"Always Better Tell the Truth" is a guide for revealing what is not usually known about many things that you encounter in your life. Most people are sure of what they want to be and end up unhappy with who and what they are. The book advises:
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"Always Better Tell the Truth" is not an easy read. It takes guts to expose the ugly side of some people and situations. In most cases, the people we see as the best communicators and problem solvers are those who seem to be the most self-protective and always defensive of their "good" reputation. They are the people who seem to always react in a way that protect their image, rather than always improving it. In short, they always better to lie than to tell the truth.

The book covers a wide range of topics and personalities. The anti-conscience is prominent in this book. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and others all have something to hide and are never happy about having to tell the truth. The book also covers many important topics including: human nature, psychology, sociology and politics. The main theme is that humans are social animals and there is no universal understanding or set of rules that applies universally to all people.

The author begins with a story of a young American boy who was arrested in the street for shooting an intruder. As the arrest escalated, the boy started to change his story, telling more outlandish stories about how he had killed the intruder. The police became suspicious and soon learned that this boy had been telling almost identical lies about the incident for years. Even worse, his parents had been unknowingly supporting his lying which only worsened his case. The author examines the social factors that promote lying and how the criminal justice system fails to hold those accountable who continually break the law.

While it might appear that large corporations have an interest in maintaining a huge database of information on everyone, the authors do not examine that angle here. Why would they do that? Because keeping that information secure is paramount to their bottom line, which is profit.

The book then moves to examine why lying becomes so common. The author questions the ever-changing definition of honesty and the shifting standards of what is considered honest and truthful. Lying seems to be the norm rather than the exception.

Finally, the book examines why truth is not always what we want it to be. We tend to give only lip service to the ideals of honesty and integrity and we are quick to point out the obvious like the obvious lies in the media, billboards and in everyday life. Yet these same ideals are promoted and pushed. For instance, I can't remember the last time I heard someone say that lying was okay and actually good.

While the book does not go into detail as to why lying is always better to do than telling the truth, the points presented do make a valid case. Of course, the ultimate goal is for us to choose the path that will serve our greater good. Still, it makes an interesting point and one that we should all be thinking. So, I always better to tell the truth, at least to myself.

Finally, Coelho explores some possible futures for humanity after the current age. There may be a period of darkness before the sun rises again, a period of war and strife, and a period of peace and prosperity. This is something that he touches on quite effectively. It is a future that is difficult to predict given the uncertainty of human affairs. In the meantime though, it would be wiser to be more truthful in our actions and words and perhaps even in our private interactions.

What is the remedy? Something certainly, as Coelho suggests is the key to true happiness. It is not a magic bullet, though. No. The key is to change some behaviors, to learn new ethical behaviors and to be honest in all of our dealings. This is something we all must do if we are to continue to move toward a more perfect world.
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This book is very interesting and I learned many things. I found it a bit depressing too. However, that's what makes it so great, a little depressing is always necessary to move toward something better. The point is that sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the whole situation rather than allowing ourselves to be too upset about a small part of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to think for themselves, to tell the truth, and to pursue a goal of overall happiness and fulfillment.