Customer Reviews

Blown for Good Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First, it is a page turner and and would make a blockbuster movie.
Second, Marc Headley wrote and published this book while still being harrassed and harrangued by Scientology's "intelligence arm".

One of many rapid-fire expose's, they all expose one startling fact: Our government agencies have been ignoring the crimes and abuses of this cult for decades. Every American should now ask your Senator and Congressman to see to it that these horrendous crimes finally come to an end, and that U.S. Citizens be protected. And don't forget to ask the current IRS Commissioner why the error of religious status given to this group hasn't not been corrected.

When you read what really goes on it will seem too incredulous. Just when you've finished one chapter, thinking it couldn't possibly get worse, you turn the page. Somehow Marc has kept and inserted his sense of humour amidst the horror. Kudos to your courage as well, Marc. Will our elected officials now stand up as well?

It is not often that one gets a look inside a secretive organization like the Church of Scientology. Mark Headley spent years working at Golden Era Studios, shoulder to shoulder with top management and Scientology celebrities.
This book reveals the inner workings of the Sea Organization, and the machinations of cult leader David Miscavige and his acolyte Tom Cruise. Headley writes with credibility and humor. This is a must read for any current or ex-scientologist, or anyone with an interest in this subject. The faithful should have no problem with it, as one of the early abilities they lay claim to is the ability to talk to anyone on any subject, and the focus on truth.
The book includes a forward by Marty Rathbun, a former high level church leader during the time Mark was there.

I am only up to Chapter 8. Am an Ex Scientologist & worked at St. Hill, UK for 5 years, also did alot of training in Scientology. I offically left the Church in 2001. Am now declared a Suppressive Person. On reading the first 8 Chapters it brought back alot of memories of how my life used to be. Marc has written a very factual account of how the Church operates, it is exactly how he tells it. The Sea Org members are treated inhumanly & this used to upset me greatly when I was on staff. The book is easy to read & he tells it as it is. Getting an insight into Int base is alarming, those people are inslaved & it should be investigated by the American Govenment. What Marc has written goes on Worldwide but is extreme at Int. David Misscabbage should be investigated. I am so glad that I left Scientology & have a good life now. This book will help people to not get involved with this criminal organisation. Well done Marc Headley.

Stayed up into the night finishing Marc Headley's Blown for Good. I was blown away by how good this book was. I could not put it down - and I'm glad I didn't.

I finished Nancy Many's Billion Year Contract a couple of days ago. That was a good book, It is distinct among the recent Scientology survivor books in how it gives an inside view on how mental illness and Scientology don't mix. Maybe too much of an "inside" view. The book was grueling for sure but I would recommend it. But that book didn't capture me quite so much as Blown for Good.

The day after I finished Nancy Many's book, I got Blown for Good in the mail. There is so much about this book to like. There is a charm to it. I realized half way through the book that all the chapter titles were taken from Depeche Mode songs and like the music of Depeche Mode, the book takes you some place dark where strength and vulnerability walk hand in hand. It also occurred to me that is book begs to be made into a movie, not only because the picture Marc paints is so clear, but also because we already have a sound track.

Marc's sarcastic, smart ass comments are great comic relief and not just funny to laugh at, but almost necessary as he takes you into the world of Scientology's "Secret" Base, the domain of the sociopathic, sadistic "leader" Dave Miscavige. More than any other book to date (I think I've read them all) this book paints a portrait of Miscavige. It is not a pretty picture. Miscavige comes off sometimes as a cartoonish super villain, laughing maniacally at his hapless minions who he makes to suffer, but Marc keeps up anecdote after anecdote, with quotes and details to remind you that this is a real person he is talking about. These surreal outrages against the trust that was placed in this sick man really did happen (and are still happening).

There is a good deal of insider information about Tom Cruise, Lisa McPherson and many other people of interest to the critics of Scientology as well as the general public. I kept thinking to myself while reading this book that Marc just happened to be in the right place at the right time to tell me everything that I was curious about.

Much of what I found so interesting about the book stems from my own curiosity as an ex-Sea Org member who didn't last quite as long as he did. While I never went to the "Secret" Int Base, I experienced the veil of mystique that surrounded the Int Base and had been in awe of it. Turning the pages of this book, Marc tells me the only thing to be in awe of at the Int Base was the incompetence, abuse and lack of dignity. I saw enough outrageous stuff during my time in the Sea Org to make me sneak out of the Sea Org's LA base in the middle of the the night, but I had no idea how bad it really was at the upper echelons. In recent years I've read about Miscavige hitting people and the sleep deprivation and the rest, but when Marc's book hit me with it page after page, I got worn down - more and more outraged. The only thing that sustained me was the knowledge that it would end for Marc.

