Released: October 2020
Genre: Non-Fiction, Society
Number of Pages: 232
British commentator James O’Brien is currently one of the leading broadcasters in the nation with over 1.2 million weekly listeners. With “How Not To Be Wrong”, he goes in the opposite direction, turning the mirror towards himself and looking back on his own prejudices and contentious attitudes. In doing so, he makes the case for having a rethink and as the title suggests, it’s difficult to admit you were wrong; the writer does so many times here.
The book is very much a response to “How to be Right”; which focused mainly on talking to individuals with questionable takes on modern issues. O’Brien’s conversations with callers have often proven controversial and “How Not To Be Wrong” covers many topics that bring many an individual to anger and frustration in UK society. This includes racism, fat-shaming, transphobia and tattoos among others; the ethics of debating, ingrained attitudes and how they can shift over time form the backbone of the book.
What makes this book so engaging is how it interweaves transcripts from the author’s on-air calls with his lived experiences, creating an emphatic and self-reflective tone. Sometimes, the changes to James’s opinions happened gradually and at other times it took little more than a simple message or email to cause him to reconsider. Across every page, the author delivers an honest look at his views, contrasts them with the state of society and never once claims superiority over others.
Recommended?
YES: In an age of seemingly endless anger and bitterness, James O’Brien provides a much-needed call to consider your own perspective and not be afraid to rethink it. It’s something we can all relate to; I myself have had some very iffy moments when being politically militant since 2016 and have since learned to temper my internal outrage.
It serves an excellent complement to his previous release “How to be Right” while also serving a poignant glimpse into the author’s own life and journey. On occasion some of the societal discussions can get more than a bit complicated, but once you wrap your head around them, it’s a deeply personal read.