A couple of years ago I got really excited when I realized I could get books for free if I wrote reviews of them on my blog. Well, I read two books and had a baby and never wrote the reviews. So, to fulfill my original promise, here’s one.
The title and premise of Phil Callaway’s book, To Be Perfectly Honest, grabbed my attention. Callaway decided to live an entire year only telling the truth, never telling a lie. I value honesty, and since he was a comedian, I thought, hey, why not read it. And it was a compelling read.
Sure, there were dilemas you might expect in a book like this (or the movie “Liar Liar”). Like, what do you say when someone asks if they look fat in that? But there were also some real difficulties that Callaway went through. Such as a death in the family. We really struggle with telling the truth about our pain, our mourning in this society. It’s so much easier (and much more accepted) to lie our way through it. But at what cost?
My constructive critique of the book has not much to do with the way it was written, but more of Callaway’s understanding of what it means to tell the truth. It seemed he thinks that means you must share your opinion whenever you have one. I don’t think that’s always necessary or good. My opinion is not the truth, it is my opinion. If someone asks for it, yes, I should give it. But just to offer it because I have it? That can reap destruction.
Proverbs 17:28 “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
In the end I would give this book 3 stars out of 5. It raises some interesting questions about life, about truth, about speech. And Callaway tells his story in an entertaining way. But, to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t my absolute favorite.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of “To Be Perfectly Honest” from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
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