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Scientology Booklist



These are the main critical books (plus a the most important reports and essays) that explore the murky world of the cult of Scientology. Many are available over the web, and a few are still in print. Scientology has conducted a long war against these books by trying to ban them, buy them up, destroy them, sue the authors and remove or destroy library copies. Most large libraries will have at least some of these books surviving on their shelves, however.

The 3 critical books generally considered the best place to start

A Piece Of Blue Sky
An insider testimony.

L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?
Personal accounts from people who worked with Hubbard, including his oldest son.

Bare-Faced Messiah
The true life and story of L. Ron Hubbard



Cover page

A Chronological View of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology
By Kaj Moos
Publ.: Seagull Productions
Year: 1995
ISBN: 8798378627

COMMENTS:

LINKS:



Cover page

A Doctor's Report on Dianetics
Theory and Therapy
By Joseph Winter
Publ.: Julian Press, New York (Crown Publishing Group, New York, 1987)
Year: 1951
ISBN: 051-756-4211

COMMENTS:
Winter was an early recruit into the cult in the early 50s; he broke away when Hubbard turned his back on science and went off into past lives and a totalitarian dogma

LINKS:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/fifties/e510000.htm (quote)



Cover page

A Piece of Blue Sky
Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron hubbard Exposed
By Jon Atack
Publ.: A Lyle Stuart book
Year: 1990 (updated 2013)
ISBN: 0-8184-0499-X

COMMENTS:
It was 1950, in the early, heady days of Dianetics, soon after L. Ron Hubbard opened the doors of his first organization to the clamoring crowd. Up until then, Hubbard was known only to readers of pulp fiction, but now he had an instant best-seller with a book that promised to solve every problem of the human mind, and the cash was pouring in. Hubbard found it easy to create schemes to part his new following from their money. One of the first tasks was to arrange "grades" of membership, offering supposedly greater rewards, at increasingly higher prices. Over thirty years later. an associate wryly remembered Hubbard turning to him and confiding, no doubt with a smile, "Let's sell these people a piece of blue sky."

LINKS:
https://www.createspace.com/4138771 (new edition 2013)



Cover page

Ali's Smile / Naked Scientology
By William S. Burroughs
Year: 1978 and later
Publ.: Expanded Media Editions, Bonn, Germany
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Mostly essays previously published in US alternative newspapers in the early 1970s.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/asns/NakedScientology.txt (poor scanned quality)



Cover page

Bare-Faced Messiah
The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard.
By Russell Miller
Publ.: Henry Holt, New York
Year: 1988
ISBN: 155-013-0277 hardback

COMMENTS:
There are also UK and Canadian editions, and a paperback by Sphere Books (a subsidiary of Penguin), in 1988. 520pp. ISBN 074-740-3325. (One of the most thoroughly-researched books on the cult, Miller covers Hubbard's family origins and his life chronologically while exploring and documenting his life-long habit of lying and exaggerating. Includes 22 photos, many of Hubbard's family. The book is now on the web, courtesy of the author.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm
U.S.:
http://www.discord.org/~lippard/bfm/



Cover page

Believe What You Like
What happened between the Scientologists and the National Association for Mental Health
By C.H. Rolph
Year: 1973
Publ.: Andre Deutsch Limited, London
ISBN: 023-396-3758

COMMENTS:
About the attempt by the CoS to take over the National Association for Mental Health. It introduces Scientology, talks about Scn's hatred of psychiatry and details the tale. It's a bit turgid and journalistic [would have to be, to avoid non-frivolous legal action inasmuch as possible] and not of current interest, but has some nice quotes and would probably be of historical interest. - David Gerard. See also "Two Disparate Philosophies" by David Dalton.

