The Maintenance Man : A Novel

Book Description

Michael Baisden, the bad boy of literature, strikes gold again with this provocative, nationally bestselling novel about love, lust, and lies.

Malcolm Tremell lives the life that most men can only fantasize about: exotic cars, designer clothes, and a steady stream of sexually available women. For the past twelve years, for a very generous fee, Malcolm has willingly played the role of temporary companion and lover. But the endless nights of meaningless sex and secret rendezvous with married women have begun to weigh on his conscience. Malcolm is suffering from job burnout. He soon discovers, however, that a life-style change won't come so easily, not with the allure of so many beautiful women and thousands of tax-free dollars.

Download Description

Self-published phenomenon, lecturer and relationship expert Michael Baisden strikes gold again with this provocative, nationally bestselling novel about love, lust and lies. In the tradition of Eric Jerome Dickey and E. Lynn Harris, Baisden weaves a fast-paced, true-to-life story about the drama of male-female relationships. "The Maintenance Man" is a gripping, raw novel.

Customer Reviews:

read it.......2007-09-22

i liked this book and i would recommend it. i plan on reading it again.

Quick read but still a waste of time.......2007-08-12

Full of name-dropping, advertising, vulgar language, misguided definitions of being a gentleman, and how relationships and friendships work. Sensationalistic and predictable. An obvious attempt to write a book that would "SELL". (Yeah it's going to be a movie. Let's hope it will be better than the book.) MY ADVICE....SKIP IT!!!

The maintenance man.......2007-08-04

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!! This was the first Michael Baisden book I have read and it was so terrible. I was extremely bored and the story was very predictable. It had the typical "get the girl in the end story" and that is not realistic. I will not read any other Michael Baisden books. I think I got the hint as to what his books are like. Great read, Coldest Winter Ever. That's a great book!!!

2nd review of a baisden book.......2006-07-20

this book was terrible. he needed to develop the characters a little more, Malcolms character especially. Mr. baiden needs to take a couple more writing classes because this book was written horribly. the drama in this book was real, but some of the characters were a little confusing. Ariel claims to be professional but she was flirting with the manager from day one. I didnt even finish this book because it kind of dragged on and got boring.

Pathetic Literary Attempt.......2006-06-04

On a national publisher's website Michael brags about being a college dropout and never having taken a single writing class. Perhaps he should have!!

At least I didn't have to pay for this text. Michael, himself, gave me a copy of "The Maintenance Man" as well as two of his other books after meeting me at a workshop in L.A. His attempt to impress me fell far short of my expectations. The problem with Michael is that he really thinks he's a good writer but he just doesn't have a clue. The one thing all of his books have in common are disjointed plotlines, a lack of character development, and the most glaring and sloppy grammatical errors that even my 9 year old niece would have caught. Aside from the fact that Michael Baisden is a dreadfully untalented writer his "relationship videos" are absolutely horrible and represent a vain attempt to present himself as a "self-help, relationship therapist or expert" when he doesn't have a shred of credibility or credentials. It's really sad that couples are taking any relationship advice from him as he is the proverbial "blind leading the blind."

For someone with such subpar talent to be as arrogant as Michael is really puts the nail in the coffin for me. He is fairly competent at shameless, self-promotion, but that's about it. Save your time and your money and read the work of some real literary geniuses like E. Lynn Harris or Eric Jerome Dickey.

Book Description

In this work of grave beauty and searing powerone of the most widely praised pieces of investigative reporting to appear in recent yearswe follow 26 men who in May 2001 attempted to cross the Mexican border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadly region known as the Devils Highway, a desert so harsh and desolate that even the Border Patrol is afraid to travel through it, a place that for hundreds of years has stolen mens souls and swallowed their blood. Only 12 of the men made it out.

Customer Reviews:

The Devil's Highway - a must read!.......2007-08-26

As a long-time resident of Tucson I was fascinated and horrified by this book. I thought that I knew a lot about "entrants" and the problems of our southern border but this book really opened my eyes. Such a complicated issue!

The book is well-written, absorbing, amusing, informing and very readable. Anyone who is at all interested in our immigration and border policies, or who has an interest in the desert and borderlands, should by all means read this book! Or, read it just because you like a good (true) story.

Urrea's Masterful Narrative.......2007-06-13

Touching story about everyday life at the border.

The Rabbit.......2007-02-20

Once upon a time, there was a rabbit and he was rather licious. lol...Good review...Don't strangle the chickens or choke them.

