Book Club Discussions

If you are a member of a book club, we hope your book club will choose our book, Withstanding the Lie, for reading and discussion.  In addition, whether or not you are a member of a book club, we hope you will recommend our book to other book clubs that may have an interest. 

Please use the following book club discussion questions, if you need them, to assist you in your book club discussions.                                                                           

1. Withstanding the Lie is a self-help book comprised of essays, short fiction and personal stories.  Is this format or structure an effective or ineffective way for the authors to communicate what they have to say?
    
2. In Chapter One, the authors describe some of their own personal encounters with bigotry and they tell why they write about their own experiences.  In what ways do the authors’ personal experiences as described in the book add to or detract from what they are trying to accomplish?
    
3. In the “Mack” story in Chapter One, Billy T. concludes that what happened to the dog Mack is the same thing that happens to some people.  Do you agree or disagree with Billy T?   If you agree, in what ways are some people who have been hurt like the dog Mack?
    
4. In “The Lie Detective” story in Chapter Two, what was detective Sarah Saddlewhite trying to get Samuel to understand that he did not completely appreciate or comprehend?
    
5. In Chapter Two, how persuasive or non-persuasive are the authors in their argument that there is a “lie” inherent in every act of bigotry?
    
6. In the “Liars Anonymous” story in Chapter Three, the authors compare “liars” to alcoholics and drug addicts.   How does this comparison impact your understanding of people who commit acts of bigotry against others?
    
7. In Chapter Three, the authors suggest that “liars” are also victims of bigotry.  How is this suggestion helpful, if at all, in protecting yourself against the disparaging treatment of others?
    
8. Why do you feel the main character Joan, in the “Myshen Nautbrae” story in Chapter Four, rejects the idea that she or anybody else in the world suffers from a disease called Myshen Nautbrae?
    
9. Do you feel, as the authors argue, that detachment is an effective and necessary tool to protect yourself on the inside from the bigotry of others?
    
10. Is the “Carl is Not Stupid” story in Chapter Five a fair or unfair commentary on how the achievement of certain minority groups is celebrated in the United States?
     
11. In Chapter Five, the authors give explicit advice on how to react to specific acts of bigotry that others may commit against you.  How effective or ineffective do you believe this advice would be on an everyday basis?
     
12. In Chapter Six, the authors argue that hostility due to bigotry is always harmful and does not benefit the victim in anyway.  Do you agree or disagree with the position they have taken?
          
13.   Did this book change your understanding of bigotry in any significant way?
     
14.  Do you believe the practices and principles the authors recommend in the book will actually help people who face bigotry?
     
15. What part of this book, if any, did you find most inspirational or helpful?