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    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
    Audiobook (abridged)4 hours

    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul

    Written by John Eldredge

    Narrated by John Eldredge

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    God designed men to seek out adventure. But, somewhere between childhood and the struggles of yesterday, most men lose sight of those dreams. Fear not: bestselling author and counselor John Eldredge is here to teach men that there's a better way to live.

    In this expanded edition of the timeless bestseller Wild at Heart, Eldredge unpacks man's search for validation, the need for the development of courage in his soul, and the call to live a life of adventure.

    Using discoveries from his own life and backing them with scripture, Eldredge reminds men that although their childhood passions, dreams, and desires may start getting buried under deadlines, pressures, and disappointments, it doesn't have to be this way.

    In fact, God made men to embrace a life of courage, adventure, and freedom. He created men to take risks and find true purpose and belonging.

    Wild at Heart invites men to experience wholeheartedness by:

    • Recovering their true masculine heart
    • Healing the wounds and trauma in their stories
    • Delighting in the wildness they were created to offer the world
    • Discovering the life-giving power of nature
    • Helping them to discover the truth about what makes them come alive

    Join Eldredge as he calls men to discover the true secret of the masculine soul and finally start living the life God intended for every man. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateJun 30, 2009
    ISBN9781418575175
    Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
    Author

    John Eldredge

    John Eldredge is a bestselling author, a counselor, and a teacher. He is also president of Wild at Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's kingdom. John and his wife, Stasi, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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    Reviews for Wild at Heart

    4/5

    846 ratings43 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Listened to this as a wife and boy mom. It opened my eyes in ways I wouldn’t have planned. Highly recommend it for women! I can’t wait for my husband to listen. Thanks again for your wisdom!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      My sixteen year old son and I listened to this book together. It gave us great things to talk about, and gave us a direction we both feel we can walk. I love this book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      A formidable answer to an age-old question: How can a man make himself tolerable and useful while accepting and expressing his primordial maleness-the searching and aggressive urges to conquer what needs subduing, protect the vulnerable, fix what is broken, compete and risk what demands to be risked in himself and the world? The author's message is set in the Christian tradition without being controlled by its ideology. Eldredge believes that institutions can oppress a man's heart and keep society from benefiting from his fierce desire to love, do good, fight evil, and go beyond the limits. The exceptional writing and ideational balance... make this a compelling effort to integrate the hero's gritty nature with the public good. T.W. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Very good! A must read & listen for Christian men!
    • 5/5
      Great! God is in control of man and his creation
    • 5/5
      This one of the best books I have ever read. It challenged me to think about my heart, life and history in order to become fully alive. To be the man God made me to be. I highly recommend it to every man seeking to understand himself and his place in this world.
    • 5/5
      A must read for all males. When the female comes to the point that she is at a loss as to why God created man the way He did - read immediately. It really isn't our fault entirely that we are the way we are. This book reveals some amazing insights into the male psyche. This book shows the marvelous purpose for the differences between the male and female. After God formed man from the dust and his mate from his rib, "Wild at Heart " helps fill the gap of misunderstanding about the function of each gender with common sense truth.
    • 5/5
      Great. Encouraging and have strength. I have found a new great perspective. This took aids me in guarding the life coming forth as warrior for Jesus
    • 1/5
      I still hope to read this book here rather than listening. Is there an ebook I can read?
    • 5/5
      This book make a lot of really good points that I would have never thought of otherwise. Highly recommend!
    • 5/5
      Thank you! I think I understand my hubby better now!
    • 5/5
      Excellent and original honest and raw I highly recommend this book
    • 5/5
      Excellent book for any man that is or is mot with God!
    • 5/5
      This is certainly a fantastic book everyone should read/listen including woman I’d say.
    • 4/5
      When it comes down to touchy subjects like these, words will affect people in many different ways, positive and negative. One person will hate it while the next person will love it. I found this book very informative and will use it as a guide and parts of my own life. Thank you for your time and effort in writing this book.
    • 5/5
      What a great book. Gets better each time I read/listen to it
    • 5/5
      This book will make you want to go do something. my advice..... Go and do it!
    • 1/5
      Has a bit of truth, fair amount of harmful thought. Paints women in somewhat of a diminished role, elevates the male to a glorious, rescuing role. Preys on men who are vulnerable. Women absolutely can rescue men. I have seen it over and over again.

