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A Billion Years
- My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology
- Narrated by: Mike Rinder
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
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Publisher's Summary
One of the highest-ranking defectors from Scientology exposes the secret inner workings of the powerful organization in this remarkable memoir.
Mike Rinder’s parents began taking him to their local Scientology center 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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What listeners say about A Billion Years
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- stefan veldhoven
- 2022-11-11
Unbelievable!
I absolutely loved this book. Maybe my favorite one yet since I started with Audible.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Isabelle Lapointe
- 2023-01-19
A lire absolument!
Un touchant récit de toutes les dérives liées au secte et leurs impacts sur leurs membres. Très instructif.
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- Michelle
- 2023-04-14
Incredible! Well done!
Such bravery for telling his story. Great listen and really makes you wonder how this cult still remains able to operate the way it does with no stoppage from the countries governments they operate in. Well done and applause for getting this story out there.
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- Cinemaven
- 2023-02-01
excellent read
no one tells Mike Rinder's story better than Mike.
inspiring and heartbreaking
highly recommend this title
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-01-27
Really good book
Super interesting and lots of information. Kept me interested and was hard to put down.
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- Liz Calvin
- 2023-03-18
What a wld ride!!!
Fantastic account of a startling organization that will stop at nothing to control it's members... especially it's elite.
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- v_becks
- 2023-08-14
What a story!
First, Mike has such a nice voice, listening to him tell his story is the only way to read this book!
Second, it’s still so unbelievable after all these years and all this proof that scientology is corrupt (much like most “church” groups) they still have such a grasp on people around the world. Heartbreaking and infuriating.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2022-10-26
a harrowing story of strength and resilience
love this book. thank you for sharing the message it's never too late to get out and live!
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- Anna Buss
- 2023-02-23
Excellent
Sincere, heart-wrenching, riveting. A brave man, a family man, a good man. He has helped many and many have helped him. Like he says, this could have happened to anyone.
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- Norm M. Zastre
- 2023-08-14
simply excellent
loved it, thanks for sharing Mike. All the best and keep fighting. I am hopeful the there are fewer days ahead than behind for Cos.
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