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/rolph/



Cover page

Cults of Unreason
By Dr. Christopher Evans
Publ.: Harrap, London
Year: 1973
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Hardcover: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York. First American Edition, 1974. Copyright (c) 1973 by Christopher Evans. Library of Congress CCN: 73-87694. ISBN: 037-413-3247. (Email me to loan a copy of the late Dr. Christopher Evans' book, Cults of Unreason, long out of print. Slightly over half of this book is about Scientology, with good material on the early days of Dianetics, some amazing and hilarious material about OT wins, life at Saint Hill and aboard the ships, as well as good coverage of various Scientology offshoots, the E-Meter, and more. Much of the material in Dr. Evans' book is not covered in the other critical books about the cult - highly recommended reading. - Martin Hunt)

LINKS:



Cover page
Dianetics in Limbo
By Helen O'Brien
Publ.: Whitmore Publishing Co., Philadelphia
Year: 1966
ISBN:

COMMENTS:

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/dil/Dianetics_in_Limbo.txt



Cover page

Enquiry Into the Practice and Effects of Scientology
By Sir John Foster, K.B.E., Q.C., M.P.
Publ.: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London
Year: 1971
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
See also the three reports from the governments of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

LINKS:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/fosthome.html



Cover page

Hollywood, Interrupted:
Insanity Chic in Babylon -- The Case Against Celebrity
By Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner
Publ.: John Wiley & Sons
Year: 2004
ISBN: 0471450510

COMMENTS:
Drugs, alcohol, failed marriages, lies, deceptions, and giant egos - Hollywood Interrupted exposes them all for what they are and does it with style and humour. It takes on the Hollywood PR machine and exposes the seamy and not-so-hidden uglyness that is celebrity today.

One section deals with Hollywood's fascination with gurus,prohets, and other "spiritual" leaders. The chapter on Scientology is well researched,written and presents the truth about scientology and its celebrity schills. It exposes the front groups that scientology celebs tout from Narconon to Criminon and WISE and ABLE.

A must read for everyone who is fed up with hollywierd celebrity ego-fests.

LINKS:
http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/

Reviews:



Cover page

Inside Scientology
How I Joined Dianetics/Scientology and Became Superhuman
By Robert Kaufman
Publ.: Olympia Press, New York
Year: 1972
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Kaufman, who died [in 1996], explains the mechanics of the cult in this auto-biographical look into what it is like to get into Scientology, what life is like while in, and what prompts finally leaving it. Kaufman delivers stark insight into this madness-inducing cult in this book that gives the best picture of life on the inside.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/isd/isd.htm



Cover page
International Society Control by the Church of Scientology
By Stephen A. Kent
Publ.:
Year: 1991
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/isc.html



Cover page
Lee Report into Scientology
By John A. Lee
Publ.: Ontario, Canada
Year: 1970
ISBN:

COMMENTS:

LINKS:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/lee.html



Cover page

L. Ron Hubbard:
Messiah or Madman?
By Bent Corydon & L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
Publ.: Lyle Stuart, Secaucus, New Jersey
Year: 1987
ISBN: 081-840-4442

COMMENTS:
Revised, Updated and Expanded Edition (trade paperback.) Corydon, Bent. Barricade Books, Fort Lee, New Jersey. 1992. ISBN: 094-263-7577. (Note: L. Ron Hubbard Jr.'s name was taken off this edition for legal reasons.) A new 1996 edition includes an index; Brian Ambry organized and wrote the update and addendum sections for this new edition and the 1992 edition. ISBN for the 1996 edition: 156-980-009X.