An Everyday Tragedy in the Southwest.......2006-11-11

As a resident who has lived in Yuma, Arizona for the past nine years and read the daily paper and watched the nightly news giving scant details about one or two bodies found here or there, presumed to be those of "illegals" -- Urrea brings to the reader the faces and lives of the human beings behind the numbers. I often think of the deceased that are briefly mentioned in these news blurbs and wonder where they came from, whom they have left behind and what dreams of theirs did the desert kill? And is the desert what really killed them? Or was it some errant Border Patrol agent or a frustrated and pissed off Minuteman? Just what are they so pissed about, anyhow?
Regarding the immigrants and their motivations for leaving their beloved behind for the north, Urrea certainly answered some of my questions. No, America, they are not all criminals, drug runners or people out to get your top jobs! They just want to make enough to feed their families and if they're lucky, save enough to buy a little building material for a house or to start up a small business. I have yet to hear any of my friends or acquaintances get excited about applying for jobs in agriculture or plucking chickens!
This book should be recommended reading for our government leaders, the INS, and ALL law enforcement agencies - they might just be able to figure out a plan for immigration reform! Just be sure to read the interview of Mr. Urrea in the Reading Group Guide at the end of the book -- the numbers (profits) will amaze you. As this book painfully demonstrates, fences are not going to do anything but make death in the desert an even more certain fate for crossers.
Thank you, Mr. Urrea, for giving the world a clear and concise picture of what is really going on in our corner of the country and our part of the globe, for that matter. As I drive along I-8 going to either San Diego or Phoenix and offer my usual prayer for those who have died so close by, I can promise that the names of Edgar, Abraham, Jose and Reymundo will not be forgotten. I will even have a prayer for Mendez.

Great personal view of immigration.......2006-11-02

Urrea brings us up close and personal by sharing the real lives of those who risk crossing the border and the Border Patrol officers that try to stop them. A painful story, well told.

The Devil's Highway (Mystery of Georgian England)

Average customer rating:

Even better than 'The Complaint of the Dove'
Well-written historical mystery!
Wonderful atmospheric book

The Devil's Highway (Mystery of Georgian England)
Hannah March
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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A Distinction Of Blood: A Mystery of Georgian England
The Complaint of the Dove
A Body in Berkeley Square (Mystery of Regency England)
The Sudbury School Murders (Mystery of Regency England)
A Covent Garden Mystery (Mystery of Regency England)

ASIN: 0451210719
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Book Description

Traveling to his new employer's country home, private tutor Robert Fairfax discovers a tipped stagecoach-and the dead bodies within it. But this is more than a robbery. And the victims are not who they appear to be...

Customer Reviews:

Even better than 'The Complaint of the Dove'.......2006-06-13

I liked the first Robert Fairfax mystery by Hannah March, so decided to read the next one. This one was more eloquent and more put-together than the first one. A fair amount of atmosphere and history and well defined characters.
Historical Mystery buffs ought to give this one a try, specially if you like Boris Akunin, Candace Robb, Kate Ross, T.F. Banks or even Ashley Gardner and Marion Chesney, you will most certainly like Ms. March.

Well-written historical mystery!.......2005-08-11

This book is a delightful and interesting window into Georgian England, via an intricately constructed, solid murder mystery. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Wonderful atmospheric book.......2005-05-12

I really enjoy books by authors who have the talent to make you feel as if you are actually living the book.

While the main part of this book is a mystery, you can also "see, hear, and smell" the English villages in this book, set in 1761.

If you enjoy English mysteries, definitely buy this book! It's the first book I found by Hannah March and now I will definitely be buying her other books.

Highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

The Devil's Highway
This book is cool
This book is about a boy who travels the Natchez Trace
Zeb try's to find Zeb's grandpa on the Natchez trace
It is a good historical novel for young people

The Devil's Highway
Stanley Applegate
Manufacturer: Peachtree Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor

ASIN: 1561451843

Book Description

TRAVEL ALONG THE dangerous Natchez Trace in 1811 with two brave and determined young pioneers as they search for their families. Set in 1811 against the dramatic backdrop of the dangerous Natchez Trace, this exciting historical novel tells the story of 14-year-old Zeb and 11-year-old Hannah who team up to make their way safely down the trail from Franklin, Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. Zeb, who does not believe the story he hears that his grandfather was killed by thieves along the trail, is determined to find him. Hannah, who miraculously escaped from the treacherous Mason gang, hopes to be reunited with both her Choctaw Indians friends and her family. When the two daring young adventurers reach the Choctaw village, Zeb is befriended by the Indians and is rewarded for his bravery through initiation into the tribe. Reuniting Hannah with her family is only half of Zeb's goal. Can he find his grandfather? Is he even still alive? As the children narrowly escape life-threatening situations along their journey, Zeb and Hannah learn to value each other's survival skills, courage, and determination.

