Book One · The lead volume
The Manifesto
Nine arenas. One code. A standard worth practising.
The lead volume and the foundation of the first ten books. The code, the map of all nine arenas and ninety principles to practise, in one place.
A$24Details
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- chapters
- 50
- laws
- 25
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Arena Nine · Book 10 of 10
The Silverback's Guide to Spotting a Con
How to Read the Architecture of a Con.
Fog, speed and shame, and the answer to each.
A con is a robbery where you hand over the money yourself, say thank you, and don't notice for a fortnight. In 2025 Australians reported losing about $2.18 billion to scams, and investment scams took the biggest share. It doesn't only happen to the confused old dear clicking a dodgy link. Sharp, comfortable, banked adults lose money too, and being certain you can't be conned can make you easier to con. This book walks the architecture prop by prop: the levers, the factory, the fog, the long con and the useful idiot. No book can make anyone scam-proof. This one teaches the patterns and the pause.
Ebook · PDF
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Add The Silverback's Guide (the map to all nine arenas) for A$24.
Or all ten books for A$99.
See the libraryWho it is for
The bloke who's sure he'd never fall for it, the widow with a new online friend on an oil rig, the director who signed because everyone else had, and anyone whose stomach dropped the second they hit 'send'.
Inside the book
01
Why smart blokes get done: overconfidence, affinity and sunk cost
02
The six levers, the wiring of a predator and the factory behind the charming message
03
The field guide: the Oil-Rig Romeo, the Man in the Lanyard, the Whispering Guru and the rest
04
The long con, the useful idiot, crypto as the getaway car, and the changed bank detail that hits the business
05
Two minutes that save a fortune: the free register checks and a fourteen-point checklist for the polished scheme
06
If you've been done: the bank first, the evidence, the right reporting doors, and getting your head back
The Silverback says
The polish is not the proof. Sometimes the polish is the product.
The Nine Arenas
The other arenas
01
Being a Man
Character, purpose and the daily work of becoming dependable, including asking for help.
The field manual →
02
Money
Habits, risk and financial decisions, from the bottom of the world.
The field manual →
03
Selling
Listening, explaining value and following through. Remember the person across the table.
The field manual →
04
Conflict
Difficult conversations, composure and repair, without demanding the last word.
The field manual →
05
Bullies
From the sandpit to the nursing home. Strength without becoming another bully.
The field manual →
06
Dating
Honesty, curiosity, consent and rejection. Meet people without an exhausting performance.
The field manual →
07
Divorce
Separation, children and rebuilding. Keep your head and protect what matters.
The field manual →
08
Leadership
Decisions, responsibility and listening. The standard others experience.
The field manual →
09
Spotting a Con
Pressure, flattery and missing information. Pause before committing.
The field manual →
All 9
Plus the Manifesto
The complete library. Ten books for A$99, saving A$35.91.
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The Complete Library
Read in any order. Skip what is not relevant. Come back when the next arena lights up.
Every volume in the series, delivered together: the Manifesto and all nine companion volumes as PDFs, in your inbox within a minute. Lend them to mates. Argue with them. Underline them. Spill beer on them.
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Being a Man
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Money & Investing
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Selling
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Conflict
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Bullies
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Dating
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Divorce
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Leadership
- ✓ The Silverback's Guide to Spotting a Con
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The Books
The rest of the series
Read in any order. Come back when the next arena lights up.
Arena 1
Being a Man
The standard you practise when nobody is arranging an audience.
Integrity, mental health, fatherhood, friendship, work, failure and starting again. The first arena taken deeper, in twenty-three chapters about the man people actually live with.
A$14.99Details
Arena 2
Money & Investing
Make money your tool, not your master.
Household basics, super, the ASX, index funds, global investing, property, bonds, risk, tax and crypto, with the foundations laid first. Twenty-one chapters, forty golden rules, three field sheets.
A$12.99Details
Arena 8
Leadership
Stepping out of the shadows without the costume.
The lie of leadership. Goggins, Robbins, Brené and Jocko, translated. The seven fears of being seen. Hard calls, hiring, firing and the 3am founder mind. Twenty-eight chapters, fifty laws.
A$14.99Details
01
Pick the arena
One book, or all ten. If none is on fire, start with the Manifesto.
02
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Before you buy
What do I get when I buy?+
A PDF of each book, delivered instantly. After payment you land on a download page and the same links are emailed to you. Read on a phone, tablet, laptop or e-reader, and print whatever you want to spill beer on.
Is the full library worth it?+
If most of the books apply to you, yes: the library costs less than buying them separately and you get all ten. If only one arena is on fire, buy that book. Come back for the next one when it lights up.
Can I buy it as a gift?+
Yes. Use his email address at checkout and the download links go straight to him. Or buy it to your own address and forward the link.
What if my download link expires?+
Open the receipt email and use the "Your downloads" link; it re-checks your order and issues fresh links. Or contact us with the email you paid with and we will sort it.
Is this therapy, legal advice or financial advice?+
No. The books are general information and commentary, with FACT panels that name their sources. They tell you plainly when to see a GP, a lawyer, a mediator or a licensed adviser. If life is in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Refunds?+
Digital books cannot be returned once downloaded, but if the file is broken, you bought the wrong book by mistake, or the book is not what the page said it was, email us within 14 days and we will make it right.