From the Bookshelf of Appomattox Regional Library System…

[close] Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief. By Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright won the Pulitzer Prize for his previous book, "The Looming Tower" which explored the 9/11 plot. His new effort features a similar devotion to high standards of journalism, research, and writing style- but applies it to a very different topic.

In "Going Clear" we learn first of the complex and somewhat weird life of one L. Ron Hubbard, a colorful American adventurer and science fiction writer. In the later stages of his life, Hubbard developed a series of notions dealing with human psychology that he labeled "Dianetics." What began as a pop psychology self-improvement craze turned into a sort of religion- but one that Hubbard insisted did not include a deity.

Following the death of Hubbard, Wright explores the ways in which Scientology, now under the management of David Miscavige, attempts to market itself today through Hollywood celebrities, while imposing internal discipline in ways that are often disturbing. Is Scientology a religion, or is it a Cult? The most disquieting passages have to do with the tactics used by Scientology to discourage anyone from ever leaving it.

For those with any interest in this topic, Wright has covered it quite well. His extensively fact-checked presentation is a mix of fascination and ugliness. He ends with thoughtful questions.