Contemporary non-Christian and para-Christian cults and sects Books

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisAled Thomas is a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, Visiting Fellow at the Open University, UK and co-founder of alt-ac.uk.Trade ReviewA major work on the lives of Scientologists beyond the Church of Scientology is long overdue. Aled Thomas has produced a timely and insightful book. The work moves scholarship forward from the study of Scientology to the study of Scientologies. * Stephen E. Gregg, University of Wolverhampton, UK *Aled Thomas gives us an ethnographic look into a fascinating phenomenon on the alternative religious landscape: Scientology as interpreted and practiced among those who left the Church of Scientology or were never members in the first place. This book is highly recommended for scholars of new religions and is a welcome addition to the growing body of scholarship on Scientology and Scientologists. * Donald A. Westbrook, San Jose State University, USA *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction: Researching ‘Scientologies’ Part 1: From Scientology to Scientologies 2. The Church of Scientology and the ‘Free Zone’: A Complex Relationship 3. Auditing and the ‘Tech’: The Basics 4. ‘You are YOU in a body’: Negotiating the Self in Scientology Part 2: Fluidity and Boundaries 5. Authenticity and Innovation: The ‘True Tech’ and ‘Mistakes by Hubbard’ 6. ‘Doing Scientology’: E-Meters, Objects, and Material Culture 7. Moving Forward: Reflections on Free Zone Scientology and the Wider Study of Religions 8. Conclusion Appendix A Appendix B Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling investigation into Scientology by Pulitzer Prize-Winner Lawrence Wright now published for the first time in the UK and Australia

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Book SynopsisDavid Miscavige, the Church of Scientology's current leader and successor to founder L. Ron Hubbard, hasn't always ruled with a dictator's iron fist - nor was Scientology even part of his destiny. It was his father, Ron Miscavige, who signed his family up, and David bought in totally, even as a boy. Years later, Ron could only watch with dismay as his bright, carefree son transformed into the ruthless leader he is today. Ruthless is David's story told by the person who knows him best - his father. Ron traces the arc of David's life from his early years to David's eventual, stellar rise to power in Scientology; his brutal approach to running the organization today; and the disastrous effects that his leadership has had on countless numbers of Scientologists and their families.

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Book SynopsisLeah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That was nev--er more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former King of Queens star reveals the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices. Indoctrinated into Scientolo--gy as a child while living with her mother and sister in New York, Remini eventually moved to Los Angeles, where her dreams of becoming an ac--tress and advancing Scientology's causes grew increasingly intertwined. As an adult, she found the success she'd worked so hard for, and with it a prominent place in the hierarchy of celebrity Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise. But when she began to raise questions about some of the church's actions, she was declared to be a threat and therefore a "Suppressive Per--son." As a result, all of her fellow parishioners-including members of her own family-were told to disconnect from her. Forever. Bold, brash, and bravely confessional, Troublemaker reveals the hard-won truths of a life lived honestly-from an author unafraid of the consequences.