Customer Reviews:

The Devil's Highway.......2007-05-26

This book was really interesting to read. My eight year old son really enjoyed following what happened in each chapter. I am from Mississippi so it really showed me what could of happened in Natchez back long years ago. This is an Accelerated Reader and my son read it for AR points in school this year.

Thanks alot
Tammy Jordan

This book is cool.......2002-12-15

I realy think this is a cool book, because when Zeb gets to ride his horse christmas, that's when it get cool.Also my best part was when the sargent wanted to scare off the horse that Zeb was on with a gun and it exploded in his hand and whent "booooooom!"

This book is about a boy who travels the Natchez Trace.......1999-01-04

Dear Mr. Applegate,

Our class has just finished reading your book the Devil's Highway. It was a very exciting book.

My favorite scene in the whole book was when Zeb, Hannah, and Christmas all try to cross the river. I think if you had had Big Red and The Fiddler see them in the river and go in after them and try to catch them it would have been more exciting. Another of my favorite scenes in the book was when the sergeant shot off the gun to try to scare Harlequin so that Zeb would fall off.

I wish that you hadn't left the book off at them all being at Hannah's house. If the second book was already out, then it would have been all right. I don't like having to wait to find out what happens to Zeb and his Grandpa.

I think one of the most difficult things for Zeb and Hannah to do was to cross the river. Especially because Hannah didn't know how to swim. Something else that was probably difficult for Hannah was finding out that her family had moved to Washington. Finally something that was difficult for Zeb was letting Hannah come with him on his trip, knowing that he would run out of food and he would also have to make sure that she stayed safe.

I can't wait for the next book Natchez Under The Hill.

Sincerely, Jeff Stark

Zeb try's to find Zeb's grandpa on the Natchez trace.......1998-12-21

Dear Mr. Applegate,

Our class has just finished reading your book the Devil's Highway. It was a very exciting book.

I can't wait for the next book Natchez Under The Hill.

Sincerely, Jeff Stark

It is a good historical novel for young people.......1998-10-06

In reviewing this book for a 9 year old, I found it provides adventure, suspense and important historical knowledge of the time and area. The story revolves around 2 characters, Hannah and Zeb. And it acknowledges hard work and determination on their part. The ending leaves interest in what may happen in a later book. It is the first book of a trilogy

Average customer rating:

Rattlesnakes, Anyone? Probably Fun But I'd Rather Read About It

Snake Hunting on the Devil's Highway
Richard Lapidus
Manufacturer: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Adventurers & Explorers | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Boas and Pythons of the World

ASIN: 159858216X

Book Description

On his first snake hunting trip to southeastern Arizona, the author was taunted and belittled by the owner of a small café because he expressed a fear of insects. The author extracted revenge by releasing a large rattlesnake in the crowded eatery. That's where the fun begins in this humorous accounting of the true-life trials and tribulations of two unlikely friends, Richard Lapidus and Buz Lunsford, as they traveled hundreds of miles each summer to spend a few days and nights hunting for snakes, and found themselves in the middle of situations (sometimes dangerous--always funny), mainly around the Chiricahua National Monument and Highway 666. More than snakes were encountered on the summer trips, however; and, through humorous short stories, other desert creatures are discussed, including bats, arachnids, lizards, frogs, toads, turtles, birds, skunks, insects, spiders, rabbits, coatimundis, rangers, law enforcement officials and other unusual two and four-legged critters. As Master of Ceremonies of the Warren Earp Days and Western Book Exposition in 2002, Richard Lapidus stood before the large group and told the story of his first snake hunting trip to that very city of Willcox, Arizona. There was so much laughter and good cheer that Richard was overwhelmed. He later dusted off his notes, and with the assistance of many people, assembled the stories in this collection.

Customer Reviews:

Rattlesnakes, Anyone? Probably Fun But I'd Rather Read About It.......2006-12-09

After reading this book you will never again have to simply shrug and stare off into space when queried about your phobia around heading out into the remote desert in the small hours after midnight, the less moonlight the better, to hunt for potentially lethal rattlesnakes or other exotic specimens such as a large toad that urinates profusely upon being picked up by an eager collector. Trust me, your fears will now stand upon a firm foundation.

