From: lindsay+@cs.cmu.edu (Donald Lindsay)
Subject: Readings FAQ
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 01:29:36 GMT


mparikh@uceng.UC.EDU (Mehul Parikh) writes:
>I have heard a lot about Scientology. Mixed reviews. The local Scientology
>chapter has been sending me a lot of brochures with information on their
>courses. 
>Without making any biased judgement, I would like to know more 

The price is right at your local library:

------------------------< FAQ: Reading List >----------------------------

Material about Scientology, Dianetics, the Church, or Hubbard, but
written by non-Church-members or ex-Church-members.
Last modified: Friday 7aug92.

"L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?" -- by Bent Corydon and L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
a.k.a. Ronald DeWolf.(Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart, 1987) ISBN 0-8184-0444-2
In 1992, from Barricade Books, dist. by Publishers Group West, $12.95

"Bare-Faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard", by Russell Miller
(N.Y.: Henry Holt & Co., 1987) ISBN 0-8050-0654-0. $19.95
Russell Miller is a British journalist who's done several biographies.

A Piece of Blue Sky -- by Jon Atack

Review by revpk@cellar.UUCP (Brian 'Rev P-K' Siano):

        "Messiah or Madman?" is a poorly organized, sloppy piece of work, 
with little sense to its organization or even writing style. Passages that 
skip between various events do so with little reason, and frequently without 
even citing dates or times. There's no index, little sourcing, and much of it 
seems gleaned from court records. Howeveer, it's the only one widely 
available.

        "Bare-faced messiah" is better written, better documented, and is 
perhaps the one indispensable biography of L. Ron Hubbard. The problem is, it 
doesn't deal with much of the Church's history; but it does provide lots of 
innarestin' details about life aboard the Sea Org, and it's the best written 
of the three books available.

        "A Piece of Blue Sky" is a history of both the Church and Hubbard-- 
very well researched, lots of documentation, and well structured. It's too 
bad Atack's not much of a stylist, because the book amounts to a series of 
facts listed after each other for easy access. Still, Atack's book is the 
single best overall guide to Scientology that I've ever read, and I recommend 
it to everyone.

Review by tad@ssc.UUCP (Tad Cook):

The book is called A PIECE OF BLUE SKY by Jon Atack,
and it is great!  I spent the last week totally absorbed in this
book, and I highly recommend it.  Atack is an ex-Scientologist,
and he has done a fine job of explaining their beliefs, and also
he presents a very interesting history of Hubbard and Dianetics.

Review by djb@dberleant.uark.edu (/usr/spool/mail/djb) (Dan):

"Messiah or Madman" is largely a primary source. Meaning that the
material is recounted from actual events witnessed by the authors,
with little interpretation given (what interpretation there is is
negative, of course). Both the authors were heavily involved in
Scientology, particularly Corydon who was an important figure in the
movement. In addition to their own experiences in the movement and
with Hubbard himself, they provide page after page of quotes from
other former Scientologists, describing their own experiences and
events they witnessed.

Russell Miller's excellent book "Bare-Faced Messiah" is a secondary
source, thoroughly researched and well written, but definitely
complementary to "Messiah or Madman" rather than replacing it or being
"better" (whatever that means).

---
A magazine database search turned up
	People Weekly v19 p84(5) 1983 Jan 24 by John Saar
	"Ministry of fear; scandal rocks Scientology as the founder's wife
	goes to prison and his son turns prosecution witness"
also
	Penthouse feedback, Penthouse v15 p28(6) 1984 Jan
	The other side of L. Ron Hubbard, Jr :	Ron deWolf
also
	"Follow-ups: shamed in Spain. (Heber Jentzsch, head of Church of
            Scientology arrested in Spain)"
	Fortune v119 n2 p16(1) 1989 Jan 16
also
	"See You In Court", by Russell Miller, Punch, 19feb88 p.46
	(short bit about the Church suing to stop the publication
	 of "Bare Faced Messiah")
---
Reviews by lindsay@cs.cmu.edu:

Mind Game -- by Norman Spinrad, Jove Books, copyright 1980.

This is a novel, a "roman a clef", about an author whose wife joins the
"Transformationalism" cult. Yes, the cult is led by a pulp-era
science-fiction writer.  He even says things like, "We're developing
the Atomic Age of the mind."  Gee, any guesses? One of the
revelations was that the cult ordered members to make various career
moves, and then gave them "life directives" to steer business to
enterprises that were secretly cult-owned.

Heads - by Greg Bear, Tor, 1990 ISBN 0-812-51996-5

This is good science fiction, set about a century from now. The
relevance is that the villain is obviously the Church of Scientology,
with just enough details changed so that the author can't be sued.
---
From: paj@mrcu (Paul Johnson)
Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, UK
I have just read "Cults of Unreason" by Christopher Evans.  Most of
the book is devoted to a history and discussion of Dianetics and
Scientology.  This is readable and at times very funny.  As Evans
says, "A rich vein of unconsious humor runs through the official
publications of the cult" (or words to that effect).  The book is old
and somewhat out of date, but it is detailed and impartial
---
From: andrewd@chook.adelaide.edu.au (Andrew Dunstan)
See also "The Mind Benders" by Cyril Vosper. (I think this is right!)
The Scientologists went to a GREAT deal of trouble in the UK to try
to suppress this book.
---
"Bigger Secrets", by William Poundstone, 1986, Houghton Mifflin, ISBN
0-395-45397-6. PP 58-62 are titled "The Secret Teachings of L. Ron
Hubbard". Summarizes Zemu. Dirt on Hubbard's war hero status.
Claims they pull in $100M/yr and have dummy corporations in "no tell
countries like Leichtenstein, Luxembourg, and Liberia".
---
lippard@uavax0.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard) posted material
from The Arizona Skeptic, vol. 5 no. 2 (September/October 1991), pp. 1-5.
which gave:

Stewart Lamont, Religion, Inc.: The Church of Scientology
(London: Harrap, 1986)

Albert I. Berger, "Towards a Science of the Nuclear Mind:
Science-fiction Origins of Dianetics", Science Fiction Studies, 1989,
vol. 16:123-141.

