Scientology became news again recently when Tom Cruise split from wife Katie Holmes. You heard the name whenever John Travolta's name came out in the media. But other than a few peripheral mentions of the organization and some dark understanding of what might go on within the religion, you probably didn't know a whole lot about it. Nobody did. Until now.

Miscavige was born into the secretive fellowship. The niece of leader David Miscavige, she was deep inside the organization for years. She has now taken the bold step to write about her life in Scientology and how she ultimately--literally--made her escape.

She lived on a ranch in the California desert along with other children who trained and were educated there. What emerges in her memoir is both fascinating and terrifying. What comes across is more brainwashing than enlightening. Here's a brief passage about her views of the outside world:

"Even if we'd been allowed to travel into the outside world, it wouldnt' have mattered much. Few of us possessed curiosity about life beyond our borders, because we had been led to believe that the outside world was filled with ignorant people whom we called Wogs, short for 'Well and Orderly Gentlemen.' From what we were taught, WOGS were completely unenlightened; after we'd been trained in auditing and Scientology, it would be our job to 'clear' them. Wogs were to be avoided because they were unaware in their shallow priorities."