I thorougly enjoyed reading Leviton's memoir, so the audiobook cemented that amusement; the author himself is the narrator, which made the experience all the more exciting, especially when he laughed at his own embarrassing moments.

To be honest 😂😂😂 I thought this book was so genuine and funny and relatable and it is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Basically it's a sort of coming-of-age story from the perspective of the actual person in biography form. Someone who grew up being taught to always be brutally honest with family members As well as complete strangers and everyone in between, regardless of circumstances or situation. This perspective on life that he shared with his family had a detrimental effect that left him essentially feeling like an alien plopped down in the middle of the world He didn't understand how to communicate with. Kind of like Sheldon from The big bang theory but completely different. Lol somehow he was so relatable even though the way he thought was not relatable. I just don't have any other way to say it other than that he was just a genuinely great person who is misunderstood and probably still is but this book is a bridge to a world that's always misunderstood him and I loved it. Thank you so much #Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this funny, lovely book. I laughed, I cried, and I got to read it for free. (I highly recommend the audiobook by the way) It can't get better than that. Lol

This audiobook version of Leviton’s memoir was an entertaining look at the importance the author’s parents put on honesty. Growing up, being honest was so engrained in young Michael that it trumped any sort of social grace or worrying about hurting other people’s feelings. According to his father, if you couldn’t hear the truth, it was because of your own weakness. Leviton talks about how kids are natural truth tellers until around the age of two when they become conditioned to lie. As an adult, entering the world as a truth teller proved more complicated for Leviton, demonstrated by circumstances at work, friendships and in romantic relationships. This was a unique premise and an often humorous reflection on living an honest life and the trouble this can cause. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced review copy of this book.

I’ll be honest right at the top here. The only issue for me is Leviton’s reading voice. This is not his fault in any way; I’m an audiobook voice snob.

As for the book itself, it was gripping every feeling in my body and shaking them around. I both felt repelled by honesty and that I was kindred spirits with Leviton. Honesty is most certainly not the best policy. Never having had to relearn a social construct, I truly felt emerged in Leviton’s life, which speaks to his writing talent. I found myself wondering how many lies I had told to spare someone's feelings, how many lies I'd been told for the same reason, and where this unspoken rule came from.  

While I could recommend this book on the premise alone - boy cannot tell a lie and here's why - I think people will enjoy Leviton's memoir for it's moving writing, self deprecation, and of course, honesty.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Michael Leviton and Dreamscape Media for gifting me with an early audio copy of To Be Honest. In exchange I offer my unbiased (and completely honest) review.

“Most people think lying is good parenting. My parents weren’t  most people.” 

I “honestly” don’t know what initially drew me to this book, (perhaps the cover) but I’m certainly glad I did. Michael Leviton was raised in a home he affectionately calls a “Little Honesty Cult”.  Truth telling was paramount; no sugarcoating, no holding back, well.... NO LYING. To understand what this truly means, Michael regales us with childhood experiences and tales which were often hilarious but sometimes quite sad and some outright cringeworthy. While this book truly had me laughing out loud there is a serious poignancy to the madness too. How the power of words can affect others, the keys to diplomacy, what is compassion and when do you need to “edit” your feelings. This book is deeper than I expected and left me thinking about my own relationships with my family and friends. It’s also an interesting look at a dysfunctional father/son relationship.  I would definitely recommend picking  up this memoir if you’re seeking a good blend of levity and seriousness. 

The audio is read by the author. He does a great job of expressing his experiences with the right amount of hilarity and humility.

This was a pleasantly surprising memoir read by the author. I really enjoyed Michael Leviton's storytelling and appreciated his candor (lol). Seriously, how could someone be THAT honest. I was captivated (and sometimes frustrated) by his dedication to the truth and by his story's ups and downs — the teenage orgy, the family camps, the job interviews all had me loling.