On the other hand, my bet is you'll also develop a deeper appreciation for some of the more reclusive of God's creatures. While there are a few times you might get mad at certain characters who, in their stupid cruelty, haven't even evolved near as far as their reptilian victims, for the most part this book is good for much merriment. My favorite among the string of tales and anecdotes involves snake-killer Ranger Rick who gets his payback in way that makes you wish you'd been there. He's not permanently damaged by the experience but he sure learns to have a little respect for wild things.

I was very much reminded of Edward Abbey's story-telling style when reading "Snake Hunting." Even though they are easy-going, sitting around the campfire stories, there's an exciting undercurrent due to the potential for disaster at the turn of page. These tales are very human, filled with foibles, phobias and a wee bit of what's termed "foul language." Parental discretion advised? Well, only if you keep your kids in a closet where they never hear the radio, watch TV or connect with the internet. It's pretty tame by modern standards. And, after all, it's about two wild and crazy guys out hunting deadly snakes in the freaking desert in the middle of the night ... I mean, don't judge it by tea party standards.

While this isn't an academic book, Richard Lapidus reveals himself as a brave and serious naturalist in the course of this humorous series of stories. The patient reader will be surprised and rewarded by the information absorbed over the course of reading it. And I wouldn't be surprised if over the course of vicariously trucking along on these adventures and misadventures, you come to feel like you've found a friend. A quirky friend all right, but aren't they the best kind?

Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation

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Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation

Manufacturer: Diane Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0756757460

Product Description

A lively & original history of stock market speculation from the 17th cent. to 1998. Traces the origins of the speculative spirit back to ancient Rome & chronicles its revival in the modern world: from the tulip scandal of 1630s Holland, to "stockjobbing" in London's Exchange Alley, to the infamous South Sea Bubble of 1720. Here are brokers underwriting risks such as highway robbery; lottery tickets circulating as money; wise & unwise investors such as Benjamin Disraeli & Ivan Boesky. From the Gilded Age to the Roaring 20s, from the 19th-cent. railway mania to the crash of 1929, & through to Day Traders, this book tells a fascinating story of human dreams & folly through the ages

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The devil's highway
Richard Summers
Manufacturer: T. Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00086C87O

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The devil's highway,
Harold Bell Wright
Manufacturer: D. Appleton and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085TAEE

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Longarm on the Devil's Highway
Tabor Evans
Manufacturer: Jove Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000TXWPZG

Caltrans: Building roads to nowhere : a report for the California Green Scissors Project

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Caltrans: Building roads to nowhere : a report for the California Green Scissors Project
Melissa Kasnitz
Manufacturer: CALPIRG Charitable Trust
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

A cultural inventory of the Devils Slide locality: An evaluation of possible impacts upon historical and archaeological resources to be caused by a planned ... California (Conservation archaeology papers)

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A cultural inventory of the Devils Slide locality: An evaluation of possible impacts upon historical and archaeological resources to be caused by a planned ... California (Conservation archaeology papers)
Michael J Moratto
Manufacturer: Archaeological Research Laboratory, San Francisco State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Historic Preservation | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006YD59I

Customer Reviews:

Charming and Informative.......2005-11-24

In many ethnic books, there are descriptions of humorous misunderstandings on the part of the outsiders who are unaware of American culture. In this book, the shoe is on the other foot. Korean Benjamin Koo is adopted by American parents and is flown across the Pacific (with a nurse) to the parents who have seen only a snapshot of their new baby. When their baby arrives dressed in pink, the mother panics. Believing more strongly in cultural clues than in the nurse's assurances, she checks under the baby's clothes to make sure he is a boy. Pink and blue don't mean the same thing in Korea. Suddenly, our customs seem ridiculous. Why shouldn't a boy wear pink?

In straightforward fashion, the story goes on to describe how Benjamin slowly realized he was different from his parents, and he began wondering about his real parents. A wise guidance counselor helped him through most of the questions. When his parents adopted a girl from Brazil, Benjamin was better prepared to deal with the "dumb" questions from strangers, such as "Did they come from the same family?"

Watercolor illustrations are average quality, not Jerry Pinkney but nothing to complain about. They carry the story along well. Incidentally, this is the true experience of a real boy, and Holt International Children's Services is credited for their assistance in the facts of this story.

Story of Korean adoption rings true.......1999-11-14

As the parent of a boy adopted from Korea, I find this story follows ours quite closely. The process and the issues are the same for many adoptive families. The only thing missing from this book is any mention of a birth father. The birth mother's role is handled well, but there is no reference to a birth father. This book starts when Benjamin is nine years old. That's when the real questions about adoption can begin.

Average customer rating:

We Adopted You, Benjamin Koo

Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HNNHVO

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