Review of The Unfakeable Code®
Posted: 01 Aug 2025, 03:24
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Unfakeable Code®" by Tony Jeton Selimi.]
There’s something unexpectedly grounding about The Unfakeable Code®—a book that, at first glance, might seem like just another self-help manual about shedding masks and finding your “true self.” But what struck me as I got deeper into it wasn’t just the psychological or even spiritual layers (though those are there, too); it was how obsessively practical the whole thing is. Tony Wall doesn’t just want you to think differently—he wants you to behave differently. And I mean that in the most unglamorous, everyday sort of way. It’s not about having a “breakthrough moment” under the stars. It’s about noticing how you default to people-pleasing in a Tuesday meeting and then doing something slightly different next time.
I kept coming back to his “Five Principles” framework: Clarity, Adaptability, Emotional Resilience, Integrity, and Presence. I think because it felt more like scaffolding than a checklist. These principles weren’t just theoretical—they showed up as tools. One of my favorite ideas was the exercise around emotional resilience, where Tony walks you through visualizing a recent setback and then dissecting your reaction: Was it aligned with your values? Or was it just old programming on autopilot? The book invites you to keep testing your reactions in real-time, like a kind of psychological beta version of yourself you’re trying to upgrade with micro-decisions.
I liked the journaling prompts. I really did. They weren’t long or complicated, but they had this strange way of interrupting my momentum. There’s one where he asks when I last felt “unfakeably me,” and honestly, I had no idea how to answer. I just sat there, pen still, blinking at the question. I think those were the moments the book really worked its way under my skin—not through insight, but through silence. Through these little pauses that made me stop scrolling, breathe, and listen. But here’s the thing: I really wish there had been an easier way to access all those prompts. I kept flipping back through chapters or screenshotting pages, which pulled me out of the moment. A downloadable appendix or even a workbook would’ve helped me stay present instead of fiddling with bookmarks.
What really surprised me was the book’s repeated insistence that change comes down to habit. I guess I always thought authenticity was something you either had or didn’t—like a character trait, not a muscle. But Tony makes the case that being fake is also a habit. A very practiced, very reinforced one. So to undo that, it’s not about waiting for some spiritual thunderbolt. It’s about making small, almost boring daily decisions—choosing not to lie on a dating app bio, or pausing before slipping into your professional voice on a Zoom call. I’ve started catching myself in those micro-moments, and it’s strange how many of them there are. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to some perfect version of authenticity, but I think I’m a little more awake now.
I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Even with the missing prompts appendix, I think this book does something rare—it respects how messy change is, but still gives you a way forward. It doesn't try to dazzle you with jargon or promise you instant breakthroughs. Instead, it quietly invites you back to yourself, one honest sentence, one habit, one breath at a time.
******
The Unfakeable Code®
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
There’s something unexpectedly grounding about The Unfakeable Code®—a book that, at first glance, might seem like just another self-help manual about shedding masks and finding your “true self.” But what struck me as I got deeper into it wasn’t just the psychological or even spiritual layers (though those are there, too); it was how obsessively practical the whole thing is. Tony Wall doesn’t just want you to think differently—he wants you to behave differently. And I mean that in the most unglamorous, everyday sort of way. It’s not about having a “breakthrough moment” under the stars. It’s about noticing how you default to people-pleasing in a Tuesday meeting and then doing something slightly different next time.
I kept coming back to his “Five Principles” framework: Clarity, Adaptability, Emotional Resilience, Integrity, and Presence. I think because it felt more like scaffolding than a checklist. These principles weren’t just theoretical—they showed up as tools. One of my favorite ideas was the exercise around emotional resilience, where Tony walks you through visualizing a recent setback and then dissecting your reaction: Was it aligned with your values? Or was it just old programming on autopilot? The book invites you to keep testing your reactions in real-time, like a kind of psychological beta version of yourself you’re trying to upgrade with micro-decisions.
I liked the journaling prompts. I really did. They weren’t long or complicated, but they had this strange way of interrupting my momentum. There’s one where he asks when I last felt “unfakeably me,” and honestly, I had no idea how to answer. I just sat there, pen still, blinking at the question. I think those were the moments the book really worked its way under my skin—not through insight, but through silence. Through these little pauses that made me stop scrolling, breathe, and listen. But here’s the thing: I really wish there had been an easier way to access all those prompts. I kept flipping back through chapters or screenshotting pages, which pulled me out of the moment. A downloadable appendix or even a workbook would’ve helped me stay present instead of fiddling with bookmarks.
What really surprised me was the book’s repeated insistence that change comes down to habit. I guess I always thought authenticity was something you either had or didn’t—like a character trait, not a muscle. But Tony makes the case that being fake is also a habit. A very practiced, very reinforced one. So to undo that, it’s not about waiting for some spiritual thunderbolt. It’s about making small, almost boring daily decisions—choosing not to lie on a dating app bio, or pausing before slipping into your professional voice on a Zoom call. I’ve started catching myself in those micro-moments, and it’s strange how many of them there are. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to some perfect version of authenticity, but I think I’m a little more awake now.
I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Even with the missing prompts appendix, I think this book does something rare—it respects how messy change is, but still gives you a way forward. It doesn't try to dazzle you with jargon or promise you instant breakthroughs. Instead, it quietly invites you back to yourself, one honest sentence, one habit, one breath at a time.
******
The Unfakeable Code®
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes