“Powerful... essential reading.”
—The New York Times Book Review
A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists — both famous and less well known — and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.
At the book’s center, two men whom Wright brings vividly to life, showing how they have made Scientology what it is today: The darkly brilliant science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, whose restless, expansive mind invented a new religion. And his successor, David Miscavige — tough and driven, with the unenviable task of preserving the church after the death of Hubbard.
Reviews
Lisa Miller, Washington Post
“Wright brings a clear-eyed, investigative fearlessness to Scientology — its history, its theology, its hierarchy — and the result is a rollicking, if deeply creepy, narrative ride, evidence that truth can be stranger even than science fiction.”
Evan Wright, Los Angeles Times
“Who‘d have thought a history of religion would offer so many guilty pleasures? Lawrence Wright’s enthralling account of Scientology’s rise brims with celebrity scandal. To anyone who gets a sugar rush from Hollywood gossip, the chapters on Tom Cruise and John Travolta will feel like eating a case of Ding Dongs.”
Paul Elie, The Wall Street Journal
“An utterly necessary story.... A feat of reporting. The story of Scientology is the great white whale of investigative journalism about religion.”
Nahal Toosi, Associated Press
“Wright's new book... is a powerful piece of reportage. It is detailed, intense and at times shocking.”
Troy Jollimore, Chicago Tribune
“Wright’s account of the church’s history and struggles is …absorbing... The book’s most intriguing aspect is … [in] raising general questions about the nature of faith and reason and the role of religion in American life.”
Laura Miller, Salon.com
“A wild ride of a page-turner, as enthralling as a paperback thriller.”
Buzzy Jackson, The Boston Globe
“Insightful, gripping, and ultimately tragic.... The initial biographical section [about L. Ron Hubbard] could stand as an engrossing book in itself.... The second section, “Hollywood,” provides the answer to one of the great mysteries of the modern world: What’s the deal with Tom Cruise and Scientology?”
Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“A hotly compelling read … full of wild stories.”