Nominated by Foreword Magazine as 2009 Book of the Year Award Finalist. Marc Headley provides a rare, never before seen insider's look at life inside Scientology. He spent 15 years employed at their secret headquarters, the sprawling 500 acre property located deep in the California desert. The local townspeople were told that Scientology lectures and films were being made there. But is that all that is happening there? It is the location of a multi-million dollar home for L. Ron Hubbard, b...

This explosive memoir from former Scientology executive Mike Rinder reveals the secret inner workings of the powerful organization and his remarkable escape from its highest ranks that is “not only a cautionary tale but also an inspiring story of resilience” (Leah Remini, New York Times bestselling author).Mike Rinder’s parents began taking him to their local Scientology center when he was five years old. After high school, he signed a bil...

A former top insider reveals the nightmare world of violence and abuse at the highest levels of the Church of Scientology. Amy Scobee was their staff member for 27 years. She rose up the ranks to the top of church management by the time she was twenty, where she remained for two decades. For much of that time, she served as a member of the Watchdog Committee, the highest management body in Scientology, which supervises every sector that makes up the organization today.In this book,...

The revelatory memoir by former "poster girl for Scientology" Michelle LeClair about her defection from the Church, her newly accepted sexual identity, and the lengths to which Scientology went to silence it.For years, Michelle LeClair, former President of Scientology's international humanitarian organization, tried to reconcile her sexual orientation with the anti-gay ideology of the church. Michelle finally ends her horrific marriage, finds the love of her life, ...

" The most complete picture of Scientology so far." —Garry Wills, New York Times Book ReviewBased on five years of research, access to confidential documents, and extensive interviews with current and former Scientologists, Janet Reitman sheds some long-awaited light on the ever-elusive religion of the Church of Scientology.Scientology, created in 1954 by pulp science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, claims to be the world's fastest growing religion, w...

Banished is an eye-opening, deeply personal account of life inside the cult known as the Westboro Baptist Church, as well as a fascinating story of adaptation and perseverance.You've likely heard of the Westboro Baptist Church. Perhaps you've seen their pickets on the news, the members holding signs with messages that are too offensive to copy here, protesting at events such as the funerals of soldiers, the 9-year old victim of the recent Tucson shooting, a...

**This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show’s creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s."The best Simpsons book ever."―Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone’s chief television critic and author of The Soprano Sessions and TV (The Book)**The Simpsons is an American institution. B...

“Truth is always stranger than fiction. . . A stunning, riveting and extraordinary real-life story of life in the shadows." –#1 International Bestselling Author Don WinslowThe gripping true story, that reads like fiction, of how legendary FBI Special Agent Martin Suarez went deep undercover—and lived a double-life for years—to infiltrate Colombia's most insidious drug cartels.Martin Suarez, a legend within the FBI who specialized in Colombian drug cartels, holds the record ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAAH STONE BOOK AWARDA new history of US education through the nineteenth century that rigorously accounts for Black, Native, and white experiences; a story that exposes the idea of American education as “the great equalizer” to not only be a lie, but also a myth that reproduces past harms.Education is the epicenter of every community in the United States. Indeed, few institutions are as pivotal in shaping our lives and ...

New York Times Bestseller"Authoritarian governments abroad have long used legal threats and lawsuits against journalists to cover up their disinformation, corruption, and violence. Now, as master investigative journalist David Enrich reveals, those tactics have arrived in America.” — Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of StrongmenDavid Enrich, the New York Times Business Investigations Editor and the ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Brilliant...Bruni writes with humor, insight, and precision.” —The Wall Street Journal • “The best prescription for our redemption.” —The New York Times • “A wise and humane book for our foolish and cruel era.” —Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious GenerationFrom bestselling author and longtime New York Times columnist Frank Bruni comes a lucid, powerful examination of the w...

**The extraordinary history of the epic rivalry between the ancient world’s two great superpowers.“Magnificent.” —Spectator**The Roman Empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale. Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyon...