bitter read about $cientology evils, and it was. What made it different from other tomes I've read on the subject is the sheer number of reference documents the author lists to back up pretty much everything he writes. With a relative in the cult, I have encountered a lot of the lingo and doubletalk at rare family gatherings where my relative shows up. S/he can only show up if a replacement is found for the work they are doing, someone to take over their tasks while they are away. Oh, and, yes, disconnection. My relative was required to disconnect from me because I was identified as a suppressive person for the reason that I see a mental health therapist. $cientology hates psychiatrists.
This writer put all of the information I'd read over the years into one interconnected piece that made it easy to follow the beginning, middle, and, I hope, the future end of this nasty brutish organization that strives to break up families and enslave its workers.
Horror upon horror, everything the author wrote rings true. I wish I had a bell that would make it ring true for those lost in the abyss of L. Ron Hubbard Lands.
This writer put all of the information I'd read over the years into one interconnected piece that made it easy to follow the beginning, middle, and, I hope, the future end of this nasty brutish organization that strives to break up families and enslave its workers.
Horror upon horror, everything the author wrote rings true. I wish I had a bell that would make it ring true for those lost in the abyss of L. Ron Hubbard Lands.
August 27, 2013
A Piece of Blue Sky is a classic and must read for information about the founding of Scientology and the life of L Ron Hubbard. The book covers the time period from LRH's birth to the late 1980s, and thus is not a source of information about the more recent happening within Scientology. It is clear that Atack has done his research, as there is no shortage of details within the text. Furthermore, Atack clearly demonstrates the lies and exaggerations used by LRH throughout Scientology and how many of the policies within Scientology where due to perceived threats to LRH and his instinctive reactions to them. It is truly a fascinating read.
While I liked the book, it was incredibly dense! I think Atack could have benefited from a good editor, as there were occasional sections that were hard to follow along with several grammatical errors and typos.
While I liked the book, it was incredibly dense! I think Atack could have benefited from a good editor, as there were occasional sections that were hard to follow along with several grammatical errors and typos.
October 4, 2021
A much more serious book than the ms paint cover page suggests
Of all the accounts of former members, Jon Atack’s A Piece of Blue Sky is by far the most scholarly in its efforts to back up its claims with citations from public records (both from publicly available Scientology texts and court cases) as it critically delves into muddled and confusing history of the people and organisations that would eventually become known as the Church of Scientology from its beginning up until the immediate aftermath of Hubbard’s death.
This is both where it is strong and where it is weak. The strength lays in it providing sources and details for the serious and bizarre beliefs and practices attributed to Scientology, but the corresponding weakness is it does get bogged down in a lot of details which aren’t always organised consistently.
Of all the accounts of former members, Jon Atack’s A Piece of Blue Sky is by far the most scholarly in its efforts to back up its claims with citations from public records (both from publicly available Scientology texts and court cases) as it critically delves into muddled and confusing history of the people and organisations that would eventually become known as the Church of Scientology from its beginning up until the immediate aftermath of Hubbard’s death.
This is both where it is strong and where it is weak. The strength lays in it providing sources and details for the serious and bizarre beliefs and practices attributed to Scientology, but the corresponding weakness is it does get bogged down in a lot of details which aren’t always organised consistently.
December 16, 2013
A complete history of Scientology from Hubbard's sources of inspiration up to the takeover by Miscavige. This is the updated edition with a few extra bits which are now legally allowed to be included.
It starts with an account of the author's experience with the group, which gives you a basis to judge how biased or otherwise he is, and his reasons for writing the rest of the book. Then he goes through Hubbard's life and the development of the group (such a generic term; but it's not a religion, parts of it are a scam, other parts are a cult). I think he's made a huge effort to find the truth and be even-handed, it's just that there's not a lot of nice things to say about Hubbard and Scientology. It's interesting to see how such a hybrid group began and grew, how people were convinced to join and the difficulty in making them stay.
I liked the extensive explanations of where he got his information from. Other people might find it too much arse-covering and skim those bits. I particularly liked the sections describing the intelligence-gathering of the Guardian's Office, since that's not something I knew a lot about before.
It's interesting to see that right from the beginning there have been splinter groups and offshoots. Anyone who thinks Hubbard was fine and Miscavige ruined the group should probably read this book to get the full history.
It starts with an account of the author's experience with the group, which gives you a basis to judge how biased or otherwise he is, and his reasons for writing the rest of the book. Then he goes through Hubbard's life and the development of the group (such a generic term; but it's not a religion, parts of it are a scam, other parts are a cult). I think he's made a huge effort to find the truth and be even-handed, it's just that there's not a lot of nice things to say about Hubbard and Scientology. It's interesting to see how such a hybrid group began and grew, how people were convinced to join and the difficulty in making them stay.
