In early 2009, the Tampa Bay Times reached out to Marty Rathbun, a former high-ranking member of the Church of Scientology who had left the church four years earlier, disaffected by the behavior and policies of the church’s leader, David Miscavige. Rathbun told Times reporters the story of his years in Scientology and what led to his leaving. That resulted in interviews with scores of other people in the Scientology world, including former staffers, disaffected parishioners and current church members.

Thus began the Times' ongoing series, "Inside Scientology," which launched with an installment called "The Truth Rundown," published in June of 2009. That initial work — the focus of this book — shed unprecedented light on the internal workings of a secretive church that generates interest around the world.