Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

Lawrence Wright

Jan 2013 · Sold by Vintage

About this ebook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST •  From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower comes “an utterly necessary story” (The Wall Street Journal) that pulls back the curtain on the church of Scientology: one of the most secretive organizations at work today. • The Basis for the HBO Documentary.

Scientology presents itself as a scientific approach to spiritual enlightenment, but its practices have long been shrouded in mystery. Now Lawrence Wright—armed with his investigative talents, years of archival research, and more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists—uncovers the inner workings of the church. We meet founder L. Ron Hubbard, the highly imaginative but mentally troubled science-fiction writer, and his tough, driven successor, David Miscavige. We go inside their specialized cosmology and language. We learn about the church’s legal attacks on the IRS, its vindictive treatment of critics, and its phenomenal wealth. We see the church court celebrities such as Tom Cruise while consigning its clergy to hard labor under billion-year contracts. Through it all, Wright asks what fundamentally comprises a religion, and if Scientology in fact merits this Constitutionally-protected label.

Ratings and reviews

Enjoyed it, learned a whole lot about Scientology and LRH. Didn't make me a convert but I understand it better now. I highly recommend Battlefield Earth, just be aware that if you buy ANY of LRH's books then you are funneling money to these guys. (Get it from your local library!)

Many of us are aware of the oddities (to put it one way) of the religion/cult, such as the story of Xenu and the abuses within the church. What this book helps the reader understand is why a person would ever consider joining. Why would an ordinary every-person want to join, knowing the extraordinary monetary costs and potential abuses they would face? Why would someone like Tom Cruise or John Travolta align themselves with this organization? To me, that aspect is what makes this book stand out.

Good book. It did jump around a bit so I found myself having to reread paragraphs to figure out what was going on, but overall I would recommend this book to anyone curious about scientology.

About the author

LAWRENCE WRIGHT is a staff writer for The New Yorker, a playwright, and a screenwriter. He is the best-selling author of the novel, The End of October, and ten books of nonfiction, including Going Clear, God Save Texas, and The Looming Tower, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He and his wife are longtime residents of Austin, Texas.