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling new novel, inspired by the events at Jonestown in the 1970s. It’s the summer of 1968, and Evelyn Lynden is a woman at war with herself. Minister’s daughter. Atheist. Independent woman. Frustrated wife. Bitch with a bleeding heart. Following her conscientious-objector husband Lenny to the rural Eden of Evergreen Valley, California, Evelyn wants to be happy with their new life. Yet she finds herself disillusioned with Lenny’s passive ways — and anxious for a saviour. Enter the Reverend Jim Jones, the dynamic leader of a new revolutionary church … Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Beautiful Revolutionary explores the allure of the real-life charismatic leader who would destroy so many. It follows Evelyn as she is pulled into Jones’s orbit — an orbit it would prove impossible for her to leave.Trade Review‘Woollett has wisely chosen to forgo the fetishism of death and Jim Jones that is so often the focus of this tragedy. With Beautiful Revolutionary, Woollett has created an utterly intoxicating portrait of the lives of those seeking to build something new in a world that seemed to be losing its mind. Although we know what awaits us, Woollett masterfully weaves a suspenseful and complex story about people — of their dreams, beliefs, ideals, and lives all coming to a horrific end — in a way that is uniquely hers. Woollett is electric.’ -- Sarah Schmidt, author of See What I Have Done‘Laura Woollett’s imaginative retelling of the Jonestown tragedy does what only fiction can do — endows Jim Jones and his inner circle with a sense of humanity. She formulates answers to unknowable questions — how could otherwise sane people be pulled into Jones’s web of evil? What happened that last, tragic day? A lyrical and sharply rendered tale of innocence lost and ideals betrayed.’ -- Julia Scheeres, author of A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown‘Expertly done.’ * Daily Mail *‘Beautiful Revolutionary suggests that the cult members are victims of Jones because they are victims of the time, swept up in the moment, fired by the rhetoric of revolution.’ -- Xan Brooks * The Guardian *‘She reclaims victims’ narratives from sensationalist head-lines and re-educates her readers through sharp, expertly crafted fiction … Her economy of language is striking; certain chapters are a page in length yet relay a multitude. The “revolutionary suicide” that froze Jonestown in popular culture is injected into every carefully composed sentence in which Woollett conflates violence with joy.’ -- Anna Joyce * Irish Times *‘[D]ramatic and intriguing, the quality of Woollett’s prose is the most enjoyable aspect of this novel … Reading Beautiful Revolutionary, it is easy to imagine how so many people could have been captivated and controlled by a man such as Jones … [A]n excellent work of literary historical fiction.’ 4.5 STARS * Books+Publishing *‘In this rich and skilled reimagining, Woollett joins the sprawling, doomed, and endlessly fascinating juggernaut of the Peoples Temple as it careens from fraught, idealistic inception in late-sixties California to desperately tragic demise in Guyana a decade later. Equal parts earth and ecstasy, pulsing with life, this book takes us deep within the lives of Jones’s followers and the unfurling of their inevitable, dark drama. Climb aboard, and hold on tight.’ -- Peggy Frew, author of Hope Farm‘Beautiful Revolutionary is some of the most exciting fiction I’ve encountered. It fearlessly explores the human elements that attracted masses to the Peoples Temple and to Jim Jones — fear, lust, the need to be loved, and the urge to feel a part of something larger than the self. This story cuts close to the bone, unrelenting and irrefutably true, over and over. Laura Elizabeth Woollett is an immense talent, and this is a bracing — and necessary — read.’ -- Kayla Rae Whitaker, author of The Animators‘Meticulously researched … Woollett’s prose is arresting—vivid without being flowery, subtle but still affecting. While the plot is dramatic and intriguing, the quality of Woollett’s prose is the most enjoyable aspect of this novel … This is an excellent work of literary historical fiction.’ * Books+Publishing *‘Woollett's writing makes this story an electricity storm. The clouds are weed smoke and the lightning charging through that haze is pure sexual energy. I'm almost half-way through and feel wholly transported. The world is both real and surreal; these characters alien and freakishly familiar to me. Completely gripping, and dripping with detail never overdone.’ -- Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull‘Beautiful Revolutionary has had me completely mesmerised – it has been so long since I’ve been so utterly engrossed and absorbed in a novel. The shifts in perspective are masterfully handled and offer a fascinating and nuanced portrait of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple. I do love cult novels and this is one of the best of them. The tension build to the inevitable conclusion is incredibly well done. I have nothing but love for this book, five beautiful stars. It's my number one Australian novel of the year.’ -- Jaclyn Crupi, Bookseller at Hill of Content Bookstore‘She has taken years of extensive research, including interviews with surviving members of the Jones cult, then bent these facts into fictional shape … She follows Joan Didion, another sharp-eyed observer of the Californian scene in the ’60s and ’70s – another writer who appreciated how genuine human impulses could be harnessed and warped by the wrong kind of leader.’ * The Saturday Paper *‘In order to write Beautiful Revolutionary, Laura Elizabeth Woollett spent years researching the Jonestown massacre. She interviewed surviving members of the People’s Temple and the families of those who died, creating an in-depth portrait of an era and one of its most extreme manifestations … perfect for fans of Emma Cline’s The Girls and The Family by Chris Johnston and Rosie Jones.’‘It’s easy to see why Woollett is one of Australia’s leading young writers. The characters and observations are incisive and gripping, and prose masterful and electric.’ * Good Reading *‘[The] highlight of this book is Woollett’s prose style, which beautifully conveys the details of what is going on while at the same time wielding a less is more touch and power of suggestion, to maximise the psychological and physical tension of the story … Beautiful Revolutionary is part twisted love story, part dark, noirish, crime novel. I recommend it.’ * Pulp Curry *‘Laura Elizabeth Woollett has embarked on a brave quest with Beautiful Revolutionary — and the risk has paid off, with her historically rich and breathtakingly entertaining story about one female hippie searching for life’s meaning in all the wrong places.’ * Better Reading *‘A beautifully-written and certainly compelling novel.’ * The Lifted Brow *‘The book is the author’s interpretive fictional account, overlaid on a well-researched framework of fact and first-person description … Her writing is thought-provoking and at times luminous.’ -- Rosa Shiels * Stuff, 'Books of the week September 1, 2018’ *‘Absolutely mesmerising. I didn’t want this to end … This story is meticulously researched and gets into your heart and mind and remains there for quite some time …[Woollett’s] a master of character and atmosphere.’ * Sam Still Reading *‘Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s Beautiful Revolutionary grabs attention from the beginning, not with narrative hooks but with the sheer penetration of its prose. Woollett’s debut novel is an imaginative refiguring of the Jonestown massacre story … a truly exciting writer.’ -- Ed Wright * Weekend Australian *‘Woollett’s novel is brimming with historical detail and her depiction of Jonestown is impressive … A well-written account, it raises important questions about the desire for faith, especially in a time of crisis, and the dangerous appeal of a powerful personality dressed up as a revolutionary.’ -- Anna MacDonald * Australian Book Review *‘A deeply intelligent telling of a deeply disturbing sideshow of history.’ -- John Purcell * Booktopia *‘It’s a novel that benefits from deep research worn lightly, and from Laura Elizabeth Woollett’s sensitivity to the perversity of human character and behaviour.’ * The Saturday Age *‘Woollett is considered Australia's foremost expert on Jonestown, and her novel is a riveting tale of love, obsession and devotion. If you loved The Girls or Netflix's Wild Wild Country, this one's for you.’ * Elle *‘A rich portrait of a highly mythologised historical incident. The passion that the author has had for her research shines through … for readers who appreciate a well-written, well-researched novel that approaches things from different angles.’ -- Emily Paull * The AU Review *‘Woollett reclaims victims’ narratives from sensationalist headlines and re-educates her readers through sharp, expertly crafted fiction.’ -- Anne Joyce * Irish Times *‘[T]raverses the uneasy terrain between historical fiction and all that cannot be known about the inner lives of real people. History blends with mythology … [D]evastating … Weighty and disquieting.’ * Kirkus *‘Woollett turns a dark chapter in U.S. history into a deeply human, satisfying read for fans of Emma Cline’s The Girls.’ * Booklist *‘Woollett achieves psychologically complex portraits of her two protagonists — minister’s daughter Evelyn and conscientious objector Lenny — as they are indoctrinated into a degrading system of punishment and reward that delivers dire consequences for their marriage and sense of selfhood. Wry and incisive, but also imbued with great empathy for the trauma Jones wrought, Beautiful Revolutionary compels the reader to consider the conditions and compromises that allow groupthink to overpower individual responsibility and agency.’ -- Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction, Judges’ Comments