I liked the extensive explanations of where he got his information from. Other people might find it too much arse-covering and skim those bits. I particularly liked the sections describing the intelligence-gathering of the Guardian's Office, since that's not something I knew a lot about before.
It's interesting to see that right from the beginning there have been splinter groups and offshoots. Anyone who thinks Hubbard was fine and Miscavige ruined the group should probably read this book to get the full history.
June 11, 2016
I've had this book sitting on my shelf for years but for some reason never read it until now. I've been doing quite a bit of research on Scientology for about a decade so much of the information was familiar but the book was still a very interesting read. It's very well researched and although Atack is critical of Hubbard and Scientology the book is based on facts and not an attack on Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. The story of Hubbard and Scientology proves that truth can be stranger than fiction and "A Piece of Blue Sky" is a very fascinating book on the subject (although it was published in the early 1990s so it doesn't contain the more recent history of the church). I would highly recommend it to anyone, whether new to the subject or not. The book could have used some editing as Atack sometimes repeats himself, but it's a minor issue to me.
May 13, 2016
The best history of a cult group yet written. Jon Atack has a historian's attention to detail, an inhuman memory that matches that of five elephants, the best footnotes in history, and the iron rule that he only says what he proves.
Scientology is a vicious, cannibalistic snake-pit of thought-reform and fraud, policed by deceit, violence and terror. Jon was the former member and investigator who unravelled the ground-level reality from the cultic miasma of lies, illusion, false memory, fake documents, paid investigators, hired goons, and every other type of spook hired by the cult to put investigators and critics off the scent.
For the most complete understanding of the rise and forthcoming fall of the berserk Scientology cult, Jon Atack's "A Piece of Blue Sky" can't be beaten. Be sure to read the updated post-2013 edition.
Scientology is a vicious, cannibalistic snake-pit of thought-reform and fraud, policed by deceit, violence and terror. Jon was the former member and investigator who unravelled the ground-level reality from the cultic miasma of lies, illusion, false memory, fake documents, paid investigators, hired goons, and every other type of spook hired by the cult to put investigators and critics off the scent.
For the most complete understanding of the rise and forthcoming fall of the berserk Scientology cult, Jon Atack's "A Piece of Blue Sky" can't be beaten. Be sure to read the updated post-2013 edition.
September 13, 2020
I have read almost everything written about Scientology, from survivor stories to historical accounts. I think A Piece of Blue Sky is among the best works on the subject. Jon Atack is hardly an unbiased figure. Being an ex member himself, Atack has experienced great losses and hardships due to the "church". But I think for the most part his research into Hubbard's history is accurate. His writing is compelling and informative although much more like a textbook than other books where authors tell thrilling first hand accounts of abuse and escape. This book is a great read whether you know nothing of the great hoax that is Scientology or if you are a super fan of the subject like myself. I think Atack's work has been instrumental in helping to bring people out of Scientology and in keeping the public informed of the true nature of this organization.
August 16, 2012
I bought this book because the scientologists were trying so hard to get it banned from everywhere. I figured there had to be some good dirt in the book given that they were going after some big book sellers to stop carrying it.
I couldn't finish this book, the author is clearly upset and bitter about having been a Scientologist. I couldn't get past the personal ranting.
Honestly I think if the Scientologists had left this book alone it wouldn't have got any attention and never made it onto very many people's radar.
I still don't know whatever the juicy dirt is/was that upset the Scientologists so badly, and I don't want to waste any more of my life trying to find out. There are plenty of shorter reads on the internet that are more interesting about them.
I couldn't finish this book, the author is clearly upset and bitter about having been a Scientologist. I couldn't get past the personal ranting.
Honestly I think if the Scientologists had left this book alone it wouldn't have got any attention and never made it onto very many people's radar.
I still don't know whatever the juicy dirt is/was that upset the Scientologists so badly, and I don't want to waste any more of my life trying to find out. There are plenty of shorter reads on the internet that are more interesting about them.
September 10, 2018
A Must Read For Scientology Watchers
Jon Atack was one of the early critics, and it cost him dearly. This book is the result of personal experience as a Scientologist, work with former members, and lots of additional material.
Jon Atack was one of the early critics, and it cost him dearly. This book is the result of personal experience as a Scientologist, work with former members, and lots of additional material.
December 5, 2017
Essential reading on the crimes committed by the church of Scientology.
October 9, 2023
This is a must read book if you want to know about the early days of scientology and the "messiah" who started the cult. It is an amazing accomplishment by Jon Atack as immense scholarship went into this work.
Hubbard was a sociopathic, narcissistic asshole who also happened to be a fabulous raconteur, a hypnotist, and a well educated liar. The author does have his own bone to pick with Hubbard, as he is a former scientologist.
