Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was released to the world on May 9th, 1950.
It was an immediate bestseller and ignited a grass-roots movement
that spawned some 750 Dianetics groups almost overnight.
Thereafter saw the establishment of the first formal Dianetics organizations,
bowing the map from Elizabeth, New Jersey to Los Angeles, California.
And such was popular demand from every quarter, L. Ron Hubbard crisscrossed the country,
lecturing, demonstrating and personally instructing students on Dianetic techniques.
Yet if that's but a brief glimpse of the Dianetics phenomenon circa 1950,
over the ensuing five decades, the momentum has only continued to build year by year.
Dianetics returned to the New York Times bestseller-list for an unprecedented 100 weeks,
and appeared on another 100-plus lists around the world.
As such it was honored as among the most significant non-fiction works of the twentieth century
and has further seen translation into more than 50 languages
from Afrikaans to Hindi, Mongolian to Portuguese, Taiwanese to Zulu.
Meanwhile a new reader picks up a copy every 4.8 seconds
thereby beginning the adventure anew
in that vast and hitherto unknown realm half an inch back of the forehead.
And just as it was in May 1950
21st century readers dedicate themselves to improving not only their own lives
but those of their family, friends and community.
And so you'll now find Dianetics foundations, organizations and grass-roots groups
across 160 nations.
So for the rapid global tour, here's but a snapshot of the world of Dianetics today --
in Bolivia, from Santa Cruz de la Sierra
to the Cochabamba valley and the capital city of La Paz
where it's Dianetics in the professional ranks of physicians, designers,
architects and entrepreneurs.
In the African nation of Mali
where it's now a Dianetics group hundreds-strong
and a membership that literally stretches all the way to Timbuktu.
In the Italian industrial center of Modena
where it's hundreds at a time training as Dianetics practitioners.
In France where it's Dianetics in Marseille to the West
and along the Riviera in Cannes and Nice to the East
Across Eastern Europe where Dianetics tracks throughout the Balkans
from Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Macedonia.
And all over the Commonwealth of Independent States where now stand better than 100 groups,
from Moscow and St. Petersburg, to Arzamas and Astrakan on the Caspian Sea.
It's even along the Himalayan foothills in Nepal
where some 6,000 Dianetics counselors in 7 cities,
include among their ranks the legendary Gurkhas.
There's more, across Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines,
while thousands of others apply the techniques of Dianetics in Taiwan, Japan,
New Zealand and Australia, even as far afield as Papua New Guinea.
So yes, Dianetics is not only the all-time bestselling book on the human mind,
it is also a truly global phenomenon.
But beyond all that, there is what Dianetics means to any individual who cares to pick it up.
For here is the book that signals an adventure
that can lead to a saner, more able and happier you.