      3 people found this helpful

    • 1/5
      I absolutely loathed this book and the entire message it preaches. Toxic masculinity through and through.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Rated: B-I read this book when it was popular years ago. Recently, did a re-read. At its core, I think Eldredge believes all men have been wounded in some way or another. I am not sure that is true. For those of us who don't relate to being wounded, we all cannot be in total denial. So, his book has many great insights especially for those who recognize their wound. For others, it still has several good insights.
    • 1/5
      Where in the Bible does it really suggest that men should be "Wild at Heart?" living constantly on the edge and taking all kinds of risks and engaging in dangerous activities. Of course this idea will appeal to younger men and new Christians but it is completely the opposite of the Biblical model of denying self and taking up the cross to follow Jesus. There's nothing weak or unmanly about that!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Challenging and thought provoking, but a bit outdated. Needs to be revised and updated.
    • 4/5
      Wild At Heart by John Eldridge is a powerful book for men to uncover the wounds inflicted on us and how to overcome them. I've seen a lot of guys healed and made whole from reading this book and even watching the accompanying video...even though the video is really outdated! It's a very easy read that is easy to discuss but is incredibly insightful.ACF: Todd Nagel, not currently in ACF's library.
    • 4/5
      John Eldredge invites Men to recover their dreams and to recover their masculine heart, define in the image of a passionate God. Men don't know how to keep their promises, be spiritual leaders, talk to their wives or raise their children because they have been taught from childhood to be a good boy. Deep in his heart every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. Eldredge gives us many examples of how men have come to lose their heart and to lose their way on the things that count. He says we must take risks to climb out of these restless lives and take back your heart. Get to know God and know what God wants you to do. If you listen to him you can throw away that early little boy training you were given and be a man. The man your wife wants you to be. The man your children want you to be. To do this you must pray to Christ and listen to him and to make the hard decisions you need to make to follow Christ and to teach others how to follow Christ.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best books for Christian men that I have read. It should be required reading.
    • 2/5
      Interesting book. Probably good for small group (intimate) church structures.
    • 4/5
      One of the many "pendulum swings" in our society involves gender-- differences between the two genders and the relative "value" in those differences. For years masculinity was, no doubt, over-estimated and over-valued; however, the modern feminist movement has surely led to the pendulum being swung too far the other way. Society at large is becoming more and more aware that masculinity has been under-estimated and under-valued; this message is also becoming apparent in religious matters, especially in Christianity.Over the past decade or so there has been a growing realization that the way that churches are set up and how churches counsel and develop men has become dangerously feminized. It is in such a climate of growing awareness that John Eldredge originally wrote Wild at Heart.Thomas Nelson has now released a revised and expanded version of Wild at Heart that includes a new preface and an excerpt from Eldredge's book Fathered by God. The majority of the rest, however, remains the same book as originally written.Eldredge's thesis is that the church has, in short, emasculated men, and he seeks to set forth a way of understanding how one can be both truly masculine and a believer in God. His analysis of churches attempting to develop men as "Really Nice Guys" is not too far off the mark. Blame is appropriately placed at the feet of feminism; the "feminization" of Christianity that has been going on for generations is also at fault (another helpful book in these regards is Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow). Eldredge draws from Scripture, mythology, movies, and other similar stories to set forth three essentials for true masculinity: a conflict in which to engage, an adventure in which to participate, and a beauty to win. He shows how this can be accomplished in worldly pursuits, how these are often perverted by the world to lead to false forms of masculinity, and most helpfully, shows how these three can be accomplished in the realm of Christianity.Eldredge also spends much time discussing the challenges men experience-- the "wound" to their masculinity or inclinations toward true masculinity and how a man must overcome the "wound" in order to return to wholesome masculinity. He also shows how men misdirect their focus and attempt to find their true masculinity in the wrong places-- work, drugs, women, etc. He speaks of the need to develop a close connection with God and to live by true faith, overcoming the "wound" and becoming a fulfilled man in Christ Jesus.There is much to be commended in the book; one can see oneself and many of the challenges that one's fellow men experience through what is written. Nevertheless, there has been much criticism of the book, and some of it is warranted. Eldredge's attempt to use worldly wisdom to circumvent Jesus' instruction about turning the other cheek is itself unwise and not done well-- Eldredge would do well to understand the distinction between refusing to allow a bully to break the will and being a coward in the face of a bully, and to recognize that Jesus never commends or practices violence in order to counteract violence. Such is not the way of Christ. Sometimes it seems that Eldredge's basis for things is experience and movies, and while those can be helpful images for understanding, they are no substitute for revealed truth. On the whole, however, it must be recognized that what Eldredge is presenting is a good counterweight to many of the messages heard in religious circles. Cowardice hiding under the