Memoirs of a Scientology Warrior
Mark Rathbun - 2013
This autobiographical history of Scientology is told by one of L. Ron Hubbard’s staunchest defenders.
Escaping Scientology: An Insider's True Story: My Journey With the Cult of Celebrity Spirituality, Greed and Power
Karen Schless Pressley - 2007
In leader David Miscavige's inner sanctum, they built their mental prison as they melded into its radicalized lifestyle where danger, captivity and abuse were normalized. After three escapes, Karen chose between two unbearable options. Escaping Scientology Part I sweeps you into the lives of two young adults filled with hope and love as designer Karen and her award-winning musician-composer husband Peter overcome obstacles to succeed in the music and fashion industries together. Scientology re-focuses their goals toward the importance of clearing the planet and recruiting celebrities to build Scientology's social capital. Karen portrays the basic beliefs of Scientology that led to her radicalization into the Sea Org at the Celebrity Centre, a fortress where artists aspire to achieve greatness while attaining spiritual freedom through L. Ron Hubbard’s teachings. Karen shows how celebrities are lured into Scientology and develop a co-dependent relationship from which few break out. Part II reveals Karen as a flawed and complex woman when she and Peter move to the secretive International Management headquarters, where they join 800 fanatical Sea Org members that made billion-year commitments to make this a Scientology world without war, criminality, or insanity. Karen finds the dystopian outpost and its global operations to be proof that Time magazine’s 1991 article, “The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power” captures the essence of Scientology’s mindset, that she describes as “war is everything and everything is war.” She is no passive victim as she attempts to stay in the driver’s seat and keep their marriage intact while fighting the pressures of the Int base culture that attempt to break them apart. Scientology goes under “Cruise Control” as Miscavige becomes obsessed with his biggest trophy, Tom Cruise, and stiffens his control and abusive punishment methods on the Int base staff. Karen rebels against regulations and spends time in Scientology’s prison camp. After two attempts to escape the Int base, she is trailed by security guards and coerced into returning. Failing to escape, she questions the evidence of her own senses, and makes a mind-twisting re-commitment to become the best version of a Sea Org member she can be. Karen carves out a world she can live within as she is promoted into the highest echelons of management, appointed by the Chairman of the Board RTC to Int Management Public Relations Officer and later to take charge of the image of Sea Org staff internationally from the Int Finance Office. While working on special projects under David and Shelley Miscavige, she travels to Scientology bases around the world where she sees human rights violations set in place by Hubbard’s policies that cause her to conclude Scientology is a for-profit business that builds billions of dollars of assets on the backs of Sea Org slave labor, while hiding behind the banner of the First Amendment, claiming benefits and protection as a non-profit religion. The epilogue of Part III portrays the mind-wrenching process of physical escape, and psychological anguish as Karen plies herself out of Scientology’s grip and endures its cruel disconnection policy. She re-acclimates herself to life on the outside while, brick by brick, she disassembles the walls of the mental prison she had built, and survives with the help of her accomplice and the love and support of her family. Karen's narrative memoir shows that Scientology's plan, authored by L.
Boxing - From Chump to Champ: A Simple 9 Step Boxing Manual for Beginners. Discover how Training Develops Self-Defense, Improves Physical Health and Builds Confidence
Andrew Hudson - 2021
This usually intimidates many people and prevents them from experiencing the benefits that boxing provides. Unfortunately, this may always be the case, but I am trying to put a stop to that.Lazy, unmotivated, scared, unfit and helpless are just some of the words that could have described me many years ago. I am sure many people fall into this category and have had enough of it, this is where boxing came into my life and changed me for good. Now as a Qualified Boxing Coach, I have the honor to pass on knowledge to other to help them become a better boxer and experience the benefits. Boxing provides you with many benefits that no other sports can provide and can easily fit into your busy schedule. The common stereotype of boxing is that it is only for tough people, well what if I told you that you can get into Boxing without getting hit once!That’s right, Boxing doesn’t mean you have to get into the ring. Boxing from home is just as good as joining your local gym. You will be able to master the footwork basics, learn how to hold a stance, discover the different punch types and much more just from reading this book. Furthermore, this book is for anyone. Whether you want to box to fight in the ring, or if you want to box for exercise, or if you want to build up your boxing ability at home until you gain confidence to join a boxing gym then this book will help you. Many people think that boxing training is just about who can land the most punches in a spar session, but it provides you with a whole-body workout to make you stronger, faster, leaner, more coordinated and mentally tougher. These attributes will prove to be a positive in day-to-day activities.I aim for this book to help you more than what meets the eye, after coaching boxing to beginners for a few years, I am confident to say that you will experience the benefits like a slimmer body and stronger mindset if you follow the advice in this book. I have seen many people start boxing who wouldn’t have been able to hurt a fly on day one, but over the years have built up confidence and ability to win their first fight in front of a crowd of 100, that goes to show that boxing is for anyone. Not to mention that in this book you’ll discover:How you can Improve Your Boxing Ability Without any Equipment.The Simplest, yet Most Effective Punches and Combinations.How These Simple Footwork Drills Will Make you a Better Boxer.Many Defensive Techniques to Prevent Getting Hit.Home Boxing Workouts that Will Help you Lose Weight and Get Fit.The Diet Structure that Successful Boxers Follow.What you can do to Build up Your Confidence Inside and Outside of the Ring.Each day you spend considering making a change to your life, you will find it harder to solve any problems you have that are holding you back. That’s why you should do it now, get into it with a fresh mindset and enjoy it. It may feel nerve-racking at first, but you will be making long-term changes that you will thank yourself for later on. Click “Add to Cart” to start your boxing journey!
