Transparent: Getting Honest about Who We Are and Who We Want to Be

by Sarah Zacharias Davis

It's hard for women to admit to each other that they've failed, or even that they may have shortcomings. They easily admit these things to themselves and then try relentlessly to improve themselves, but rarely will they let on to others the kind of personal struggles they are facing day to day. In this candid book, women share their heartfelt confessions about what keeps them from being the unique women that God made them to be-things like insecurity, jealousy, perfectionism, doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, and more. Every woman will find herself in these pages. Through the kind of unflinching honesty that women are often afraid to have with each other, readers will discover the value of sharing their struggles and faults with their community of sisters, friends, and mentors. In the end, they will find the wisdom to grow into that person that God had in mind all along.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Sarah Zacharias Davis is the Executive Director of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. She rejoined RZIM after a position as Senior Advancement Officer at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. She served previously as Vice President of Marketing and Development for RZIM and in strategic marketing for CNN and was the recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence at both.

The oldest daughter of Ravi Zacharias, Davis is the author of the critically-acclaimed Confessions from an Honest Wife, Transparent: Getting Honest About Who We Are and Who We Want To Be, and The Friends We Keep: A Woman’s Quest for the Soul of Friendship. She has written for Focus on the Family, Radiant Magazine, Proverbs 31 Woman, and Faith and Fitness. Sarah has been a guest on numerous radio programs, both national and local, and has appeared on Life Today with James Robison, Family Net Television, and Cornerstone TV.

Sarah was graduated from Covenant College with a degree in education.

Reviews

[Nicole Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, as the title implies, is about women being transparent about their struggles. It says to any Christian woman who reads it "the mask, worn by all too many Christian women, implying life after Christ is perfect is a lie". Sarah Zacharias Davis attempts to move the reader to see the power of an authentic existence through sharing the stories of the women in each chapter. This book is not meant to be a self help book it is meant to be a challenge to Christian woman to put down their masks and start telling truth about their struggles. There is great power in authenticity. In my opinion, anyone who does not appreciate what the author is trying to do here has not only missed the point of the book but is also unfamiliar with the impact that the transparency movement is already having on the Christian faith.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wish I had read the reviews before I started reading this book! Glad I got it for $1 at Goodwill. I totally agree that it offered absolutely no Biblical solutions...just a gripe fest from each contributing writer. I like to read books that offer Christian encouragement and this book did not offer anything positive. Sad!

[Whitney Hopperton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was hard to follow, seemed kind of like a self-help book for the ladies who were writing the chapters. They explained their struggles, but i didnt feel like they gave applicable or BIBLICAL options for how their struggles were solves.

[Shanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

We did this in small group. All four members of the group had trouble getting through the book. We found it boring, and the chapters were all over the place and rarely on topic.

[Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite depressing!
There was no biblical solution. This book is just about women telling about their problems in life. I don't see the purpose of this book. It didn't draw me closer to Christ.