Review of The Unfakeable Code®
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Monda Derrick
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Review of The Unfakeable Code®
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Unfakeable Code®" by Tony Jeton Selimi.]
I don’t remember the exact moment I started associating anxiety with pain in my stomach, or how certain memories made my chest feel heavier than it should. But reading The Unfakeable Code® brought that connection into full clarity. Tony Jeton Selimi doesn’t just hint at the relationship between emotional trauma and the body—he lays it bare. I was honestly taken aback by how direct he is about the emotional roots of chronic illness, burnout, and even obesity. He isn’t offering quick-fix health hacks, though. What he offers is much harder: the truth. In his words, suppressed emotional wounds don’t just stay buried—they express themselves through physical distress, sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. The pain we carry shows up in our bodies, even when we pretend we’ve moved on.
That perspective would’ve been overwhelming if it weren’t paired with one of the book’s more grounding ideas: self-trust. It struck me early in the book that we don’t often talk about trust in ourselves the same way we do with others. But Tony makes the case that it’s actually the foundation for everything—healing, growth, leadership, love. And I think he’s right. The way he frames self-trust isn’t fluffy affirmation talk either. It’s built through small, consistent acts of honesty and emotional awareness. I found myself stopping after certain paragraphs just to reflect: Do I really trust myself? Or have I been outsourcing my emotional safety to other people all this time?
What I appreciated most, though, was his take on forgiveness. I liked that forgiveness is framed as emotional freedom for yourself, not condoning harmful behavior by others. That reframing matters. It makes room for readers who’ve been hurt deeply to begin healing without feeling like they’re betraying themselves. I remember one exercise that asked you to visualize the person who wronged you and, through guided emotional steps, release the emotional charge—not because they deserved it, but because you did. That hit home. In my opinion, that alone could change someone’s life.
But I also had a moment where I paused, slightly unsure. I disliked that some readers could misinterpret this nuance if they aren’t already familiar with trauma-informed healing frameworks. The book doesn’t always slow down enough to clarify that forgiveness doesn’t mean forced reconciliation or spiritual bypassing. Maybe a short note or extra framing around that point would help protect vulnerable readers from walking away feeling pressured to forgive before they’re ready. Then again, maybe that’s just me reading cautiously.
That said, none of this diminished my experience. If anything, it deepened it. This book isn’t a light read. It asks a lot of you—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. But it also gives back tenfold. I walked away feeling both confronted and comforted, which, strangely enough, is exactly what I needed. There’s a deep wisdom in these pages, and a relentless kindness beneath all the hard truths. I think that’s why it worked so well.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars without hesitation. Not because it was perfect, but because it was real. And sometimes, real is exactly what heals.
******
The Unfakeable Code®
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
I don’t remember the exact moment I started associating anxiety with pain in my stomach, or how certain memories made my chest feel heavier than it should. But reading The Unfakeable Code® brought that connection into full clarity. Tony Jeton Selimi doesn’t just hint at the relationship between emotional trauma and the body—he lays it bare. I was honestly taken aback by how direct he is about the emotional roots of chronic illness, burnout, and even obesity. He isn’t offering quick-fix health hacks, though. What he offers is much harder: the truth. In his words, suppressed emotional wounds don’t just stay buried—they express themselves through physical distress, sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once. The pain we carry shows up in our bodies, even when we pretend we’ve moved on.
That perspective would’ve been overwhelming if it weren’t paired with one of the book’s more grounding ideas: self-trust. It struck me early in the book that we don’t often talk about trust in ourselves the same way we do with others. But Tony makes the case that it’s actually the foundation for everything—healing, growth, leadership, love. And I think he’s right. The way he frames self-trust isn’t fluffy affirmation talk either. It’s built through small, consistent acts of honesty and emotional awareness. I found myself stopping after certain paragraphs just to reflect: Do I really trust myself? Or have I been outsourcing my emotional safety to other people all this time?
What I appreciated most, though, was his take on forgiveness. I liked that forgiveness is framed as emotional freedom for yourself, not condoning harmful behavior by others. That reframing matters. It makes room for readers who’ve been hurt deeply to begin healing without feeling like they’re betraying themselves. I remember one exercise that asked you to visualize the person who wronged you and, through guided emotional steps, release the emotional charge—not because they deserved it, but because you did. That hit home. In my opinion, that alone could change someone’s life.
But I also had a moment where I paused, slightly unsure. I disliked that some readers could misinterpret this nuance if they aren’t already familiar with trauma-informed healing frameworks. The book doesn’t always slow down enough to clarify that forgiveness doesn’t mean forced reconciliation or spiritual bypassing. Maybe a short note or extra framing around that point would help protect vulnerable readers from walking away feeling pressured to forgive before they’re ready. Then again, maybe that’s just me reading cautiously.
That said, none of this diminished my experience. If anything, it deepened it. This book isn’t a light read. It asks a lot of you—emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. But it also gives back tenfold. I walked away feeling both confronted and comforted, which, strangely enough, is exactly what I needed. There’s a deep wisdom in these pages, and a relentless kindness beneath all the hard truths. I think that’s why it worked so well.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars without hesitation. Not because it was perfect, but because it was real. And sometimes, real is exactly what heals.
******
The Unfakeable Code®
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