Jack Fox, Alvin E. Davis, and B. Lebovits, "An Experimental
Investigation of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis (Dianetics),"
Psychological Newsletter 1959, 10, 131-134.

S.I. Hayakawa, "From Science-fiction to Fiction-science", Etc.: A
Review of General Semantics, 1951 Vol. 8 (4) 280- 293.  p. 293. 
---
From: lippard@uavax0.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard)

Jeff Jacobsen wrote an article about the origins of Dianetics for the
September/October 1991 issue of _The Arizona Skeptic_ in which he
points out that the major tenets of Dianetics bear strong resemblance
to theories put forth in issues of Psychoanalytic Review in 1941 and
1949.  He also refers to an experimental investigation of Dianetics
which appeared in vol. 10 (1959) of the Psychological Newsletter
(Jack Fox, Alvin E. Davis, and B. Lebovits, "An Experimental Investigation
of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis (Dianetics)").

Other books critical of Hubbard, Dianetics, and Scientology include
   ...
   Roy Wallis, _The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological Analysis
      of Scientology_, 1977, Columbia University Press.

Wallis also had an article in the first issue of The Skeptical Inquirer
(then known as The Zetetic) titled "'Poor Man's Psychoanalysis?' 
Observations on Dianetics."

The Jacobsen article may be obtained from Jacobsen (who also has other
stuff on Scientology) at P.O. Box 3541, Scottsdale, AZ 85271, or from
the Phoenix Skeptics, P.O. Box 62792, Phoenix, AZ 85282-2792.
---
There was a cover article on Scientology in Time Magazine, 6may 1991:
"The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power", by Richard Behar.

By the same author:
"The prophet and profits of Scientology"
Forbes v138 p314(6) 1986 Oct 27

Also in Time:
"Mystery of the vanished ruler." Time v121 p64(4) 1983 Jan 31
---
Los Angeles Times ran a 6-part series, June 1990, by
	 Welkos, Robert W. and Sappell, Joel.
"The Scientology Story: A Special Report"
#1 24june: The Making of L. Ron Hubbard
	   The man in control. (David Miscavige)
	   Burglaries and lies paved a path to prison
	   Defining the theology
#2 25june: Church markets its gospel with high-pressure sales
	   Shoring up its religious profile
#3 26june: Defectors recount lives of hard work, punishment
#4 27june: Reaching Into Society
#5 28june: Costly strategy continues to turn out bestsellers
#6 29june: On the offensive against an array of suspected foes
	   Suits, protests fuel a campaign against psychiatry
	   (Scientology opposes anti-hyperactive drug Ritalin)
	   A lawyer learns what it's like to fight the church
	   (Joseph Yanny harassed by the Church of Scientology)
---
From: sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)

One excellent book written at a popular level is "Psychobabble" by
R.D. Rosen (Avon Books, 1979). It takes a skeptical look at EST,
Scientology, etc., as well as a number of odd practices in psychology
such as Rebirthing, Primal Scream, etc.
---
An encyclopedia's bibliography gave:

Garrison, Omar V., The Hidden Story of Scientology (1974)
Malko, George, Scientology:  The New Religion (1970)
Winter, J.  A., Dianetics:  A Doctor's Report (1987)

Cooper, Paulette.  _The Scandal of Scientology_, New York: Tower
    Publications, 1971. (This is the lady who was harassed.)

Renunciation and Reformulation: a Study of Conversion in an American
Sect -- by Harriet Whitehead, 1987, Cornell University Press. 

Review by acarvin@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Andy Carvin):
Whitehead, who is a sociologist, actually joined a Church in order to
get firsthand knowledge of the members and practices.  Anyway, it's
interesting, informative, and non-biased.  I would think that it can
be obtained in a good research library.
---
Hubbard is mentioned in "Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science",
by Martin Gardner.
---
        Flo Conway and Jim Seigelman's "Snapping" is a good, though 
pop-psych-influenced, account of the conversion experience that members of 
so-called 'cults' report; it compares similar experiences among Moonies, 
Scientologists, Krishnas, and many others, and also addresses the methods 
used by such organizations to _manufacture_ religious experiences. 
	-- revpk@cellar.org (Brian 'Rev P-K' Siano)
---
I'm reading 'Flim Flam!' by James Randi, and came upon a reference to
Scientology.  Apparently back in the 70's Scientology set out to discredit
CSICOP by painting it as a front organization for the CIA.
	-- rogue@ccs.northeastern.edu (Rogue Agent)
Check out Kendrick Frazier, "A Scientology 'dirty tricks' campaign
against CSICOP," _Skeptical Inquirer_ vol. 4, no. 3, Spring 1980, pp.
8-10.  This news report indicates that Scientology documents outlining
proposals to portray CSICOP as a CIA front were discovered by John
Marshall, a reporter for the _Toronto Globe and Mail_, among thousands
of documents entered as evidence into U.S. District Court in Washington,
D.C.
	-- lippard@skyblu.ccit.arizona.edu (James J. Lippard)

-------------------------------< END >-----------------------------------
-- 
Don		D.C.Lindsay 	Carnegie Mellon Computer Science