Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I admit, I haven’t really watched a lot of stuff with Leah Remini, I’m familiar with her from King of Queens, but that is about it. My mother has indicated that she has been on a lot of the talk shows lately talking about this book. I picked it up mostly for the insight into Scientology. I was not disappointed, but in the process of learning a bit more about scientology, there were some really interesting insights into her childhood, as well as her experiences getting into show businesses. This is a very quick read and it starts off right away by jumping into the issue of Scientology, so, if that is the reason why you are picking up the book, I recommend it for that aspect. I think that it is also useful to get the perspective of someone who is brought into Scientology through their family and it discusses how the appeal of the organization somewhat lured her mother into the organization and kept her persisting in it as an adult. It’s actually a really good insight/manual into understanding psychological aspect of cults, even if it is unintentional, it provides a personal aspect to one’s reflection on the process. It actually kind of highlights an abusive relationship with the organization, one in which a person stays even when it’s clear it might not be the healthiest relationship. Think riding a boat to the middle of nowhere and getting dumped in the water. However, these things are told in personal narratives, which Leah at no point is trying to label or, but just tell a story. At the same time, there are a lot of rewards that are highlighted for being a member of Scientology, especially in terms of networking within the Hollywood circles. It is also interesting to see how the fall-out and consequences for breaking with the church comes to light, in particular, Leah outlines her own humanity, pointing out areas in her life where she has messed up at the very start of the book, essentially expected to get sued by Scientology. In reading about the processes of other people and herself, there seems to be a strong leaning towards lawsuits by Scientology (which, many are aware of). Leah mostly keeps the story within the framework of her time directly in Scientology, with the final 10% (Kindle version) highlighting her time outside of the church and just how emotionally and socially devastating it was to her initially. Great read. Especially for those who are interested in Scientology. I think that the detail and first person account does a good job of at least tying it down to one person and their personal experiences.