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| Author | Jon Atack |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Scientology |
| Genre | non-fiction |
| Publisher | Carol Publishing Group |
| Publication date | August 19, 1990 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 448 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-8184-0499-X Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed is a book written in 1990 by Jon Atack, investigating L. Ron Hubbard and his enterprises such as Dianetics and the Church of Scientology. The book is critical of Scientology, its origins and leadership.
A Piece of Blue Sky has been cited as a principal source of reference in academic papers by professor of sociology and history of religion Stephen Kent, Ph.D. and by professor of neuropsychiatry Louis Jolyon West, M.D..
The book is available in its entirety on the internet here.
Scientology takes legal action
Before the book had even been released, Scientology attorneys sought to have a stop put to it in court. Their efforts were unsuccessful.
In 1995, a British court found Atack guilty of libel against Margaret Hodkin, the headmistress of Scientology's Greenfields School in the U.K. and issued an injunction against Atack forbidding him from publishing the offending paragraph on page 336 of the book. The paragraph, however, is available to be read in full on the court injunction itself.
Amazon.com controversy
Amazon.com was the subject of controversy when it removed the book from its listings, then reversed itself and included it after public outcry.
Title origins
The origin of the title A Piece of Blue Sky is explained at the beginning of the book:
It was 1950, in the early, heady days of Dianetics, soon after L. Ron Hubbard opened the doors of his first organization to the clamoring crowd. Up until then, Hubbard was known only to readers of pulp fiction, but now he had an instant best-seller with a book that promised to solve every problem of the human mind, and the cash was pouring in. Hubbard found it easy to create schemes to part his new following from their money. One of the first tasks was to arrange "grades" of membership, offering supposedly greater rewards, at increasingly higher prices. Over thirty years later, an associate wryly remembered Hubbard turning to him and confiding, no doubt with a smile, "Let's sell these people a piece of blue sky."
References
- Stephen Kent, Ph.D., "International Social Control by the Church of Scientology", presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, November 1991
- Louis Jolyon West, M.D., "Psychiatry and Scientology", presented as the "Distinguished Psychiatrist" lecture, American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, Washington DC, 6 May 1992
- New Era Publications International v. Carol Publishing Group, January 30, 1990, No. 89 Civ. 3845 (L.L.S.), United States District Court, Southern District New York,
- Decision, New Era Publications International v. Carol Publishing Group, May 24, 1990, (2d Cir., 1990) (904 F.2d 152)
- Scientology in the Media, East Grinstead Evening Argus, June 10, 1994, "The Missing Word".
- Court Injunction, 1993 1993 H. No.2412, Margaret Hodkin vs. Joh Atack.
- Amazon reverses decision on book ban, Charles Cooper, ZDNet news, May 20, 1999
-
Sprenger, Polly (1999-05-25). "Scientology Book an Open Issue". Wired News. Retrieved 2006-10-06.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - A Piece of Blue Sky, Joh Atack, 1990
External links
- A Piece of Blue Sky - Web links and Related Documents, Operation Clambake
- Background, A Piece of Blue Sky, Chris Owen, May 21, 1999
- PDF version, A Piece of Blue Sky
See also
- Bare Faced Messiah, biography, biography, overcame legal actions from Scientology
- L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?, biography, overcame legal actions from Scientology
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