Cover of Going Clear

Book · 2013 · Religion

Going Clear

Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

by Lawrence Wright · Recommended by 15 people on 6 podcasts

#151 of 15,621 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts

mentions
39
people
15
podcasts
6
episodes
30
critical mentions
0

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The doc is great, the book is even crazier because Lawrence Wright goes into depth with all these different people that like as they were realizing that it was horseshit.
Roy Wood Jr. · The Joe Rogan Experience · Aug 2019 Listen at 1:36:09

What they say about it

Grouped from 39 mentions
  • Mentioned reading the book“I read the book”
    4
  • Compared with the documentary“the doc is great the book is even crazier”
    2

The best things said about it

6 of 39 · every mention
Recommended
Going Clear, Lawrence Wright's book. Great book. Great book. Great book.
Chuck Lorre The Joe Rogan Experience · Oct 2026
Recommended
The book on Scientology is amazing.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Apr 2020
Discussed
And you know I think that Lawrence Wright when he titled his book going clear Scientology in the prison of belief was so prescient that the prison is a mind prison and you don't need walls and barbed wire to keep people in a mind prison.
Mike Rinder The Megyn Kelly Show · Sep 2022
Discussed
Well I mean now like Lawrence but no Scientologist allowed to read Lawrence Wright's book just not allowed to so they they didn't excellent job of insulating people look if uh you and I were like friends friends right and you had concern for me in Scientology and you came to me and you said Leah I really I'm scared.
Leah Remini The Joe Rogan Experience · Jan 2017
Discussed
It's also an excellent book and a great primer.
Louis Theroux The Joe Rogan Experience · Aug 2016
Discussed
Lawrence Wright wrote a fantastic book called Going Clear.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jan 2016

Where and when it comes up

Mentions per year

Counted mentions by episode date. Our archive is deeper for recent years; 2026 so far.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Most mentions, by podcast

6 shows

15 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Also: Leah Remini · Matt Frederick · Michael Shermer

Why people recommend it

Going Clear by Lawrence Wright is a meticulously researched investigative book that exposes the inner workings, history, and controversial practices of the Church of Scientology. On The Joe Rogan Experience, Chuck Lorre praised the work as a great book, a sentiment echoed by Whitney Cummings and Andrew Schulz, who both highlighted its compelling nature when discussing the organization. Joe Rogan has repeatedly recommended the title across various podcast episodes, calling the book on Scientology amazing and fantastic. Roy Wood Jr. also discussed the title with Joe Rogan, noting that while the documentary based on it was great, the book went into much greater depth regarding how former members realized the belief system was baseless. Additionally, Matt Frederick mentioned the book on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, pointing out the extensive and massive footnotes that accompanied the journalistic investigation. Across these podcast episodes, hosts and guests consistently emphasize the book's thorough reporting, shocking revelations, and ability to document the complex psychological dynamics that draw people into high-control groups and the difficult process of breaking away from them.