pretense of humility is not the way of Christ, and Eldredge is right to expose it. Nevertheless, what Eldredge teaches should not be taken to the other extreme, and it must be remembered that there is a reason why there are more exhortations to humility in Scripture than there are to the assertion of self and self-identity. It is also interesting to note that while Eldredge is writing as a man to men he often uses very soft and feminine language-- intimacy, relationship, and the like. While it is not wrong to use such terms, they could be a hindrance to some men.Wild at Heart is a great way for men to start a conversation about the importance of re-discovering true masculinity and how one can be a man and serve God. It can be of great value for men who are willing to be open to the difficulties they experienced in the past and how they can overcome those difficulties so as to have a better future in Christ, in the marriage relationship, and with children. The message should just not be taken to extremes.The work is certainly worth the consideration of all men.*-book received as part of an early review program.
    • 4/5
      My Summary: Wild at Heart is a book about finding the authentic heart of a man. It is about the spiritual wound that all men suffer and which must be healed.Wild at Heart gives men the tools which are necessary in order to begin searching for their own hearts, but it is written in a way that is inviting to the women as well (if not more so).My Thoughts: I liked this book a lot. Not only did Eldredge illustrate God in a way that was new and enlightening for me, but I felt as though this book showed me how to pray for my husband in a way that was more meaningful than simply paying lip service to our marriage. Whether this was Eldredge's intention or not, I am not sure.I did, however, have some misgivings. Eldredge consistently uses feats of daring or the "wilderness" as a means of defining the wildness of a man, and yet focuses perhaps too little on the man who's dream was to become a musician, or another who dreamed of becoming a doctor. The man who finds a cure for cancer will not have lived any less adventure than the man who brings down the biggest buck. My concern here is that some men (and women) will be discouraged by the feeling that manhood is defined by a certain kind of wildness.All in all this is an excellent book, and I recommend it for everyone, male and female alike. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from John and Stasi Eldredge!I received my copy of Wild at Heart free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not been paid to give a glowing review of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I've read in a long time. A must for every man. I suggest it for women and mothers of boys too to gain insight on the male life. I hated when I got to the last chapter, cause I knew the ride was almost over!
    • 2/5
      To be honest, I was a little disappointed although I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting. From the very beginning, Eldredge seems to be painting a caricature of what a true “man” that comes hauntingly close to how Hollywood wants us to view men as – rugged, square-jawed, outdoorsy types that live to clock out at 5 and have their trucks in 4-wheel drive by 5:15 on some backwoods trail. In fact, many of Eldredge’s examples of “true” men come from such movies as Braveheart and Gladiator. It is apparent that Eldredge enjoys the outdoors and who can fault him for that? The danger is when he equates a necessity of enjoying all these things to how much of a “wild man” a guy really is. He even goes so far as to say that a true man can’t really like being inside at a desk all day, but should be longing to get outside. If he does, something’s wrong with him and he needs to reclaim his manhood by getting wild (outdoors). And this is the premise that Eldredge seems to base his entire thesis on – a man must be wild, adventuresome and ready for a fight in order to be a man. This is backed up with many examples including one where he advises his son who is being picked on to punch the bully in the face as hard as he can. This apparently was designed to make his son feel enabled and manly and have the freedom to fight back, despite the fact that we are to follow Christ’s teaching of turning the other cheek. (Eldredge defends his actions by saying many in the church misinterpret this passage, but never says how or why.)There are two particular errors (among many) in the book that I want to hit on. The first is the noticeable absence of hardly any Scripture given to support Eldredge’s many false presumptions, and the Scripture that is quoted is so twisted out of context as to make it say something that does not ring true. Instead, Eldredge relies heavily on psychological analyses that fall short of correctly mirroring any Scriptural teaching. Don’t get me wrong on this point. I believe that there is a great use for psychology and we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. But the danger comes when we replace Scripture with the psychology and try to make it sound Biblical.The second and perhaps most disturbing error in the book is Eldredge’s claim that, in trying to support his view that God loves adventure, God is a risk-taker and even an “immense risk-taker.” To hear Eldredge’s view of the death of Christ, you would think the crucifixion was completely unplanned and God showed up just in the nick of time to set everything straight. “God lets the mob kill Jesus, bury him…then he shows up.” Although he tries to add a disclaimer that he isn’t a proponent of Open Theism, he apes Open Theism’s teachings quite well. Risk by definition involves some aspect of the unknown and to say that God takes risks is to say that He doesn’t know the outcome of certain things.I do believe that today’s culture emasculates men in wanting to be in touch with their softer side and perhaps Eldredge was trying to fight against that. But instead what he ends up doing is going to the other end of the Hollywood extreme in idolizing he-men. In the end, Eldredge’s answer to regaining masculinity seems to be to get in touch with our inner caveman. While there were a few good points made, they are so few and far between as to not make reading (or listening to) the book worthwhile.