Review of Deceit

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceit" by Vernon Baumrind.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In 1978, Vernon Baumrind realized that his wife, Linda, was having an affair with her gynecologist, Dr. James Ewing. Vernon knew he had to get the worst evidence possible if he wanted any chance to gain custody of his two children, David, who was almost five years old, and Jade, who was two-and-a-half years old. He puts a wiretap on their landline phone, contacts an attorney, and arranges for detectives to follow and spy on Linda and Dr. Ewing. However, it was against the law to invade an individual's privacy with wiretapping. Read Deceit: A True Story of Domestic Infidelity and Betrayal with Salacious Details Recorded by Wiretap by Vernon Baumrind to follow Vernon's journey as he struggles to obtain custody of his two children when it was customary for the mother to get custody. Was he successful, or was he in trouble for breaking the law?

I appreciate Vernon's honesty in addressing Linda's infidelity and its impact on the entire family's emotions and lives. At the same time, he also discussed what motivated Linda to do things entirely out of character. Vernon's writing style allowed me to feel his deep love for Linda and his struggle to justify his actions, even though he had no choice if he wanted custody of his children to prevent them from being harmed. The next time I visit my gynecologist, I am sure I will think about why Dr. Ewing chose the profession. One of the most important points in this book is that there are always consequences for our thoughts and actions.

I gave this well-written, professionally edited book 5 out of 5 stars because the author honestly presented both sides of the issue. Even though some of the wiretap tapes had disgusting conversations about sex, it was necessary to demonstrate how sex addiction can consume someone psychologically, emotionally, and physiologically. I encountered nothing negative to prevent this book from obtaining a perfect rating.

Due to the non-borderline profanity, child abuse, and intimate sex conversations, this book is appropriate for only mature readers who enjoy reading non-fiction stories about divorce and its impact on the entire family. The author asked God for help, which makes this book more appropriate for Christian readers.

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Deceit
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[Seetha E]

Vernon, who was distraught, used wiretaps, an attorney, and detectives to obtain custody of his minor children. This nonfiction book about divorce and its impact on families looks interesting. This review delivers a clear opinion on what to expect. Thank you for your recommendation.

[Julie Basil]

This sounds like a very heartbreaking story of the struggles of a family that was being torn apart by infidelity. Keep up the good work!

[A new me]

Vernon is indeed a courageous man! Despite being heartbroken, he goes ahead to investigate his wife to get custody of their children. I'm a female; I have always told myself I would never have a male as my gynaecologist and this book finalizes that decision. This review was amazing and thoughtful, thank you very much.