Wow, what a book. To Be Honest by Michael Leviton was like riding a roller coaster blindfolded; you never know which direction the story will take you. I loved the fact Michael read the book to make it more intimate. I especially enjoyed his snickers as he read over something he saw as humorous.  It is hard to describe his honesty, hard to decide if I would enjoy his company, and harder still to stop listening to the story. To Be Honest made a mundane day much more enjoyable.

This book has wit and did make me laugh many times. I listened to this through audio 🎧. That the author appears to have grown up and is ok is good news to report. His parents seem very nice, but believe in Absolute Total Honesty. 

This poor child, it’s a miracle he survived school, friends, and even found himself a girlfriend. I think the parents needed to read a book titled, ‘Basic Common Sense for New Parents and it’s easy to Achieve’. His Mom could not understand that saying the milk was spoiled was fine, but it was a little more complicated when it came to Santa. Luckily, he was Jewish, so that spared some anguish, but if another child asked him about Santa he would have to give the true details. Naturally, his Mom finds an ‘Alternative Camp’ where his honesty will be appreciated. Poor Michael was actually told he should be so honest that he would hurt people’s feeling and could never utter even a White Lie for Self Preservation. 

Imagine, when his girlfriend decides to surprise him with a special dinner that she works hard on. Well, she really can’t cook. He would have to tell her the food was awful. A relative gets him a special gift trying to make him happy. He doesn’t like it, yes he has to tell him the gift is awful. His Dad thinks Full Criticism is essential. Even at 5, his Dad could not be Easy on him playing chess and let him win once. 

Luckily, for the author, he finally figures out that honesty is a worthy virtue, but a little diplomacy and gracious behavior will make life run a lot smoother. I wanted to cheer for him. Yes, you are doing just fine. He seems to take his upbringing in stride and use his odd upbringing to entertain us. That he doesn’t need a shrink 5X a week, his parents should be very proud.

So, listen if you enjoy some Satire and need a reminder that your family wasn’t as bad as you thought, listen to this book. 

Thank you NetGalley and Media, LLC for an Advance Copy. I really appreciate it, and I mean that with the utmost honesty.

I was interested in this book because I am often extremely honest as well. "Does this dress make me look fat?" Is a dreaded question, because if it is unflattering, I will let you know. But my honest side didn't connect with the author's. His family was honest to the point of being rude and they just came off as odd. I thought I would connect with the story more, and I didn't which is usually okay, but it didn't keep my attention the whole time.

To Be Honest was memoir by Michael Leviton that was read by the author.  Michael grew up being told to be honest with everyone no matter who it was at all costs.  He was taught by his parents that  everyone should want to hear the truth and never contemplated on what it might feel to be the person on the receiving end.  His father was the king of honesty and held him to be the same way.  As life progressed, Michael realized he didn't do well lying and could count three lies that he told by the age of twenty-nine.  Each one was seared in his brain forever.  

The memoir is Michael's recount on what he was thinking about during his childhood and his reflection back at what was the right thing to do and what wasn't the wisest decisions.   His brutal honesty and self-evaluations are spot on and fascinating as he reminisces about his family's relationship, family camp, and his friendships or absence of them.  Michael discloses his failed dating life in his teens and 20's and how he ventures to switch up his life as an experiment.   

I would recommend the Audiobook to anyone that enjoys memoirs.  It was definitely a different was to grow up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this book for an honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio edition of To Be Honest by Michael Leviton.

Wow, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this memoir.  First of all, I appreciate Leviton's willingness to dive into what I perceived to be sensitive parts of his life.  He describes his family growing up, tongue-in-cheek, as a "little honesty cult."  But, after reading it, it really did seem cult-like.  He was literally given truth telling exercises and conditioned to ONLY be honest, regardless of his ability to fit in or how it made others feel.  Because of this Leviton experiences most of his life struggling to find his place in regular society.  