The Truth Rundown: Stories of violence, intimidation and control in the world of Scientology
The Tampa Bay Times - 2015
Rathbun told Times reporters the story of his years in Scientology and what led to his leaving. That resulted in interviews with scores of other people in the Scientology world, including former staffers, disaffected parishioners and current church members.Thus began the Times' ongoing series, "Inside Scientology," which launched with an installment called "The Truth Rundown," published in June of 2009. That initial work — the focus of this book — shed unprecedented light on the internal workings of a secretive church that generates interest around the world.
Shackled to my Family
Samina Younis - 2012
This is the true story of Samina Younis, born in Britain to a strict, religious Muslim family - a family that practices the tradition of forced marriage which they brought back with them from their village in Pakistan. One of seven sisters and two brothers, she was a bitter disappointment to her parents who desperately wanted a son; as a result she suffered terrible physical and mental abuse at the hands of both her mother and father; later she was to fall victim to continued abuse from her very own siblings. At the age of just sixteen, on a trip to Pakistan Samina was told that she must marry her second cousin, a boy she had met only once in her life and for whom she had no affection whatsoever. The writing of this book was Samina's only way of coming to terms with the life that she had been forced into, the mental conflict over her enduring love for a mother, now dead, who even on her deathbed was compelled to dominate and control her future. The book recounts her struggle against her family and her dramatic escape to a life of her own. The publishers and author wish to thank the thousands of people who have already read this book and made it such a success in raising awareness to cruel and archaic practices forced on women and men around the world.
Lovely Lies 2
LaShanta Charles - 2014
He was supposed to protect her and he failed miserably. He's left tormented by thoughts of what Nyeem may be doing to Makynzee or if she's even alive. One thing is for sure, He needs to regain his focus because now he's faced with the unlikely task of getting her back. Nyeem, the psycho stalker turned kidnapper, has finally succeeded in conquering his ultimate goal - making Makynzee his. So what if she was in a perfectly good relationship with Kalil? And does it really matter that he had to kidnap her to get her? It seems as though he's taken full control of everyone's lives and has no intentions of letting that control go. Because of him lives may be lost, Makynzee's fate is unknown, and the chaos he's brought with him has taken up permanent real estate.
The Complex: An Insider Exposes the Covert World of the Church of Scientology
John Duignan - 2008
Duignan describes how, two years ago, he staged a dramatic escape from the elite paramilitary group at the core of the Church, the Sea Organization, and how he narrowly evaded pursuit by the Office of Special Affairs. He looks back on the 22 years he served in the Church's secret army and describes the hours of sleep deprivation, brain-washing and intense religious counseling he endured, as he was molded into a soldier of Scientology. He talks about the money-making-machine at the heart of the Church, the Scientology goal to Clear the Planet and Get Ethics In, and the punishments meted out to anyone who transgresses. We follow his journey through the Church and the painful investigation that leads to his eventual realization that there is something very wrong at Scientology's core.--From publisher description.
The Defector: After 20 years in Scientology
Robert Dam - 2011
It is written by Robert Dam, who himself was a member of the mothership of Scientology in EUROPE – right in the center of Danish capital, Copenhagen – for 20 years, until he defected in 2004.The story of his personal life with Scientology, as well as the story of the movement itself, is not for the fainthearted. It is hair-raising reading. Scientology’s paranoid world view and the strict control of its members and critics make an alarming pivot point in the authors’ story as well as the story of the movement itself. The book is extremely well written, a real page turner, an absolute thriller. The story opens with a classic thriller plot, in which part of the ending is unveiled after which we start at the beginning. Slowly, the context of the plot is unraveled, and finally we are at the beginning, and we have already understood, why it had to end this way.