This large book on Scientology is fairly disorganized but it remains a vital source of first-hand testimony from ex-Scientologists about life aboard Hubbard's ship, the Apollo, and many alarming accounts of illegal and criminal activities within Scientology. Includes 21 photos, mostly of Hubbard, and two illustrations that compare Scientology's cross to that of the infamous Aleister Crowley. The two later editions are significantly different from the original hardcover with several new added chapters and some revisions to existing chapters.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mom/Messiah_or_Madman.txt



Cover page
My Nine Lives in Scientology
By Monica Pignotti
Publ.:
Year: 1989
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
This is an account of Pignotti's life in Scientology, a group she was involved in from December 1970 to August of 1976.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mnlis/
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/pignotti/index.html



Cover page

Religion Inc.
By Stewart Lamont
Publ.: Harrap, London
Year: 1986
ISBN: 024-554-3341 hardback

COMMENTS:
Written in a clear, lucid and professional style by an English religious studies scholar, journalist and broadcaster, Lamont's book is an excellent read and puts Scientology into sharp contrast against legitimate religion. Includes 27 photos, most taken by Lamont while researching Scientology for his book.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/relinc/relinc.txt



Cover page
Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology
By Kevin Victor Anderson, Q.C.
Publ.: The State of Victoria, Australia
Year: 1965
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
There are some features of scientology which are so ludicrous that there may be a tendency to regard scientology as silly and its practitioners as harmless cranks. To do so would be gravely to misunderstand the tenor of the Board's conclusions. This Report should be read, it is submitted, with these prefatory observations constantly in mind. Scientology is evil; its techniques evil; its practice a serious threat to the community, medically, morally and socially; and its adherents sadly deluded and often mentally ill. (quote from the prefatory note)

LINKS:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/andrhome.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/anderson/index.html



Cover page
Scientology -- Is This a Religion?
By Stephen A. Kent
Publ.:
Year: 1997
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Although some social scientists insist that Scientology is a religion, the more appropriate position to take is that the organization is a multi-faceted transnational that has religion as only one of its many components.

LINKS:
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/religion.html



Cover page
Scientology: The Now Religion
By George Malko
Publ.: Dell/Delacorte, New York
Year: 1970
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Malko views Scientology through the eyes of an inveterate skeptic and a newcomer to the subject; his refreshing ability to withstand all inducements to join the cult while researching for this book is commendable, as is his sharply critical mind that relentlessly confronts Scientology PR and dogma, exposing it to the light for his readers.

LINKS:



Cover page
Scientology With(out) an End
By Tom Voltz
Publ.: Walter Verlag (originally in German)
Original title: "Scientology und (k)ein Ende"
Year: 1995
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Scientology - and no end. The public debate lingers on. More and more people who have been recruited in the German-speaking countries have come to realize that the way to individual freedom is not found with Scientology, and that the declared claim of saving the world from destruction is absolutely not attained with the technology of L. Ron Hubbard and the Scientology system. These people leave Scientology. (quote from foreword)

LINKS:
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/joecisar/swoe00.htm



Cover page
Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions
By Stephen A. Kent
Publ.: Journal of Contemporary Religion
Year: 1996
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, frequently made claims that Scientology was related to or shared significant similarities with Hinduism, Theravada Buddhism and Taoism. However, careful examination of Hubbard's claims indicates that he had only a superficial acquaintance with Eastern religions, and most of his attempts to associate Scientology with these faiths are unwarranted.

LINKS:
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/eastern.html



Cover page
Social Control in Scientology
A look at the methods of entrapment
By Bob Penny
Publ.:
Year: 1991
ISBN:

COMMENTS:

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/xenu/scs.html



Cover page
Testimony: The Autobiography of Margery Wakefield
By Margery Wakefield
Publ.:
Year: 1996
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Published on the Internet by Dean Benjamin, 21 December 1996.

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/testimony.html



Cover page
The Commodore & The Colonels
By Major John Forte, MBE
Publ.:
Year: 1980
ISBN:

COMMENTS:

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/tcatc/
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/forte/



Cover page
The Jaschke Report
By Dr. Jaschke
Publ.:
Year:
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Dr. Jaschke is a political scientist who was paid by the German government to research Scientology. Dr. Jaschke put to rest the rumor that Scientology was a religion by collecting, organizing and presenting information, then publishing it as a report which became freely available on the internet, but only in German. - Joe Cisar.

