Try free for 30 days

Preview
  • Backbone

  • The Modern Man's Ultimate Guide to Purpose, Passion and Power
  • By: David H. Wagner
  • Narrated by: David H. Wagner
  • Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (16 ratings)

1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Backbone

By: David H. Wagner
Narrated by: David H. Wagner
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

What does it mean to be a powerful, happy man in today's world? What does it take for a man to know himself, know his mission in life, and live a life of strength, honour and wisdom?

In Backbone, the modern man finally has a self-help audiobook worthy of his masculinity. This audiobook won't ask you to get in touch with your feminine side if you want to embrace change. It's a straight-talking, down-to-earth and funny guide to get you working with your masculinity instead of against it. Backbone combines no-nonsense wisdom with brutally honest exercises to help you to find your purpose in life; hone your emotional intelligence; and escape unhelpful beliefs, patterns and habits so that you can live an amazing, powerful, passion-filled life.

Wagner addresses the challenges that modern men typically face, asking you to join him in a series of profound self- examination exercises and questions covering life purpose, male identity, spirituality, self-limitation, sexuality, relationships, fatherhood and more. Every chapter is highly practical and includes observations and examples from David's own life journey as well as insights gained from the many clients and groups he has worked with over the years.

Learning to be a good man used to be part of our culture; sons learned from fathers, nephews learned from uncles, apprentices learned from masters. But today this rarely happens. Modern men have to figure it out by themselves.

Backbone is a practical step-by-step guide to help men know themselves deeply, root out weaknesses, enhance strengths and upgrade their experience of life. So, have you got the backbone to start your journey?

©2015 David H. Wagner (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Most men are allergic to the big conversations around purpose, passion, and power because, well, they re usually boring or too far out there. David is one of the rare men on this Earth who has the brains, heart, and balls to go deep without losing his sense of humour. He's a modern teacher for wisdom of the ages." (Tripp Lanier, international men's coach and host of The New Man podcast)
"This is a book that every man needs to read! Wagner has a way of making practical, no-BS, life-changing wisdom totally accessible." (Dominic Carubba, men's coach, author of 7 Pages to Success)

What listeners say about Backbone

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    12
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Be a good man AND be good at being a man

I read David Wagner's Backbone after reading Jack Donovan's three 'way of men' books with an interest in comparing the perspectives. Jack's books investigated an amoral, Nietzschean description of pure masculinity; it was a rush, but I felt the ideas could be self-destructive to some personalities if interpreted the wrong way.

Backbone on the other hand, while being no less brutal, is more nuanced and moral. It reads as an inspiring philosophy of masculinity, together with tangible approaches one can take to realise their purpose. It's also somewhat heavier and worth taking more seriously, I'm going to go back and read it again for the exercises. Jack describes a way to be good at being a man but says nothing of being a good man, David shows you how to be a good man.

I see similarities between the two authors in their revery of beasts, physicality and honour among men; holding each other accountable, at least at the gang level. Surround yourself with a small group of men you can trust, and make sure you get face time with them. Also, I interpreted a fair amount of crossover wisdom between Jack's tactical virtues of Strength, Courage, Mastery and Honour and David's manly archetypes of King, Warrior, Mystic and Lover.

I'd recommend at least listening to Jack as well as David, but with David's Backbone, you may want to listen twice or get the written copy as the material requires more interaction.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolute gold

Well written and spoken book from a man not afraid to call it like it is!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Every guy worth his salt will listen to this book. I’ll listen to this again and again

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not for me

I got up to chapter 7 and just couldn’t take it anymore. I found this book to be boring and uninspiring, but hey, that’s just me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.