It's interesting, r271, that you would suggest Hugh Urban's book rather than other books written by academicians in "New Religious Movement" studies. Urban, in parts, is quite critical of Scientology, and I think you sense that anything less than a critical book would not be taken seriously by someone who - even superficially - has examined Scientology related material, on this site and Scientology related material throughout the Internet.

So, with some strategic wisdom, you recommend Hugh Urban's book, which, despite its criticisms of Scientology, affirms corporate Scientology's "bottom line," and most essential (to its survival) assertion, which is the (dubious) assertion that it's a bona fide religious organization, and not - and many regard it - an unethical commercial enterprise, practicing psychology without a license, and using deceit and mind manipulation, and an assortment of abusive practices, while disguising itself as a "religion."

There are other books about Scientology, written by other academicians, that also support corporate Scientology's "bottom line," but these, ultimately, have been discredited, their authors having been exposed as hired shills for corporate Scientology, so their usefulness is limited.

One of these exposed, corrupt, academicians, is J. Gordon Melton, who takes credit for the acronym, "NRM" - meant to be a substitute for the word "cult." Melton also takes credit for the spreading of the "New Religious Movement" genre of academia.

The genesis of what is called "New Religious Movement" studies was none other corporate Scientology's Guardian's Office with its "Scholar (corrupting) Program" of the 1970s. The Guardian's Office - since renamed the Office of Special Affairs - handles, amongst other things, covert Intelligence (spying), covert operations (including harassment, bribery, and blackmail), and front group activity.

Remarkably enough, corporate Scientology has managed, through a sustained covert effort over many years, to not only corrupt, but to create, an entire category of academia.

Hugh Urban is an example of someone who, innocently, became involved in this category of academia and, honestly and with good intentions, worked within it.

Yet, unavoidably, he's framed - surrounded and dominated - by its suppositions, suppositions that were put in place by earlier corrupt academicians at the behest of deceitful and abusive organizations, most notably corporate Scientology.

Thus, even though with reluctance, his book is regarded by some corporate Scientologists, involved in communicating with "wogs" (never Scientologists) and "SPs" ("Suppressive Persons") on the Internet, as an acceptable "particle" for the "handling" of the curious, in an environment where damning evidence on Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, and Scientology's current dictator, David Miscavige, is vast and overflowing.

Succinctly put, recommending Urban's book is a last gasp attempt, in a desperate situation, at PR damage control.