This edition is not the first of the book. The original was titled "A Piece of Blue Sky" and after it was published, scientology fair-gamed him into bankruptcy, during which he lost the rights to his manuscript. (This had to be a crushing blow, as it is clear how much work went into the making of this book)
A good person went to the bankruptcy sale and saved the manuscript from being scooped up by scientology and buried forever, and was republished with an updated title. It's an important work.
Hubbard was a sociopathic, narcissistic asshole who also happened to be a fabulous raconteur, a hypnotist, and a well educated liar. The author does have his own bone to pick with Hubbard, as he is a former scientologist.
This edition is not the first of the book. The original was titled "A Piece of Blue Sky" and after it was published, scientology fair-gamed him into bankruptcy, during which he lost the rights to his manuscript. (This had to be a crushing blow, as it is clear how much work went into the making of this book)
A good person went to the bankruptcy sale and saved the manuscript from being scooped up by scientology and buried forever, and was republished with an updated title. It's an important work.
July 5, 2025
Absolutely gripping. A Piece of Blue Sky reads like a psychological thriller, except it’s all true — and that’s what makes it so powerful. Jon Atack does an incredible job weaving his personal experiences with deep investigative research to create something both chilling and enlightening.
What really stood out to me is how measured and thoughtful the tone is. Atack could have gone full sensationalist, but instead, he delivers a careful, compassionate account that respects readers’ intelligence. Whether you're curious about Scientology, cult psychology, or just love compelling nonfiction, this book pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
It's not just an exposé — it's a reminder of how deeply humans can believe, and how strong we can be when we choose to question. Brave, bold, and deeply human.
What really stood out to me is how measured and thoughtful the tone is. Atack could have gone full sensationalist, but instead, he delivers a careful, compassionate account that respects readers’ intelligence. Whether you're curious about Scientology, cult psychology, or just love compelling nonfiction, this book pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
It's not just an exposé — it's a reminder of how deeply humans can believe, and how strong we can be when we choose to question. Brave, bold, and deeply human.
July 17, 2022
An interesting history of Scientology up until 1990. I found the section focused on Hubbard's life the most compelling - Atack demonstrates how the dysfunction of Scientology grew directly from Hubbard's own dysfunction.
The question everyone asks about cult leaders is do they believe what they are selling, or is it just a con? But with Hubbard, that question is irrelevant. He probably did believe at least some of it, but his whole life was a con. Lies or true belief, he was always trying to manipulate someone.
The question everyone asks about cult leaders is do they believe what they are selling, or is it just a con? But with Hubbard, that question is irrelevant. He probably did believe at least some of it, but his whole life was a con. Lies or true belief, he was always trying to manipulate someone.
September 12, 2023
Is it a highly critical history of Scientology and great a listing its abuses ... Yes.
Is that a good thing? ... Yes
Is this a well written? ... Unfortunately, no. The writing is dry.
Should the writing be dramatic enough to make you feel like you were there and possibly triggering to a fellow ex-SeaOrg/ex-scientologist like myself? ... Yes. This isn't that.
If you want to nerd out on the details this isn't a bad book to have around as a reference but it's not a pleasure read.
Is that a good thing? ... Yes
Is this a well written? ... Unfortunately, no. The writing is dry.
Should the writing be dramatic enough to make you feel like you were there and possibly triggering to a fellow ex-SeaOrg/ex-scientologist like myself? ... Yes. This isn't that.
If you want to nerd out on the details this isn't a bad book to have around as a reference but it's not a pleasure read.
August 28, 2023
Facts can be stranger then fiction
The exploits of L Ron's creation read more like a comic book them a factual account ( were the guerrilla and infiltration tactics of Fightclub inspired by these real events?). The depiction of how children were treated really show's how warped their reality tunnel is
The exploits of L Ron's creation read more like a comic book them a factual account ( were the guerrilla and infiltration tactics of Fightclub inspired by these real events?). The depiction of how children were treated really show's how warped their reality tunnel is
February 29, 2024
4/5.
“Martyrdom is a valuable ingredient in the creation of mass movements.”
“Hubbard was a paranoid, power hungry, petty sadist, who paraded his inadequacies through ever more frequent tantrums. Reveling in his disciples' adulation, he spent his last years in seclusion, surrounded by sycophants.”
“Martyrdom is a valuable ingredient in the creation of mass movements.”
“Hubbard was a paranoid, power hungry, petty sadist, who paraded his inadequacies through ever more frequent tantrums. Reveling in his disciples' adulation, he spent his last years in seclusion, surrounded by sycophants.”
