A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology

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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. 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. Whether you’re in a cult or a bad relationship, or a job you hate, you can always change your life,” he says. “If I could do it at 52 years old and walk out the door and abandon everything I had, every friend, every family member, no money, no job, and start afresh, pretty much anybody can do it.”

Mike is a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) who has become a prominent whistleblower against abuses in scientology and other organizations. We’d argue that not only is it a terrific and enlightening book, but it also inhabits a somewhat unique position in the literature that has come before it: Perhaps no other book has managed to put together all of those perspectives in a single volume.But is it all true? You wonder why people would want to remain in scientology with everything that's told. For some people it clearly worked. Kirstie Alley (RIP) did stay until she 'left her body to move on' and always said Scientology safed her life. But the price seems extremely high. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading Mike Rinder's memoir. A primary source of information and experiences. Watching a few Youtube videos of dissenters, it is clear that there is a impressive cloud of smoke, hiding perhaps a massive fire.

There is a file on everybody who has ever said or done something that Scientology disagrees with, and it's kept by the Office of Special Affairs, which is the organization that I used to be in charge of,” Rinder notes. I am sorry to do this to you again, but CBS Mornings has delayed the airing of their interview with me. I don’t know when it will air, but will try to keep you informed as best I can. Seems they are worried about scientology saber-rattling their paper swords. Sigh.The production value of this audiobook is also very high with excellent sound quality. Mike's deep baritone makes for easy listening while providing a sense of comfort due to its familiarity. Incredible. I listened to the audiobook and Mike did such a good job with the narration here. I've listened to quite a few books where the authors did their own narration, and it's not always great. It's really an ideal way to do an audiobook though if you've got the skill for it. Quote from the book: There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again. ~SOMETIMES ATTRIBUTED TO F. SCOTT FITSGERALD.

Eventually Rinder was promoted to Executive Director of the Office of Special Affairs, then served as Scientology’s head spokesperson, and dealt with some of the organization’s highest profile members, including Tom Cruise. As far as memoirs go, I think this is a critical one to read, not only because it's well done, but because cults and thought control is a widely misunderstood topic and I think it's extremely important to understand how it works. Educated people make poor victims if you know what I mean. Reading this will help you understand not only Scientology specifically but also the mindset of any person with a cult and how it works. Helloooo?! ... wasn't that the aim of people such as Stalin, Karl Marx, most religions, and, oh dear, most politicians... well...basically... all -isms and whatnot? And look where they all ended up. Millions of people dead in horrific wars and revolutions and most of these game-changing rebels murdered or dead themselves. In L. Ron Hubbard's case, he did not die. He just left his body one day and aimed to return some day to continue his noble work. Apparently 21 years. But wait a minute: how many religions do indeed believe in reincarnation? Or an after-life? Mmm. One of the basic principles of Scientology is that when something goes wrong in someone’s life, it is their fault, and they are doing Scientology wrong. But, “not only are you doing Scientology wrong, you have done something bad that has caused that to happen to you,” Rinder remarks.A fast read and yet incredibly comprehensive, Rinder’s book covers a vast amount of material as he grew up in Australia in a family that were among the earliest adopters of L. Ron Hubbard’s snake oil, Dianetics. He then personally witnessed virtually every important development in the Church of Scientology from the mid-1960s onward.