Official Review: Let's Be Honest by Jeremy Gove

[Stephen Campana]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Let's Be Honest" by Jeremy Gove.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The first thing the reader discovers in Jeremy Gove’s Let’s Be Honest is that he regards honesty, in the biblical sense, to be very much an all-or-nothing proposition. To illustrate his point he notes that the Hebrew word translated as honest – emet – is made up of three letters:

• Alef (the letter “a,” or opening vowel sound)
• Mem (the letter “m”)
• Tav (the letter “t”)

Those three letters are the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Gove notes that “Jewish scholars incorporated the very placement of those characters into their definition of the word. By definition, for something to be true, it must be totally true. Truth must exist at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.” Hence, the subtitle of Gove’s book: Living a Life of Radical Biblical Integrity (emphasis mine).

It sounds like a daunting task. To assist with it, Gove provides the reader with a handy acronym: B-A-S-I-C. Each letter stands for a principle that must be mastered in order to develop radical biblical integrity. Those principles are brokenness, accuracy, steadfastness, integrity, and credibility. Gove devotes one chapter to each one. He begins each chapter with an anecdote, defines some terms, and provides scriptural support for his premise. At the end of the book there are discussion questions for each chapter.

There’s a lot to like about this book. A Pentecostal minister, the author demonstrates an impressive command of Scripture and always seems to select just the right verse to make his point. I was also impressed by the clever analogies he employs to introduce new topics. This gives his writing a dynamic flow that paces the reader and makes the reading easier and more enjoyable. His writing style is clear, concise, and conversational. A sample: “Our handshake should be stronger than any contract. Our word should be higher than any oath. Our reputation should be better than any bond rating.” The book is also extremely well edited (I found only one error).

Of course, no book like this would be complete without at least one reference to that tired old Christian canard of free will, and the author does not disappoint, writing: “We were primarily designed to connect with God through the conduit of Free Will, choosing to love and serve Him, not because we had to, but because we wanted to. Love, by its very definition, requires a choice.” Nonsense. The Bible says, “The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). God does not need our permission to save us.

At one point Gove gets a tad preachy, writing, “It’s ironic that time and time again, the very celebrities and talking heads who are living reckless lives are the very ones trying to tell the church and the nation what’s moral and immoral. Isn’t it amazing that everyone else has an opinion about what the people of God should be doing?” I would argue that he has it backwards. It’s the church that always seems morbidly preoccupied with what secular people are doing, especially what they are doing when they’re naked.

This book is written for a broad audience. It’s not sectarian, so it will not offend anyone. It’s scholarly, but accessible to the layman. Gove’s writing style is breezy, and readers will find it easy to follow his train of thought. This is a good book for Christians trying to reconcile the demands of the secular world with those of the gospel. However, it is not a book for those who are not interested in making a real commitment, as Gove’s book is a clarion call to wholehearted discipleship. Of course, it will not have much appeal to non-Christians.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would have rated it higher, but there’s nothing too deep or revelatory here. It’s just a good read for those who are ready to get radical about consecrating their lives to Christ and putting their beliefs into action.

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Let's Be Honest
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[Mrunalpatki]

I read books to get lost in a good story. This book seems more like a discipline-giving lessons book. I might skip this one. But great in-depth review. Thanks.

[Phelicia Gloria]

I like reading about Christ, I guess this might be the right book for me, thanks for the great review

[Chimdi_3]

I like this book already.These BASIC teachings about integrity, brokenness,credibility, accuracy and steadfastness are virtues one should imbibe in everyday life.Thanks for the great review.

[book_fanatic_]

Maybe not the one for me. I'll pass on this one. Thanks for the detailed review.

[LinaJan]

I am unsure about what sounds like religion-related allusions but I am certainly intrigued by the discussion on the concept of 'truth'! May just add this to my shelf! Thank you for such an exhaustive and informative review!

[Wuoketch]

I like reading religious books and i think i might news to add this into my shelves. Thanks for the informative review.

[Ebby Brown]

Honesty is a virtue that not everyone has. It's good that the author went deep to make readers understand 'honesty '. Nice review.

[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

There’s a lot to like about this book. A Pentecostal minister, the author demonstrates an impressive command of Scripture and always seems to select just the right verse to make his point. I was also impressed by the clever analogies he employs to introduce new topics. This gives his writing a dynamic flow that paces the reader and makes the reading easier and more enjoyable. His writing style is clear, concise, and conversational. A sample: “Our handshake should be stronger than any contract. Our word should be higher than any oath. Our reputation should be better than any bond rating.” The book is also extremely well edited (I found only one error).

I rarely read religious books and much less preachy ones, but that's a fantastic quote that speaks volumes of your ability as a reviewer. I'm not even sure there's an absolute truth to every situation. But I'm clearly not the target audience. Thank you for your excellent review.

[Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis]

Nice review! I am not religious at all, so this book is not for me. For those who are, this sounds like it would be an interesting read.

[Leen282]

I am not religious but I do believe in honesty and integrity and the principles mentioned in the review. I do come to the same conclusion as the reviewer that I would not be a good fit for the book.

[Rebecca De Figueiredo]

I like the authors explanations and historical facts. The Hebrew, the biblical references and the very easy to read ‘tone’ of the book would make this an interesting read for many Christians. ‘The truth’ is the true subject of this book. A very good summary written by the reviewer.

[Sanju Lali]

The one's who are ready to get radical about consecrating their lives to Christ and putting their beliefs into action can benefit from reading the book "Let's Be Honest" by Jeremy Gove. The book tells that honesty to be very much an all-or-nothing proposition.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Jeremy Gove’s "Let’s Be Honest" calls Christians to radical biblical integrity, using the Hebrew roots of “truth” and a clear B-A-S-I-C framework. A bold, scripture-rich guide for those ready to live their faith with conviction. Congratulations on being BOTD!

[Alida Spies]

I agree with the author that honesty is an all-or-nothing proposition. I like the reference to truth existing at the beginning, in the middle and at the end. The BASIC acronym for the principles to be mastered in order to develop radical biblical integrity looks helpful.