Warning: This is an independent addition to Troublemaker, meant to enhance your experience of the original book. If you have not yet bought the original copy, make sure to purchase it before buying this unofficial summary from aBookaDay. INTRODUCTION Leah Remini begins her autobiography by immediately discrediting herself. She starts by listing all the things she was done wrong in her life, as well as the different bad qualities of her personality that people close to her would happily point out. She does this because she is preempting anything the church of Scientology will say about her when the book comes out. This tactic of reverse self-preservation both protects her against any future public backlash from the church, as well as heightens the drama to come as it suggests to the reader that what she is about to reveal will be worse than everything she is admitting in these first few pages. Remini explains how she left the church of Scientology in 2013, and this book is her way of not only explaining why, but revealing the truth behind the church and honoring those who have had to undergo experiences similar to hers, but have had to keep them secret. She gives a basic definition of Scientology through a quote from its founder, L. Ron Hubbard. It is described as a set plan of rules, guidelines, and lessons that take an individual through a scientific-type of process as a means to achieve spiritual enlightenment. In this way, the aims of Scientology are to create a higher and more self-aware civilization where there is less crime and violence and humanity has been able to achieve a level of spiritual enlightenment. Remini explains that she was raised as a second generation Scientologist: meaning a person has either been born into it, or brought in to it as a child by their parents [as she was]. She goes on to explain the allure of Scientology: a sense of empowerment, a clear-cut path to enlightenment, and a very comprehensible and achievable method of hard work and study that will lead directly to a moment of “going clear,” or rising above the pain and irrationality of the mind. Being raised in the church helped form a very “us against them” mentality in her early on—a theme that would continue throughout her life, particularly in Hollywood. She delves into a hypothetical situation, placing the reader directly in the shoes of a person being lured in by the church and showing just how persuasive and appealing it can be. After demonstrating the ease with which it is to become a member, Remini details the personal and monetary costs of being a Scientologist. During her thirty years as a member, she personally spent close to two million dollars on training and classes and donated nearly three million dollars to church causes. Most members, she states, will end up spending five hundred thousand dollars or more, regardless of their income or level, to reach the level of “going clear.” Everything, she explains—money, work, relationships, personal emotions—goes back to the church. Remini finishes the introduction by explaining that this book will essentially separate her from the church for good. By leaving the church two years earlier, and now writing this, she has become a “SP” (or “Suppressive Person,” someone who is a threat to Scientology) and is now not only cut off from the church, but open to aggressive discrediting by the leaders and members. An interesting point she makes it that most people who leave the church do so because they have been penalized for being defiant, questioning, and independent thinkers; yet, these are the same qualities that made them perfect for joining the church in the first place. Available on PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device. © 2015 All Rights Reserved