Nice Casual Read

To Be Perfectly Honest by Phil Callaway is a nice casual read that has you chuckling from the first page to the last. I have not read any of Callaway's other books, but the title of this one caught my attention. After all, even a person like myself who tells the truth most of the time is well aware of the fact that little lies slip out easily. What makes this book fascinating is the fact that Callaway essentially lied for a living before writing this book. After all, most people who tell funny stories to make people laugh tend to exaggerate and not tell the whole truth. While this book is not necessarily a page turner like the kind of book I am accustomed to reading, it is a good book to pick up and read a little in every night.

This book would have immediately turned me off if Callaway had claimed to actually live a whole year without telling a lie. However, Callaway does not claim this in any way shape of form. Instead, he honestly tells you of the times he succeeded in telling the truth and the times he did not. Furthermore, he even admits other sins in his book that a person who was lying would not admit. Callaway reveals that he is human just like everyone else and cannot possibly live a completely truthful life. However, by the end of the book one can see the rewards that you gain from telling the truth even when it means going through hard times.

The reason that this book is not a page turner is mainly because the book is a journal. Callaway painstakingly wrote a journal entry for every day of his life during the year he strove to tell the truth completely. While journals are interesting, they are not page turners. Instead, each day is like a miniature story in itself. This, however, is not a bad thing. I say this because books like this are good for reading right before turning off the lights at night. Furthermore, it does not bore you to death like some books. Instead, it leaves you chuckling at Callaway's sense of humor.

Do not let the fact that this is a journal keep you from reading this book. By the end of the book, your eyes will be opened to the advantages of living truthfully. For this reason, I am going to give this book five stars. Excellent job Callaway!

This book was given to me for free by the Multonomah Publishing Group for this review.