Dishonesty Is the Second Best Policy – Just how bad is it?

David Mitchell gives his take on the dumfounding times we live in with his next book Dishonesty Is The Second-Best Policy

In Dishonesty Is The Second Best Policy, ‘Mitchell combines breathtaking general knowledge with withering wit.’ – Guardian

David Mitchell’s 2014 bestseller Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse must really have made people think – because everything’s got worse. We’ve gone from UKIP surge to Brexit shambles, from horsemeat in lasagne to Donald Trump in the White House, from Woolworths going under to all the other shops going under. It’s probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up.

But if you’re determined to give it a go, you might enjoy this eclectic collection (or eclection) of David Mitchell’s attempts to make light of all that darkness. Scampi, politics, the Olympics, terrorism, exercise, rude street names, inheritance tax, salad cream, proportional representation and farts are all touched upon by Mitchell’s unremitting laser of chit-chat, as he negotiates a path between the commercialisation of Christmas and the true spirit of Halloween. Read this book and slightly change your life!

Duffy’s Thoughts on Dishonesty Is The Second Best Policy

Well, what a timely read. The world really is upside down and completely bonkers at the moment. Britain, well I’ll try and leave Brexit chat in 2019, where I wish I could also leave Trump and his outlandish knee-jerk reactions. However, here we are in 2020 and rather than thinking, we can shake off the bad stuff and the evil do-ers who lurk behind cameras (Weinstein), in front of them (Spacey, Louis CK, Lauer), and warmongers (well, we all know those characters). I’m sat at home, on my laptop, writing this review on my blog to distract myself from the fact the wonderful country I call home is an inferno. It’s all really rather sad.

When the chips are down, Brit’s handle things in several key ways. Sarcasm, ranting, stiff upper lip and humour. David Mitchell checks all three boxes in Dishonesty Is The Second Best Policy, so there is no need to check his passport and he definitely has the birthright to do all of the above.

I LOVE David Mitchell and the way he writes. I first discovered him watching That Mitchell and Webb Look and Peep Show, later with his other books Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse and Back Story. He’s appeared on lots of panel and chat shows since and always makes me laugh, whilst at the same time hitting a point home with piercing linguistic timing.

That’s how painkillers are pitched: clean, targeted, medicinal. “Feeling crap? Drug yourself up a bit!” Is not a slogan that’s caught on. “Try smothering your body’s warning system with a chemical – hopefully everything will have sorted itself out by the time it wears off!” just doesn’t have the reassuring pharmaceutical feel that’s vital to building brand confidence. – Excerpt from Dishonesty Is The Second Best Policy

Dishonesty Is The Second Best Policy is no exception. Wry, cutting, smart and full of facts and knowledge you didn’t think you needed to know. Chapters cover popular and unpopular cultures, such as the huge shift towards veganism, the titans of the 21st century, the internet and how social media is slowly destroying us all, and my favourite chapter heading; no artex please, we’re British. However, my absolute favourite part is when Mitchell tries to dissect just what the hell Liam Neeson was thinking with his colossally surprising outburst while doing a press junket for Cold Pursuit. Just brilliant.

Be warned though, don’t attempt it all in one sitting. Flick through the chapters and read them piece-meal otherwise it’ll all become rather ranty and depressing. And, we don’t need any more of that right now.

One of my last reads of 2019 and one of the most enjoyable. If not so truthfully worrying!