Books on success tend to have a major flaw. They ignore the uncomfortable fact that, when most of us try to improve ourselves and our circumstances, we end up moving a few steps forward then sliding a few steps back. "The Backslider's Guide To Success" is a reaction against all the success formulae that ignore this common experience and that leave us feeling demoralized. It proposes a more humane, a more strategic approach to seeking success.

It recommends techniques for understanding and managing the tendency to backslide. It also claims that well founded self-esteem is vital if we are to manage the sinking feeling that comes from backsliding.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the book is its claim that following a simple and pragmatic moral code is the most reliable way of building robust self-esteem and that such a moral code exists and is independent of any religion.That code, explained in the book, is the Triax which requires us to:

Have integrity

Be kind

Be courageous

The author believes that the threat of religious fundamentalism and humanity's increasing technological capability has made the development of secular morality an urgent necessity for mankind. Rather than simply bemoaning the failings of religion, "The Backslider's Guide To Success" offers a way forward.

Despite dealing with some very serious issues, the style of the book is friendly rather than formal, pragmatic rather than academic.It is a short book and intended to be an entertaining and easy read for busy people, the language being simple and ideas being developed in a way that is easy to follow.