To Be Honest
A Memoir of Radical Honesty, Love, and the Occasional Necessary Lie
Published on 9. June 2020
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-4197-4305-4 (ISBN)
Description
A memoir about one man's strange upbringing in a family fanatically devoted to honesty
Raised in what he affectionately calls "our little honesty cult," Michael Leviton was ingrained with his parents' core philosophy: You do not tell any lies; you do not withhold the truth; and you speak your mind always, regardless of how offensive or hurtful your opinions may be. For young Michael, this freedom to be yourself-despite being bullied and ostracized at school-felt liberating. By the time Leviton was 29 years old, he had told three (what most people would consider) lies in his entire life.
But his parents' enthusiasm for "just being honest" bordered on extreme. After Michael graduated high school and left home, truth telling-in job interviews, on dates, in social interactions-slowly lost its luster. When the only woman who ever appreciated his honesty brought this radical approach to truth into their relationship, Michael decided it was time to embrace the power of lying. To Be Honest is a quirky, tender, and wry story of a man discovering what it means and how it feels to lie in one's daily life.
Raised in what he affectionately calls "our little honesty cult," Michael Leviton was ingrained with his parents' core philosophy: You do not tell any lies; you do not withhold the truth; and you speak your mind always, regardless of how offensive or hurtful your opinions may be. For young Michael, this freedom to be yourself-despite being bullied and ostracized at school-felt liberating. By the time Leviton was 29 years old, he had told three (what most people would consider) lies in his entire life.
But his parents' enthusiasm for "just being honest" bordered on extreme. After Michael graduated high school and left home, truth telling-in job interviews, on dates, in social interactions-slowly lost its luster. When the only woman who ever appreciated his honesty brought this radical approach to truth into their relationship, Michael decided it was time to embrace the power of lying. To Be Honest is a quirky, tender, and wry story of a man discovering what it means and how it feels to lie in one's daily life.
Reviews / Votes
"WTF. That's all I can say about To Be Honest. I mean. What. The. Fun. To Be Honest reads like a case study in interpersonal horror. I cringed and laughed alternately. Eek. What fun! -- Harrison Scott Key * Thurber Prize-winning author of The World's Largest Man: A Memoir * Leviton brings great wit and irony to his debut memoir about the pros and cons of being honest, at all costs, all of the time ... Honestly, this thoroughly enjoyable, wry narrative is a winner. * Publishers Weekly * "I couldn't put this book down. Wait-that's a lie; I had to sleep and stuff. But the truth is that To Be Honest is astonishing, funny (both ha-ha and peculiar), and heartbreakingly touching. Michael Leviton has written such an unflinching look at what it means to tell the truth and to love that you can't read it without performing an inventory of all the lies you ever told or received, in the name of being human." -- Faith Salie * author of Approval Junkie * Oddly absorbing ... A memoir that shows that while truth doesn't always mean beauty, there's something to be said for beautiful liars, too. * Kirkus Reviews *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Abrams
Product notice
With printed dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 209 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
450 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4197-4305-4 (9781419743054)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Michael Leviton is a writer, musician, photographer, and storyteller. He is the host of the storytelling series and podcast The Tell. He has worked as a screenwriter and contributed music to television shows, including HBO's Bored to Death.