Reviewed by Norrie Sanders
The world, Dom Thurbon tells us, is beset by lies, so how do we make truth happen? This very readable book, falling somewhere between self-improvement and philosophy, is a passionate defence of truth.
The book is in two parts. The first explains why truth matters. The second, larger, part focuses on making truth happen: “I think you should care about truth as much, or more, than you care about almost anything in the world” [p XVIII].
As a consultant, Dom has a wealth of experience in the private sector and most of the content has a business focus, although he argues that the book is relevant to individuals and societies. He is at pains to present evidence to support his claims, largely through statistics and citations, with a liberal sprinkling of, often, personal anecdotes.
Real world problems require real word truths to solve them. He elegantly demonstrates that a real-world problem like human-induced climate change can be “addressed” by denying the issue or implementing policies that make little difference, but neither has any impact on the rate of temperature increase. Beliefs and double speak are irrelevant to the physical state of the earth.
In the interests of truth telling, I have to admit to a few gripes. [An uncorrected proof was supplied for this review, so the commentary below may not reflect any changes made in the published version].
The writing can sometimes feel like a transcript of a Ted talk or a workshop presentation, with a bit of self-promotion and product placement thrown in. Some of the anecdotes could be abbreviated without missing the point. That may sound a bit churlish, but in a book about truth, it can detract from the credibility of the message. Nothing that a modest edit could not fix.
This is an important topic and Dom Thurbon’s book can only help to improve attitudes to truth – though some of the serial offenders in this regard probably think there is no issue. The content is varied and interesting, while the points made are coherent, evidence based and demonstrate a great deal of lateral thinking.
Dom Thurbon is a seasoned senior executive, successful entrepreneur, researcher, writer and internationally sought-after speaker and facilitator. He has authored and researched bestsellers published in over 15 countries on subjects as diverse as generational and behavioural change, business strategy, purpose-driven leadership, the future of work and education, and disruption.
by Dom Thurbon
(March 2026)
Major Street Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-923186-43-9
$32.99 (Paperback); 256pp