It is haunting to know that for many Sea Org members it hasn't ended and is still going on, especially when I remind myself how many of these Sea Org members joined out of a selfless desire to help others.

To say that Marc names names in this book is an under statement. There are some that he leaves out, but the important ones are in. The mood, the incompetence and internal politics of the the Sea Org are painstakingly detailed with a long string of events related by Marc, most of which he witnessed first hand. These are details that I wondered about for a long time - how did the mighty Sea Org operate at the highest levels? Marc's answer is fear, back stabbing and (for some reason I'm using his word a lot in this review) incompetence.

The plot of the book works well as a story. The good guy is Marc the author and the bad guy is, ultimately, David Miscavige. All the other bad guys are just idiots who haven't figured out that Miscavige will throw them to the wolves once he drains them dry. The only thing suspicious about the book is that Marc seems to come off as a overly reasonable person who at the same time happens to be just as brainwashed as everyone around him - never giving in to the back stabbing, in fighting and desperate, immoral measures which surrounds him more so than the razor wire and guards.

I'll say it again to anyone listening. This book begs to be made into a movie. Not only does it read like a screen play with sarcasm, but is a story that needs to be taken to the public. I wouldn't say this is the beginning of the end for Scientology. The "end" is well underway. This is the middle of the end - it's a good time for a movie.

I did NOT have it THIS INTENSE, but...some of the abuses that are particular to Scientology (working 80+ hrs a week, little-to-no-pay, Stockholm Syndrome, etc...) happens to those who work as 'Staff Members' of Scientology organizations around the world, as well.

I know. I was a Staff Member for a few years and my husband and I also had to escape in the middle of the night! (Without the benefit of a police escort though).

As a matter of fact, even the PUBLIC who receive Scientology courses and counseling are ALSO abused..for they are extorted and blackmailed of large amounts of money ($300,000.00+ US) for services that do NOT deliver what is promised.

I am almost finished reading Marc's book,and it is one incredible, gripping and I believe, ACCURATE account of what goes on behind the closed doors of Scientology!

It is just SICKENING to find out that this cruel abuse by David Miscavige was occurring at the top levels of the Sea Org while we as Staff (in our case) were also working our lives away, and being shown glossy, FAKE PR Videos of successful Sea Org!

I applaud Marc and his wife for escaping and having the courage to write this book! May it help MANY!

I'm buying this book for friends. And anyone who knows anyone involved in Scientology, buy them this book! They'll thank you later!

I was "in" The Church of Scientology for 30 years, and literally escaped
out in 2000. I can say without a doubt this is THE most educational and interesting
book I've ever read re Scientology.

First off, Marc Headley writes it from his view as a young man, literally growing
up in it, and the reader--whether ever "in" or not---can easily follow his growth
within this organization.

Secondly, it's extremely educational, factual, and will give you a view you've never had before and always wanted to know about re the "Church of Scientology" and the leader, David Miscavige.

Lastly, he's a very funny writer! You'll find me all over town, reading "Blown for Good" and laughing out loud. No, it's not a funny matter, but some of the experiences
he has, and how well he writes about them, keep it both educational and funny.

Thanks SO much, Marc! My love and best to you and Claire!

Tory Christman
aka: Magoo!

Excellent exposure of human rights abuses within the Church of Scientology at the highest levels. This book is shocking. I have noted before that Church of Scientology's response to recent news stories says any that criticism of the COS is all lies (Nightline, Saint Petersburg Times, etc). Ater reading the first chapter of Blown For Good, I searched online for the police report to corroborate whether the Church of Scientology goon squad did indeed run Mr. Headley off the road as he tried to escape. I found the corroborating evidence in two police reports. The police had to help Mr. Headley escape a church. A Church?? That "Church" needs to be sued into oblivion.
Thank you for your courage, Mr. and Mrs. Headley. May you have a long and happy life together.

This book is great!! It exposes the truth about Scientology and is very well written. I highly recommend it to anyone, but especially to those who want to know what life is really like in Scientology.

Marc's life and escape from the Cult of Scientology is compelling reading. He is a courageous man to share his story. I have enjoyed reading Marc's posting over the past few years and now this book! It' should be on the "Best Sellers" and Oprah's "Book of the Month" lists.