February 4, 2020
If you want to learn more about the dark side of Scientology, I recommend skipping this book and instead watching the Going Clear documentary. It's pretty much the same information, but presented in a much more interesting way.
May 22, 2022
Will be reading again
This book is both dense and fascinating. I will be coming back to it again and again. Worth every penny.
This book is both dense and fascinating. I will be coming back to it again and again. Worth every penny.
November 28, 2022
It's very informative about Scientology, just so happens I've already read a ton about the topic so there wasn't much new to me in this book.
Read
February 26, 2023DNF
October 5, 2025
A detailed account
If you want a detailed, well-researched account of this topic, this is your book. such a complex character and organization requires it.
If you want a detailed, well-researched account of this topic, this is your book. such a complex character and organization requires it.
August 30, 2014
[Review also posted on Amazon UK]
This revised 2013 edition of Jon Atack’s book is perhaps the most comprehensive account of the history of Scientology, right from its inception as ‘Dianetics’ up to the time of Ron L Hubbard’s death. Atack had access to thousands of documents, some of which were initially forming the base for a Scientology-approved biography of Hubbard himself, as well as legal documents from the courts, affidavits, depositions. In other words, this is a book based on indisputable facts.
I have an interest in cults and I have read other texts on Scientology; Atack’s book is perhaps the most fact-based, and therefore a little dry in style at times, with a lot names and dates and requiring some effort from the reader to keep up with the complex machinations of the Church of Scientology. But it is an absolutely essential read for anyone wanting to know the truth behind Scientology’s glossy façade: by the end of the book, it is impossible not to think of Ron L Hubbard as a more sinister version of the Wizard of Oz, a man who built an empire based on lies and deception, and who, incredibly, is still revered by thousands of followers of the religion’ he created.
This revised 2013 edition of Jon Atack’s book is perhaps the most comprehensive account of the history of Scientology, right from its inception as ‘Dianetics’ up to the time of Ron L Hubbard’s death. Atack had access to thousands of documents, some of which were initially forming the base for a Scientology-approved biography of Hubbard himself, as well as legal documents from the courts, affidavits, depositions. In other words, this is a book based on indisputable facts.
I have an interest in cults and I have read other texts on Scientology; Atack’s book is perhaps the most fact-based, and therefore a little dry in style at times, with a lot names and dates and requiring some effort from the reader to keep up with the complex machinations of the Church of Scientology. But it is an absolutely essential read for anyone wanting to know the truth behind Scientology’s glossy façade: by the end of the book, it is impossible not to think of Ron L Hubbard as a more sinister version of the Wizard of Oz, a man who built an empire based on lies and deception, and who, incredibly, is still revered by thousands of followers of the religion’ he created.
October 21, 2007
One of the most interesting stories I read in here was about the Freewinds, a ship that the Church of Scientology owned. I'm having trouble remembering the details, but a woman died, perhaps on the ship, and her parents had questions about her death that the Church was not legally obligated to answer because the ship was apparently in international waters at the time of the woman's death. Anyone curious about the details should read that section of the book.
Sidenote: there was a flap in the news about this book in 1999 because Amazon briefly stopped offering it. The book was unavailable in the UK because a court there ruled that it had a libelous passage. Because of that, Amazon yanked it, but later reversed that decision and only kept it off Amazon.uk.
Sidenote: there was a flap in the news about this book in 1999 because Amazon briefly stopped offering it. The book was unavailable in the UK because a court there ruled that it had a libelous passage. Because of that, Amazon yanked it, but later reversed that decision and only kept it off Amazon.uk.
August 2, 2013
Really interesting and informative.
But the book needed a good editor.
It felt like a scattergun blast at scientology, enough to hurt skin deep, not enough to kill.
The chapters seemed dictated to the writer, weekly, then compiled, while not retaining last weeks episode.
I felt no empathy for the poor deluded followers or any real hatred for Hubbard,
even though I wanted to.
This information needs to be out there
but I hope and pray(sic) that this isn't the definitive book about this cult.
But the book needed a good editor.
It felt like a scattergun blast at scientology, enough to hurt skin deep, not enough to kill.
The chapters seemed dictated to the writer, weekly, then compiled, while not retaining last weeks episode.
I felt no empathy for the poor deluded followers or any real hatred for Hubbard,
even though I wanted to.
This information needs to be out there
but I hope and pray(sic) that this isn't the definitive book about this cult.
May 8, 2008
I tried to slog through this one. I'd heard that it exposed a lot of the bizarre stuff that goes on in Scientology, but I lost interest about a quarter of the way through. The excerpts from Scientology texts are just baffling though! I read those parts over and over in order to try and extract some kernel of something that could possibly make sense, but it never worked. I really wanted to find out why or how people get sucked into Scientology from this book, but I didn't.
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