Going Clear
Published in 2013, Going Clear is Lawrence Wright's deeply reported account of the Church of Scientology, drawing on hundreds of interviews and church documents. Wright, a New Yorker staff writer and Pulitzer winner, traces the religion's origins in L. Ron Hubbard's pulp science fiction career and his founding of Dianetics, then follows Scientology's expansion under his successor David Miscavige. The book moves between the church's elaborate cosmology, its aggressive treatment of critics and ex members, and its long courtship of celebrities including John Travolta and Tom Cruise. Wright details the experiences of former Sea Org members who describe forced labor, family separations, and physical abuse, allegations the church has denied. Calm, methodical, and meticulously sourced, Going Clear became the basis for the Alex Gibney documentary of the same name and remains the most thorough public account of the organization.
What you might want to know about Going Clear
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A reported history of Scientology, its founder L. Ron Hubbard, and its hold on Hollywood.
Wright sought church responses throughout, but the institution disputes many of the claims and former members' accounts.
The documentary covers similar ground but the book is more detailed, especially on Hubbard's biography and church history.
Going Clear was written by Lawrence Wright, published in 2013 by Knopf.
Going Clear is 430 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Going Clear takes most readers 6 to 9 hours to finish.
Going Clear is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.