Hangovers & Hot Flashes
Kim Gruenenfelder - 2018
They are all in their 40s and wondering the same thing: “Now what?” Zoe, the mother of 17 year-old twins about to abandon her for college, misses the romance of her twenties, and desperately wants just one last first kiss. Thinking outside the box, she convinces her husband Carlos to embark on an open marriage. Which leads to a new set of problems and questions: How does she pick a “non-skeevy” swinger’s club, do men of a certain age even want sex with no strings attached, and does ordering a glass of Syrah these days really signal to would be suitors that you just want to f*@# them in their car? Most importantly, will getting to be with someone else help or hurt her marriage? And if that someone else is an ex who effortlessly morphs into a fantasy man who after all these years finally says and does all the right things, how does Zoe choose between the life she has and the road not taken? Michelle has made it her routine on her way home to stop one block from her house, park, stare into space, and dread the next few hours of her life. She’s tired of juggling her very full time job as a real estate agent with the full time job of parenting two kids without much help from her husband, Steve. She's also tired of not having sex and the daily silence that has replaced their fighting. Michelle doesn’t have a road not taken, but she’s at a fork in that road. Does she take the easy path, and spend the rest of her life with a man she loves but no longer likes? Or go the hard route: Divorce. Living life with one income, single parenting, lonely Thanksgivings, and kids who may never forgive you. And how does somebody start dating again when all the rules have changed since she took herself off the market years ago? Alexis is the self-made multi-millionaire we all aspire to be. She’s the creator of a slew of hit TV shows and the head of a wildly successful production company. She’s got the dream car, the stunning house on the beach in Malibu, the black AmEx. Everything is going exactly according to plan, and there’s a lot to be happy about. But she also has Connor, her on-again/off-again boyfriend of twelve years. Plus she’s going through early menopause, and now wonders how she forgot to have kids. Her life plan is suddenly thrown into further disarray when Connor shows up with a stray dog, which he leaves with her. Which is just the beginning, as that mangy mutt leads to a teenaged dog walker, a middle-aged widower, and her Sunday morning brunches possibly being replaced by church. So what do you do when nothing in your life is working the way you saw it in your head, and the unplanned life might make you happier? Knowing their girlfriends will always have their backs, Michelle, Zoe and Alexis confront their new realities with honesty and humor, while trying to find happiness amidst hangovers and hot flashes.
Scientology - Abuse At the Top
Amy Scobee - 2010
One review states: "At home alone, a 14 year old girl takes a phone call from Scientology. This starts a quarter of a century journey of manipulation, betrayal and sexual, physical and mental abuse. This journey leads to the highest management echelon and one woman's courage to break free. A real page-turner." Mark P. Another writes: "Amy Scobee has written a book unlike any other expose of Scientology. She actually was at the top of International Management for 20 years, and oversaw the recruitment of Hollywood stars into the Church of Scientology. She witnessed the abuse of top managers by their senior, David Miscavige. She writes convincingly of the human rights violations she endured while on the Rehabilitation Project Force, a thinly disguised slave labor camp. Her book is enjoyable to insiders and laymen alike, with a glossary of terms provided, and plentiful footnotes. This is an important contribution to understanding the controversy surrounding the Church of Scientology. The glaring spotlight eventually points to Abuse at the Top." Michael H.
Be Mine Tonight: A Royals Saga Valentine Short
Geneva Lee - 2021
Bare-Faced Messiah: The True Story Of L. Ron Hubbard
Russell Miller - 1987
Ron Hubbard was promoted for over 30 years as a romantic adventurer and philosopher with a mission to save the world. Miller has carefully researched Hubbard's life, and provides a biography unlike any of those the church has produced and interwoven with lies. 8 pages of photos.
From Makin to Bougainville: Marine Raiders in the Pacific War (Marines in World War II) (Illustrated)
Jon T. Hoffman - 2013
This elite force, and its three sister battalions, went on to gain considerable fame for fighting prowess in World War II. There is more to the story of these units, however, than a simple tale of combat heroics. The inception, growth, and sudden end of the raiders reveals a great deal about the development and conduct of amphibious operations during the war, and about the challenges the Corps faced in expanding from 19,000 men to nearly a half million. The raiders also attracted more than their share of strong leaders. The resulting combination of courage, doctrine, organization, and personalities makes this one of the most interesting chapters in Marine Corps history...
Counterfeit Dreams
Jefferson Hawkins - 2010
It is an image that Jefferson Hawkins helped to craft in his 35 years as a top marketing executive for the Church of Scientology. Yet behind that façade is a hidden world of physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, labor camps, family disconnection and human rights abuses. It is a nightmare world that is carefully hidden from public view. Counterfeit Dreams is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the truth about today’s most controversial cult.