I wonder about Leviton and his dad, perhaps they had similar personality traits that caused them to behave the way they did.  Because it wasn't even always about total honestly, but also gaslighting and being downright mean, all in honesty's name.  I say that because Leviton has two siblings that seemed to be much more interested in having friends, and also got endlessly frustrated with their family.

But over time Leviton goes into an almost "truth telling recovery" and tries tirelessly to tell lies in order to preserve feelings and fit in, basically undoing all of his years of conditioning.  This is an experience that introduces a whole other set of issues for Leviton, and makes him question whether or not he's even being honest to himself.

This is a well written memoir, read by the author himself about what it was like being raised in a home where only honesty was acceptable.  It raises a lot of really interesting questions like What does it mean to always speak your truth?  When can brutal honesty be destructive?  What is the difference between speaking facts and giving an honest opinion.  Can a person only be themselves through complete honesty?

In To Be Honest, memoirist Michael Leviton offers a close look at growing up in a family that practices radical honesty. The book begins benignly enough with young Michael fully in the know about the pain to expect from an immunization, but as time goes on, the reader is plunged deeper into disturbing family dynamics, particularly the brutal honesty the author’s father models, an honesty that Michael emulates, and which seemed to me unnecessarily cruel. A cruelty perhaps born out of a lack of awareness of the impact of one’s words on others. As a reader/listener I couldn’t help wondering if Michael and his father are on the autism spectrum. Though the subject was never mentioned, it might provide some insight into a value on absolute honesty that translates into hurting others and experiencing ridicule themselves. Thankfully, there is a turn in his story as a young adult when Michael moves away from home and embarks in social experiments with others as he tries out other communication styles and comes to understand the prevalence, and often practicality, of lying and withholding comment to spare others. There are moments of humor and hilarity as well as horror for the reader as we root for Michael to finds ways to successfully navigate relationships and to find genuine happiness in a world that pays lip service to honesty but buckles under the weight of total honesty.

I received this book from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This memoir walks the fine line of being honest and our societies acceptance of the white lie.   The author relives his childhood of his parents being “brutally” honest and never sugar coating anything for him.    Growing up with living as honestly as his only true virtue developed him into an odd person with very little friends.    

The memoir had quite a few places I was cringing at and plenty of others were I felt so sorry for him.    As an adult he was struggling to make connections and create relationships with people that were long lasting.     At times during the memoir I did lose interest but I wanted to hear where we was today and was hoping for a Cinderella story.

I received an ARC of both the audio and ePub for this one. (I requested the audiobook when I realized the book was not available on kindle format and read it this way).  I read a good deal of memoir and have found that recently, the books being published are more and more extreme. I requested this one thinking I might be getting a feel good and somewhat lighter book. That did not happen. The author’s parents raised him in a very troubling fashion. He failed to be socialized properly and encouraged to feel superior to everyone except his parents. His narration, in which he, quite literally laughs out loud as he reads his “antics” as a truth telling child was just disturbing and off putting. After many vignettes of his hostile truth telling, I put this one aside.

This audiobook was not the memoir for me, I found the narration to talk at me rather than tell a story. I found the honesty a little bit too much for me but I did like the take away that not everyone will like the same things as you do and that is okay.

Reading/listening to ‘To Be Honest’ by Michael Leviton reminded me of having a deeply satisfying and connecting conversation that is only achieved when both people are sincerely interested and completely honest with each other. Unfortunately in my experience, this kind of connection is often rare, which is what made this memoir so special to me. In ‘To Be Honest,’ Leviton recounts his strange childhood in which his parents were unapologetically honest and raised him and his siblings to be so. This doesn’t sound too strange in concept, but quickly takes a wild turn when you discover some of the things expressed under the guise of full transparency. His father’s brutal honesty in particular, can be simultaneously offputting and quite hilarious. It’s interesting to observe the influence his father’s callous honesty and unyielding emphasis on logic has on Michael, a highly intelligent and emotional child. Due to his upbringing and maybe his inherent personality, Leviton is an unflinchingly honest child, sometimes to the detriment of himself and others. He holds strong to these values and any dishonesty feels wrong to him. As it can be difficult for Leviton to sustain relationships with others, he becomes more introspective about he and others communicate. I found this fascinating to think about, how we so often hide our true feelings from others in order to make them feel comfortable. Reading about his life also made me think about my role as mother to two young children and how I communicate with them. I both listened to and read this book. Leviton narrates his memoir masterfully and completely charmed me. He lets the full range of emotions and laughter come through at different points. I look forward to seeing what he writes next! 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital ARC.