Every mention

39 counted mentions · 1 passing or ad reads below
Joe Rogan yeah I'm sure you read Lawrence Wright's book go ahead and read it but I mean I know the story the book is… 19
Discussed
“have you guys read Lawrence Wright's book about it I don't think so um it's called going clear oh I saw the the documentary the HBO thing”
Discussed
“i'm a gigantic fear uh fan of going clear in particular oh really yeah i read the book and watched the the hbo documentary on it”
Discussed
“The problem is like the guy who started did you ever read lawrence wright's going clear”
Discussed
“and you know Lawrence Wright covered him and the whole movement pretty extensively in going clear I I read the book and there was a HBO documentary series on going clear all about scientology”
Discussed
“if you read paude writes givieg cgeare it's a very fascigatig beeg that serch detaigs the wheeg histery of El Ron Hubard creating it”
Recommended
“lawuren was Lawrence Wright's book is that what is clear is it is it Lawrence right is that who wrote it I think it is the book on Scientology is amazing”
Recommended
“yeah I'm sure you read Lawrence Wright's book go ahead and read it but I mean I know the story the book is fantastic”
Discussed
“did you ever read um going clear i saw the the thing yeah yeah it's the uh the doc is great the book is even crazier because lawrence wright goes into depth with all these different people”
Discussed
“the book is even more bizarre because it gets obviously like way more into depth about how crazy elrond hubbard was and what he essentially did”
Discussed
“did you see going clear the documentary Do you read the book”
Discussed
“what is the [__] HBO documentary it's also the book the HBO on Scientology the Lawrence Wright going clear going clear yeah”
Discussed
“so his episode with Lawrence Wright He said something like Lawrence Wright said said something like author of going clear the book on Scientology yes yes”
Discussed
“if you read uh Lawrence Wright's book going clear he was clearly trying to fix himself in creating this religion this uh religion that was a lot of it based on self-help principles that he took from other sources”
Discussed
“I read going clear yeah uh by Lawrence Wright and I watched the HBO uh special on it”
Discussed
“have you read Going Clear? Yes. When I read Going Clear, I watched the documentary and then I read the book and one of the things that was more fascinating about the book was the the fact that he was essentially trying to diagnose and treat himself.”
Discussed
“you see going clear”
Discussed
“Oh, he's crazy as [ __ ] Lawrence Lawrence Wright wrote a fantastic book called Going Clear and that's what they used to make that I read that one.”
Discussed
“Lawrence Wright's going clear. Holy. I can't read it for too long, man. I go to other books cuz I read it for like a few chapters and I go, "Fuck this."”
Discussed
“speaking of psychos I watched Goen clear last night oh oh oh you Haden seen that before Oh my god well I read part of the book and i' seen like some clips from the documentary but oh my God I watched it last night that is incredible”
Andrew Schulz have you ever read going clear from Lawrence Wright 1
Recommended
“have you ever read going clear from Lawrence Wright”
Chuck Lorre and it wasn't until Going Clear, Lawrence Wright's book. Great book. Great book. Great book. 1
Recommended
“and it wasn't until Going Clear, Lawrence Wright's book. Great book. Great book. Great book.”
The Joe Rogan Experience #2564 - Chuck Lorre 2026-10-13
Roy Wood Jr. Did you ever read um going clear i saw the the thing yeah yeah it's the uh the doc is great the book is eve… 1
Recommended
“Did you ever read um going clear i saw the the thing yeah yeah it's the uh the doc is great the book is even crazier because lawrence wright goes into depth with all these different people that like as they were realizing that it was horseshit”
Whitney Cummings the problem is like the guy who started did you ever read lawrence wright's going clear 1
Recommended
“the problem is like the guy who started did you ever read lawrence wright's going clear”
Louis Theroux but, so it was slightly it's it's thunder was stolen by going clear, but it's also an excellent book and a… 3
Discussed
“One of the most intriguing things in going clear is reading this list of uh I I think they called them affirmations”
Discussed
“but, so it was slightly it's it's thunder was stolen by going clear, but it's also an excellent book and a great primer. If you enjoyed going clear, I highly recommend inside Scientology.”
Discussed
“Don't you remember in in in um Lawrence Wright's book, there's a bit where Tom Cruz explains, I think maybe to Nazan Boniardi, like his girlfriend at the time, he says, 'Don't you' like he's annoyed with his girlfriend.”
Bryan Callen I was in the class for 10 years that is cited in the book by in going clear 2
Discussed
“I was in the class for 10 years that is cited in the book by in going clear”
Discussed
“I'm reading going clear now on your recommendation”
Mike Rinder and you know I think that Lawrence Wright when he titled his book going clear Scientology in the prison of… 2
Discussed
“and you know I think that Lawrence Wright when he titled his book going clear Scientology in the prison of belief was so prescient that the prison is a mind prison and you don't need walls and barbed wire to keep people in a mind prison”
Discussed
“and (I) know I think that when Lawrence Wright when he titled his book going clear Scientology in the prison of belief was so prescient that the prison is a mind prison”
Nick Kroll I remember watching that dick going clear the documentary man like oh I'm not scared 2
Discussed
“I remember watching that dick going clear the documentary man like oh I'm not scared”
Discussed
“did you read going clear did you see the digested argument book it's [__] Fanta”
Jeff Holmes Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. 1
Discussed
“Lawrence Wright, Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief.”
Jennifer Szalai and in going clear his book about scientology 1
Discussed
“and in going clear his book about scientology”
Josh Clark what was the what's the name of the was it an HBO documentary going clear going clear yeah based on the boo… 1
Discussed
“what was the what's the name of the was it an HBO documentary going clear going clear yeah based on the book going clear”
Leah Remini well I mean now like Lawrence but no Scientologist allowed to read Lawrence Wright's book just not allowed… 1
Discussed
“well I mean now like Lawrence but no Scientologist allowed to read Lawrence Wright's book just not allowed to so they they didn't excellent job of insulating people look if uh you and I were like friends friends right and you had concern for me in Scientology and you came to me and you said Leah I really I'm scared”
Matt Frederick Well, if anyone's ever read the Alex or no, the book that the Alex Gibney documentary Going Clear was based… 1
Discussed
“Well, if anyone's ever read the Alex or no, the book that the Alex Gibney documentary Going Clear was based on, um the footnotes alone in that book like are massive.”
Michael Shermer lawrence wright wrote the book all these things are happening and now leah is coming in 1
Discussed
“lawrence wright wrote the book all these things are happening and now leah is coming in”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
Discussed
“um what was the what's the name of the was it an HBO documentary going clear going clear yeah based on the book going clear oh I saw the guy um who wrote the book come Speak oh really that guy likes something like that I don't remember his name but like I mean how whatever you think of his”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“God save Texas going clear about Scientology the looming Tower and now a new book called the end of October”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Joe Rogan, The White House / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain); Louis Theroux, Claire Boxall / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain); Andrew Schulz, Brilliant Idiots / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0); Whitney Cummings, Ashley Graham / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0); Bryan Callen, Angela George at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Nick Kroll, Peter Kudlacz / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).