‘Tangled Webs’ – Lessons About Lying

Recently Pulitzer Prize-winning author James B. Stewart talked about his book “Tangled Webs – How False Statements Are Undermining America.” He was interviewed by Crosby Kemper in front of a large audience at the downtown Kansas City Library. The book details the perjury cases of Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, Barry Bonds and Bernie Madoff. Fascinating... and disturbing.

I was especially interested in hearing him speak because he's a famous son of my hometown, Quincy, Ill. We share strong Midwestern values about the importance of honesty. When I talked to him after he signed my book copy, I noted that one of the things I admired most about my father was that he was a successful business owner known for being “honest as the day is long.” The Wall Street Journal once featured him in an article I had framed and have hanging on my office wall.

Stewart told me that our fathers were friends, and that his dad had also worked for International Harvester. My dad owned a dealership, Selby Implement Co., which still operates under his name, now 42 years after his death in 1970.

Stewart also remembered when his dad bought a 1960 DeSoto from my dad. I'm sure it was a fair deal on both sides!