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Book SynopsisOne of the highest-ranking defectors from Scientology exposes the secret inner workings of the powerful organization in this remarkable memoir. __________ ‘A flamethrower of a read’ JOHN SWEENEY ‘Candid and deeply felt’ LAWRENCE WRIGHT ‘Gripping and harrowing’ LEAH REMINI ‘Extraordinarily powerful’ ALEX GIBNEY __________ Mike Rinder’s parents began taking him to their local Scientology centre when he was five years old. After high school, he signed a billion-year contract and was admitted into Scientology’s elite inner circle, the Sea Organization. Brought to founder L. Ron Hubbard’s yacht and promised training in Hubbard’s most advanced techniques, Mike was instead put to work swabbing the decks. Still, Rinder bought into the doctrine that his personal comfort was secondary to the higher purpose of Hubbard’s world-saving mission, swiftly rising through the ranks. In the 1980s, Rinder became Scientology’s international spokesperson and the head of its powerful Office of Special Affairs. He helped negotiate Scientology’s pivotal tax exemption from the IRS and engaged with the organization’s prominent celebrity members, including Tom Cruise, Lisa Marie Presley, and John Travolta. Yet Rinder couldn’t shake a nagging feeling that something was amiss—Hubbard’s promises remained unfulfilled at his death, and his successor, David Miscavige, was a ruthless and vindictive man who did not hesitate to confine many top Scientologists, Mike among them, to a makeshift prison known as the Hole. In 2007, at the age of fifty-two, Rinder finally escaped Scientology. Overnight, he became one of the organization’s biggest public enemies. He was followed, hacked, spied on, and tracked. But he refused to be intimidated and today helps people break free of Scientology. In A Billion Years, the dark, dystopian truth about Scientology is revealed as never before. Rinder offers insights into the religion that only someone of his former high rank could provide and tells a harrowing but fulfilling story of personal resilience. __________ “Few people understand Scientology like Mike Rinder does. In A Billion Years, he tells the gripping, harrowing account of growing up in Scientology, serving founder L. Ron Hubbard, and rising to the top of its ranks. Mike has found purpose in his pain and his book offers not only a cautionary tale but also an inspiring story of resilience.” —LEAH REMINI, New York Times bestselling author of Troublemaker “A candid and deeply felt memoir of a life lost to false belief—and courageously regained.” —LAWRENCE WRIGHT, New York Times bestselling author of Going Clear “Mike Rinder has written the definitive book on the great threat of Scientology in the twenty-first century. It’s a flamethrower of a read, burning up the organization’s wicked nonsense so all that is left is like so much ash in the ashtray. Read it.” —JOHN SWEENEY, investigative journalist and presenter of BBC Panorama’s Scientology and Me and The Secrets of Scientology “A Billion Years is an extraordinarily powerful book. It is an essential account from the inside, and while it’s a devastating exposé of the abuses of the church, the tone is measured and deeply humanistic. Rinder lets us feel what it’s like to fall into a state of blind faith, and how hard it is to break free and see the truth for what it is. Nothing could be more relevant to our current moment.” —ALEX GIBNEY, Oscar-winning director of Taxi to the Dark Side and Going Clear

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