I agree with lots of your observations but when it comes to applauding John's newfound insights about his "own ego-tripping, anger and combativeness" I disagree.  I spoke with John a number of times over the years and I never got the sense that he was blighted with any of that stuff.  Hey, let's face it, what he was doing, first in leaving the cult, then in writing about it and later leaking the documents and later still fighting to protect himself from the outrageous over-reaction of the cult, required a certain resolve on his part.  There's nothing the least bit wrong with that although it necessarily requires some measure of combativeness and yes, anger's inevitable as well.  And "ego-tripping"?  Hell, that's ridiculous unless, of course, you think he didn't deserve to feel some pride in finally leaving a cult and being able to write about it so effectively.

John's trying to somehow transcend the anxious and wearying circumstances of his life as if he were in a hot air balloon and, to do so, he's willing to throw anything over the edge of the basket.  It's hard to take anything he says at face value and, as I said elsewhere, I think John knows that.