The Art of Manliness

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)

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"

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

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.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

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.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great Man Training

An excellent resource for learning how to be a great, well rounded man - prepared for many of life's situations.

Quick read, but full of wisdom

After finishing this book, I wanted to tell every man I know to read it themselves!

It's not a theory, Its art!

Personally, I love this book. The McKays bring a lot of flash and flare to it by using some classic "slang" words and titles. I do feel like it would be a better printed book than an audio book; there is some illustrations that I felt like I should actually see rather than try to imagine in my head. However, that being said, they nailed the role of the man in society. Granted, it can seem like a playful fictional manual for anyone wanting to act like Sherlock Holmes or what-not. Overall, I left informed and inspired.
McLaren is awesome, simply put. Not to criticize his range, but most of his voice impressions seemed like the same one, just a little more rougher than the previous; when he was quoting someone, I couldn't tell the difference from the other person he quoted. Then again, McLaren is reading an educational book, not a fictional one, so I'm going to let that slide. He did an amazing job and I hope to get to hear him again.
All in all, this book is very informative (it taught me what kind of hat would suit my noggin'). It's fun and a bit, just a bit, on the wild side, especially when they explained how to deliver a baby! If I had a son, I would buy this for him as a textbook to become a real man's man!

fairly ridiculous to call it a book

This book is basically a bunch of list of items associated with men. An example is the different types of hats men wear.