Michael Leviton's To Be Honest is so extraordinary that I listened to the book in a single day while I went about my errands. I'm not sure how Leviton balanced humor and such cringe-worthy "surely he didn't . . ." moments to demonstrate an absolute dedication to honesty that I had never before considered . . . but it worked. 

This would be a wonderful book club or class selection, and the audiobook would allow lower level readers to join in the discussion on a range of topics including not only truth-telling but relationships, external validation of one's self worth, neuro-diversity, family dynamics and communication. Leviton's memoir explores moving from one extreme on the honesty scale, and it's a tremendous jumping-off point so readers can join Leviton in exploring an individual's own comfort level along such scale. 

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a copy of this audio ARC.

Absolutely fascinating!  Michael has been raised to be explicitly, brutally honest in all matters.  He presents a world, that in many ways, would be infinitely easier to navigate if other parents followed suit.  Imagine everyone saying exactly what they mean.  However, the struggles he faces interacting with the rest of American society, social niceties included, really start stacking up as he becomes an adult.  Michael challenges what is a lie and what is the truth in this memoir that will have you pondering the same questions.

PS:  For audiobook listeners, hearing Michael laugh at the absurdity of his own life experiences is absolutely heartwarming, so personal, and comical.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Michael Leviton for the ARC!

A really different type of memoir, but one anyone will relate to. Leviton explores the meaning of honesty in theory and practice in a personal yet universal way.

As I had the pleasure to receive an audiobook of To Be Honest, I simultaneously read and listened to this book, which has lately been my favorite way of reading in general. But since this is a memoir, it was amazing to listen to the author as a narrator as well, which made it a really special experience for me as a reader.

To Be Honest was certainly a surprise for me. I enjoy reading memoirs, but they are usually so intimately personal that besides a few life lessons and general knowledge, it is difficult to apply them to your life. This one is different; Michael Leviton tells his story of an upbringing in a family who basically worships honesty without considering the practical implications of this philosophy outside of the home. It's a topic I, as much as anyone, often struggle with - is it worth telling the truth in a given situation, and what lies exactly can I get away with?

Since he was little, Michael would never, ever lie - not to his parents, teachers, friends or strangers, even when they would never know the truth. Although this worked some of the time, Michael tells stories of when it didn't, all in a quirky, captivating way. While the reader will come to their own conclusions, I think an important observation is that the aithor's parents, who taught him to live this way, came from a very different reality.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting one.
Overall, I actually ended up enjoying this one. The author has lived an interesting life. He doesn't always paint himself in the best light and that's actually why I ended up rating the book so high. I think it is easy, when writing a memoir, for authors to write things in a way that makes them look better. This memoir does not do that. 
In fact, you may hate the subject for much of the book but I believe that is intentional. He is a product of how he was raised and he was raised by a man who valued honesty above all else. What he doesn't seem to understand, until later, is that his feelings are not superior to others. But don't worry, he does learn this eventually.
He is not the most likeable guy at the beginning. I found myself irritated pretty frequently but I think the book is better for it's honesty in this. It could have softened his edges to make him more relatable or likeable but I think then that the changes he went through wouldn't have landed the way they did.
The chapters about his relationship are particularly interesting and funny while also being kind of sad.
The narration was great. You can feel the author poking fun at himself and laughing at the former things he used to say which makes you connect with him as a listener.