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Becoming a Barbarian

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Becoming a Barbarian

By: Jack Donovan
Narrated by: Jack Donovan, James Dorton
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About this listen

Becoming a Barbarian won't teach you how to swing a battle axe or crush your enemies (so that you can see them driven before you and then hear the lamentation of their women).

Becoming a Barbarian is a follow-up to Donovan's cult hit, The Way of Men. Good, modern, civilized Western men today are expected to think like "citizens of the world" - obligated to everyone and no one. Natural, meaningful tribal connections have been substituted with synthetic, disposable consumer identities. Without a sense of who they are and what group they have a place in, modern men are becoming increasingly detached, disoriented, vulnerable, and ever more easily manipulated.

Becoming a Barbarian attacks the emasculated emptiness of life in the modern West and shows men how to think tribally again. It reveals the weaknesses of universalistic thinking, and challenges listeners to become the kind of men who could go all-in and devote their lives to one group of people above all others.

Becoming a Barbarian is about finding a tribe, finding a purpose, and choosing to live the kind of life that undermines the narrative of the Empire.

©2016 Jack Donovan (P)2016 Jack Donovan Ethics & Morality Gender Studies Philosophy Social Sciences
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the second book in series just as great as the first. i highly recommend this

great book

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jack donovan delves deeper into the concept of "the empire of nothing" (the global community) and the implications of putting it before your own tribe, and the repercussions of such. a good follow up to the classic "the way of men". Donavan is both entertaining and insightful in this sequel which surpassed my expectations.

looking forward to "a more complete beast"

sharp, garbbing and fun

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a mirror of reality totally brilliant 👏 true format, exposure of our weaknesses.....confronting necessary.....love the callous nature of ego intention and blatant ignorance....

absolutely brilliant 👏

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He asserts we must serve our tribe, that's a community of interests, goals and values, often at the expense of the Empire of Nothing. How to think and orient our behaviour is formulated throughout. Very interesting read, worth it if you wish to have a outsider mentality, and wish move beyond universal morality, while still benefiting the clique, perhaps even secretly actively working for your tribe while exploiting the systems appeals to interests your tribe stands for: whether it's politically motivated interests, economically to do business for your tribes benefit, or take what you can from the system if offered and available.

Our Nature within a Community of Like minded Individuals

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Mr. Donovan speaks the words that screams out to our ancestral DNA. Something primal and instinctive resonates within his prose. I like the segregation of topics but the binding helix of tribal/groupthink weaves through each idea. Bring on the next one and stay solar.

Shackle shattering wisdom for the modern man

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There is a lot of dangerous talk in this book and the previous one, which makes them engaging to listen to. It paints a good picture of the modern barbarian mentality. I imagine many will dismiss a number of the ideas as immoral, or fantasies that would land one in embarrassing social circumstances or prison. To spiritually rebel against the theatrically termed 'empire of nothing' is likely to be a one way door, and so would require substantial conviction.

That being said, there is wisdom in here that is immediately applicable. For example, I'm wondering how much value there is in writing this review for someone I've never met, when it is simply one more thing drawing me away from engaging with a pack or tribe 'in person', basically spending meaningful time with my friends?

Start a tribe and roam outside the empire

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great book that every man should read, now I have to get the rest of his books
it don't matter where in the world you are you need a tribe.

great read

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I found the first half of the book underwhelming compared to “The Way of Men”. The second half provided more value

Solid read. Definitely start with “The Way of Men”

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TLDR: the author foolishly sees society of only two camps. fools and villians. he wrongly insists that one must be a villian if he does not wish to be a fool

the author has a twisted morality in which there is no right and wrong, there is only victims and perpetrators. this book is not entirely useless, it is useful to listen to it because one can easier affirm what he does believe in by acknowledging what he does not believe it

the author begins each of his arguments by (correctly) stating things the fools of the world believe in (many of them left wind beliefs), and then stating things the villians of the world believe in (many of those things are from the far authoritarian wing) and insisting that those are the only two options and it is better to be a villian than a fool. and certainly it is true that to be a fool is the worst option

but to suggest that there is no third option is ludacris and disingenuous. certainly one can be both mighty and moral. certainly one can be both unconquerable and non-aggressive. liberty is a movable coal, conquest is not. defence is necessary to liberty whilst an empire is not

the author also insults the peace and prosperity brought by free markets (ironically by pointing out the flaws of government intervention in the market) yet whilst also romanticising the horror of war as somehow mankinds glorious purpose on earth

don't be a fool, don't be a villian, be a free man

Becoming a Villian

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