The Church of 80% Sincerity

by David Roche and David Roche

Book Overview

This work shares the inspiring, poignant, wickedly funny, and sometimes heart-breaking story of motivational speaker Roches journey from shame to self-acceptance. Born with a severe facial deformity,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399533907
• ISBN13: 9780399533907
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Perigee Books
• Length: 147 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

One of Life's Gems

The Church of 80% Sincerity shares the moving, laugh out loud funny, and sometimes heartbreaking stories of motivational speaker David Roche's life. Told through antidotes and life lessons you see his life from shame to self-acceptance. Born with a severe facial deformity, David has traveled through life with grace, humor and ok, a wee bit of sarcasm. Over time and with the love of his life, he has learned to accept his gifts as well as his flaws. Being unable to live up to the rules of the Catholic Church that he was raised in David decided to make up a church that is quite real to him. In the Church of 80% Sincerity, 80% is as good as it gets. You can be 80% Sincere 100% of the time or 100% Sincere 80% of the time. It's in the 20% area that you can get some slack and be yourself. There are no ideals. You do not try to change people by having them conform. Try to accept people as they are and adjust beliefs and practices to conform to the reality of being human. I rarely call a book a gem, but this truly, to me, is one. There are so many wonderful lines and stories that each time you go back and reread it you get something different. Very much a keeper.

It touched my heart and made my belly laugh out loud

The Church of 80% Sincerety is a human story; touching, funny and insightful. David Roche's story opened me up to all of the ways my human-ness expresses itself. as well as the moments of grace that have touched my life whether I knew it at the time or not. 80% sincerity seems doable. I'm in! You will be too.

100% Positive!

David Roche has traveled a unique and interesting path to bring us this fascinating book. If one's eyes are a window to their soul, then David has provided us insight into a world that will make you laugh, cry and be better off to face our lives. In the interest of full disclosure, I am David's youger brother. In reading his book I discovered new gems that brought me greater awareness. Not only of David, but of the individuals I encounter in my daily journey. I am a better man for having him as a brother, and a stronger man for reading his book. Be ready to touch a chord within yourselves when you read this inspirational book! Patrick Roche

The Church of 80% Sincerity by David Roche

I met David Roche when he spoke at my church last Easter Sunday. The audience laughed and wept at his talk which was filled with humor and pathos. Mr. Roche, who has had a severe facial disfiguration since birth, has spent his life making sense of his own "monstrous" appearance. The result has been the development of a one man show, a work of performance art, that he calls "The Church of 80% Sincerity." He has now written a memoir and philosophy book titled the same name as his show. Mr Roche tells his story in a non-linear fashion with chapters on miracles and prayer and cruelties. He tells of his early love for Jesus via the Catholic Church which severely disappointed him when he sought to follow God. He tells of moments of grace as well as cruelty at the hands of strangers. He tells of his loves and careers and family. This slim book feels light but it is actually quite weighty and it feels, suddenly, very very important. Mr. Roche writes that he was given a gift in having to wear his deformity on his face. He has been forced to understand it and deal with it in ways that the rest of us do not. Most of us have to uncover our defects because they are buried deep inside. This book will appeal to anyone who loves books on spirituality, good memoirs or simply just a lovely honest story about the unfairness of life and the ability to find peace within that life. I highly recommend The Church of 80% Sincerity.

Many reasons to read this book

As a big fan of David Roche's stage work, I was thrilled to learn that he has authored a book. The Church of 80% Sincerity lives up to all expectations - it's smart, funny, honest, inspiring, tough, touching and powerful. A line in the Publisher's Weekly review says it well: 'Roche is frank and witty and incapable of resorting to sentimental pap.' This book is both personal and universal. For those of us who sometimes feel that we don't 'fit in' or struggle with self-acceptance, Roche's take on living with a severely disfigured face is heartening, hopeful and, oddly enough, offers real, practical guidance. And in the process of sharing his slightly skewed perspective on what it means to be human, Roche completely reframes the disability paradigm. He doesn't 'overcome' his challenge, living with a non-conforming face, instead he integrates the experience into his larger human self, and gets on with life.