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 show more 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. show less

**.5

The book is divided into two parts, the first one takes up over 60% of the pages and consists mostly of sappy affirmations of self-acceptance. The authors attended Columbia and Stanford and graduated from medical and law school, but chose to write on the level of a 14-year old's TikTok account with the parental controls set to maximum. They say "fudge" instead of "fuck" and sum up their coaching philosophy with this nauseating statement: "Take a chill pill and wash it down with some show more loose juice. That is the central premise of running training."

It's too bad, because there is some good tangible advice hiding in the second half of the book. But it's not nearly developed enough. It seems like they are trying to offer just information to entice readers to their website, where they can sign up for their $140/month coaching services. Specific details are therefore withheld behind the paywall, and the book only deals with broad generalities. show less

I love this book! Being a happy runner means enjoying the journey and remembering that “you are enough! You are awesome!

I may be biased...