LINKS:



Cover page

The Mind Benders
Scientology
By Cyril Vosper
Publ.: Neville Spearman Limited / Mayflower
Year: 1971 / 1973
ISBN: 85435 061 6 / 583 12249 3

COMMENTS:
A fast, furious, funny, violent exposure of a major global cult.

LINKS:



Cover page
The O.J. Roos Story
By Otto J. Roos
Publ.:
Year: 1984
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
Otto Roos (1934-) was a loyal disciple, confidant, and auditor of L. Ron Hubbard (LRH), founder of the psychotherapy cult of Scientology.

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/roos/index.html



Cover page

The Road to Total Freedom
A sociological analysis of scientology
By Roy Wallis
Publ.: Columbia University Press, New York
Year: 1977
ISBN: 0-231-04200-0

COMMENTS:
Wallis utilized documentation and 83 interviews to write this text that covers some of the broad themes of the cult from a sociological viewpoint. Wallis sees Scientology as progressing through time, but doesn't get too side-tracked by such propaganda and PR lines in this in-depth digging into what makes the cult work, why and how people become Scientologists, and what makes Hubbard himself tick.

LINKS:
http://whyaretheydead.net/krasel/books/wallis/wallis1.html



Cover page
The Road to Xenu
A narrative account of life in Scientology
By Margery Wakefield
Publ.:
Year: 1991
ISBN:

COMMENTS:

LINKS:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/xenu/xenu.html



Cover page

The Sad Tale of Scientology
A short history 1950-85
By Eric Townsend
Publ.: Anima Publishing
Year: 1985
ISBN: 0-9510471-0-8

COMMENTS:
"His aim in writing this book is to provide a brief and balanced summary of how the subject has developed. By doing this in a way that tries to be fair to all sides, he hopes that the open- minded reader will have enough information to make a rational decision about whether to take their interest in the subject further or not."

LINKS:
http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/sad-tale.htm
http://www.crackpots.org/sadtaln.htm



Cover page
The Scandal of Scientology
By Paulette Cooper
Publ.: Tower Publications, Inc.
Year: 1971
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
A chilling examination of the nature, beliefs, and practices of the "Now religion." The book the Scientologists tried to stop!

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/tsos/sos.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/cooper-scandal.txt



Cover page

(buy eBook)

Stripping the Gurus
Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment
By Geoffrey D. Falk
Publ.: Million Monkeys Press
Year: 2005
ISBN: 0-9736203-3-1

COMMENTS:
"Armed with wit, insight, and truly astonishing research, Geoffrey Falk utterly demolishes the notion of the enlightened guru who can lead devotees to nirvana. This entertaining and yet deadly serious book should be read by everyone pursuing or thinking of pursuing the path of guru devotion."

- John Horgan, author of Rational Mysticism

"Stripping the Gurus is superb - one of the best books of its kind I have ever read. The research is meticulous, the writing engaging, and the overall thesis: devastatingly true. A stellar book."

- Dr. David C. Lane, California State University

LINKS:
http://www.strippingthegurus.com/ (50% of book available online)
BATTLEFIELD TEEGEEACK (chapter on Scientology)



Cover page
The Total Freedom Trap
Scientology, Dianetics And L. Ron Hubbard
By Jon Atack
Publ.:
Year:
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
An enormous amount of documented evidence demonstrates that Hubbard was not what he claimed to be, and that his subject does not confer the benefits claimed for it.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/ttft/
http://www.inx.de/%7Etilman/j/tftrap.html



Cover page
Understanding Scientology
By Margery Wakefield
Publ.:
Year: 1991
ISBN:

COMMENTS:
With chapters by Bob Penny and the late Robert Kaufman. First published by the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, PO Box 290402, Tampa, Florida, 33687.

LINKS:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/us/Understand_Scientology.txt
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us.html


Special thanks to Martin Hunt (martinh@islandnet.com) and his Scientology Booklist, and The ARSCC (wdne)

Also check out Cult Mind Control etc Booklist and some parody Scientology book titles.


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