One might think that this book would be most compelling to ex-Scientologists. But to this non-Scientologist (I guess that makes me a "wog"?), this book was an absolutely fascinating read.

I have had a passing interest in Scientology ever since the late 70's when a college boyfriend dabbled in it, quickly realized it was a bunch of hooey, and was subsequently harassed for months when he tried to drop out. I've followed the various happenings in the news over the years, rolled my eyes at the Celebrity devotees, and laughed along with the jokes made about it by Conan O'Brien and others in the media...but I always knew there was a much darker side to it. This book peels away the layers and exposes the scary truth behind the criminal conglomerate...which, in the end, is what Scientology is.

One can only hope that this book will have some impact in both reducing new recruits, and helping those still trapped inside to find the courage to get out.

What I learned the most from Marc Headley's often gripping and sometimes humorous account is that Scientology is really nothing more than a for-profit corporation - and if you are an adherent you are either an overpaying customer, or an underpaid employee. Those who sign the "billion year contract" and join Sea Org are employees, and their entire lives are solely dedicated to producing and/or selling more product (primarily books, videos and useless "auditing" services). And the "public Scientologists" are simply customers who spend the rest of their lives getting skillfully pressured and manipulated into the worst corporate fleecing since Enron...worse, actually.

It's unfortunate that Scientology's corporate lawyers were able to terrorize our government into granting religious status to what is, in every sense, nothing more than an unregulated company (which happens to be headed by a violent megalomaniac with the worst management skills in the history of business). There isn't another corporation in America that could get away with the employee abuses that this one does. Can you imagine AT&T or IBM being allowed to enforce 100 hour work weeks, pay wages of pennies per hour, or exact punitive measures like denial of sleep, food, and days off - not to mention creepy games of musical chairs, pool dousings and actual in-house inprisonments? OSHA should have been called out decades ago!

There are flaws to the book - it could use a good editing, as its occasional grammar and punctuation errors (mostly quotation mark problems) serve to pull you out of the story and remind you that this was a self-published book. The narrative gets bogged down at certain points with inconsequential details of the author's work in video production. And throughout, you can't help but keep asking yourself WHY! Why did he put up with it, when from his earliest years he questioned the legitimacy of their bizarre beliefs? Why did any of them? While their living situation was undeniably horrific, it was essentially optional. Those of us who haven't been in it have a hard time understanding why anyone wouldn't just walk away at the abuses...not to mention the laughable absurdities of their engram-and-alien dogma. But when you think about the fact that so many of these people were raised with this, knew nothing else, and had no concept of how to live outside of the confines of the corporation, it becomes easier to grasp. And let's also not forget that man has a long, dramatic history of unquestioning belief in silly supernatural fictions to help them deal with the vagaries of human existence

Mr. Headley does an excellent job of detailing his own journey to reality, and the steps he went through to begin to see it, force himself to face it, come to accept it, and ultimately act on it.

One thing I would have liked to see was an epilogue...a telling of the author's discovery of what life really IS like out in the real world. All we really get is a quick description of how it felt to sleep more than a few hours at a time, and to eat a meal in less than 5 minutes. Did he eventually discover what it's like to live in a world in which pleasure is allowed, even encouraged? What did it feel like to realize that, in a healthy work environment, people do their best when motivated with positivity, rather than torture and punishment? In freeing himself of those chains, what did he learn about humanity, and about himself? Is he happier? Perhaps sharing how his life has changed might have helped some Scientologists to want to make the same journey.

I do hope that some current Scientologists manage to find the inner resources to actually read this book. Sadly, it's clear that too many of them are too deeply under the influence of the terroristic mind-control tactics of this cult. But I'd be willing to guess that at least a few copies have made their way onto Int Base.

In these days of such easy access to information, it is inevitable that Scientology is going to founder. It's just a matter of time before those who continue to be subjected to such inhumane treatment will learn that this is not all there is...that life can and SHOULD involve joy and free will, that they have been spoon-fed a huge pile of steaming horse manure, and have allowed themselves to be put through years of misery in the process. After reading this book, I personally feel inspired to help this process, to add my own voice to the outcry to STOP this nonsense, and save the victims of this criminal enterprise. So in that regard, Marc Headley has done a great service, and I applaud him.

I will also never be able to watch a Tom Cruise movie again. SHAME on him.