Not a Bathroom Reader

An editor called an author with an idea to make a buck. The idea was to try to live for a year without lying and write about it. Wish he had called me.

I got a copy of To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie. by Phil Callaway (the lucky author who got the call).

The book is kind of a diary or blog of his year without lying. Because of the style, I thought it would make a good bathroom reader. But then my legs fell asleep while laughing on the commode. I moved it to my nightstand.

In the humor of his daily life we learn about his wife and kids, about church, the Mormons he meets and the atheist with the weird job. We also learn about his struggle with life and death in his family, about honesty and integrity.

Here is a typical day from the book:

Day 316. Ramona stuffs our tithe to the church in an envelope once a month and drops it in the offering. I've never liked this method. That leaves three Sundays a month when the ushers and fellow parishioners can see that we are putting nothing in the plate. So today I considered licking an empty envelope and dropping it in. I wonder if anyone else in all of church history has been hypocritical enough to think of doing such a thing.

Maybe I should put FG's name on it."

You have to read the book to know the history of FG, but you get the idea. It's great fun with Phil writing all the things you have thought but been wise enough not to say. Or put in print. Phil is funny, not smart.

The book is most fun for those of us with some church background – we can relate best to the situations he finds himself in, but I would recommend it to almost anyone with a sense of humor. Other than having the longest book-title ever I loved the book. But, to be perfectly honest, I took off half a star for two reasons. One, the title was a hassle to type. Two, Phil got the call.

I received this book free from Multnomah Books for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. DanielCooley.com