The Art of Manliness

Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man

By: Brett McKay, Kate McKay

Narrated by: Todd McLaren

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Man Up!

While it's definitely more than just monster trucks, grilling and six-pack abs, true manliness is hard to define. The words macho and manly are not synonymous.

Taking lessons from classic gentlemen such as Benjamin Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, authors Brett and Kate McKay have created a collection of the most useful advice every man needs to know to live life to its full potential.

This book contains a wealth of information that ranges from survival skills to social skills to advice on how to improve your character. Whether you are braving the wilds with your friends, courting your girlfriend or raising a family, inside you'll find practical information and inspiration for every area of life. You'll learn the basics all modern men should know, including how to:

Shave like your grandpa
Be a perfect houseguest
Fight like a gentleman using the art of bartitsu
Help a friend with a problem
Give a man hug
Perform a fireman's carry
Ask for a woman’s hand in marriage
Raise resilient kids
Predict the weather like a frontiersman
Start a fire without matches
Give a dynamic speech
Live a well-balanced life

So jump in today and gain the skills and knowledge you need to be a real man in the 21st century.

©2009 Brett and Kate McKay (P)2011 Tantor

Critic Reviews

“This couple shows that you can be a man without being a jerk." (MDAA, Toronto Star.com)

Not much use as an audiobook

Trying to picture how to tie different styles of knots is a futile exercise - a companion PDF would have made all the difference in the world.

An excellent resource for gentlemen

An excellent book and a great resource for a dying breed, the gentleman. I highly recommend this book as well as the sequel, "Manvotionals"

A fun, light read ... that should be mandatory

I enjoyed it. In the book, the author states that the purpose of this book was to pass on sage-like advice to the younger generation. This generation is missing out on proven wisdom since the passing on of this information has gone out of common practice. If anyone has actually talked to anyone in the 16-23 age bracket, it's a hard assertion to argue with. So, I think the authors should know that they've done exactly what they set out to do. I picked up this book for those very reasons. As is pretty common for folks of my generation, I didn't have much of a relationship with my own dad. Same for my older brother. As a result, I always felt I missed out on some of the fundamental manly teachings that these authors address. Some tips were mundane (like how to tie a tie), while others (how to be a good husband and father) were ethical tips that mirror my own beliefs that definitely seem to grow exceedingly out of vogue with each new generation that comes across.

I wish I had this book when I was 15.

There were parts of the book that dragged a little (the parts about camping and how to help give birth were a little dry to me) and that was my main reason for not giving it a full 5 stars (if half stars were an option my true rating would be 4.5 stars).

It was a fun and interesting read, and was perfect to break up the sci-fi/fantasy rut I found myself in.

don't buy the audio. physical copy is much better

this is a good book but there's so much practical advice listed in this book that it was hard to get it all listening to audio. owning a physical copy of the book would be much better

feminine concepts in manly english

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

as this book doesn't really seem to cover the topics of manhood so much of how to be sensitive, it might be better suited to a heartless lumberjack who wants to be more sensitive than anyone interested in what it means to be a man...

What could Brett McKay and Kate McKay have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

i think really the approach the authors have taken is not quite there... maybe its just the title that wrong... perhaps it could be called 'how to be a sensitive new age kinda guy explained in manly terms'

What aspect of Todd McLaren’s performance would you have changed?

really, the performance wasn't too bad...

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

i was mostly just disappointed. having popped in to the art of manliness webpage (i think from the same author?) i was disappointed in the content of the book... it touches on the things that make the website great, but for the most part misses it.

Any additional comments?

further to the above comment, this maybe isn't the best book for audio... lots of lists and how to instructions...

must read for modern gent

cewat book, I learned a great deal. Tip of the hat to the author.

What a 14 year old thinks a man is

I bought this expecting something classic, instead it is a book based on a child’s view of how to be a man. The authors can not distinguish between nostalgia and being an adult male. Nearly every item of advice is baseless other than it’s the way men in the past used to shave, dress, etc. This is a massive miss.

A must

I greatly loved this book. As a man who did not have a father to pass on manly virtues, this book helps with that missing piece. For a few years now I have learned to be a man through God's word and instruction. I find this book agreeing with the Most High, closely. The narration was superb, didn't miss a beat.

Doesn't take the content seriously

it points out how alienating the modern world can be to manly things, and then makes a joke out of it. it offers no real advice except boring, overly detailed explanations of how to do simple things like tie ties or shave - maybe this is ok in book form where pictures can be used, but this is terrible for audio books. the rare insight it offers is mostly on how to be a man 100 years ago, and basically states that the definition of manliness shouldn't change, but that men should change to be more like men of yesterday. so instead of helping to define manliness, it actually erodes and distorts it more.

Stuff My Dad Never Taught Me

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Especially a young man. I lost count of the number of faux pas Brett addressed that I've committed over and over again.

What did you like best about this story?

Shaving. I have since converted to safety razors for the economy and the attitude.

What does Todd McLaren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Just as in the Altered Carbon series, Todd brings a casual, almost quirky attitude to the text, as if he is always half smiling. I'd buy him a beer if I met him on the street; he is my favorite narrator thus far.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Too much information. In fact, I bought the hard-copy to use as a reference. If not for me, then certainly for my son.