| Title | : | Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 069255484X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780692554845 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 455 |
| Publication | : | Published April 1, 2016 |
Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat Reviews
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An interesting read on the male perspective on what defines success and life's true meaning. I enjoyed the parts on what extreme wealth can buy, as well as how a father should treat his son. A real eye-opener on how some people can live and how priorities affect so many people around you. A somewhat entertaining read, but a little heavy at times. The ending made me feel better. :-)
Thanks to the Goodreads giveaways for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
"You guys drink too much beer." (Joke to his 8-year old boy.)
Children aren't disappointed in you - unless you don't love them.
Gringo or amigo, Luke feels right at home, for he cherishes the little ones who cry for chips and spill their sodas: the night isn't so lonely when they do.
Lisa says, "I feel like I've been locked in a basement for a year."
Equanimity: a pleasant state of existence, achievable if Luke can just be happy for his fellow man.
"When my wind bath is over!" (window down in vehicle)
My mom says when you have a second child, you grow a second heart.
Those who marry for money earn every penny.
, and Trevor does not know what he did all of the sudden to be a bad boy.
It's just a matter of controlling your emotions once and for all, It's not good for anyone having intense feelings. You need to be a happy person, like me.
Luke does not say anything about his impending divorce, and he will continue to wear his wedding ring when he returns, because why explain inconsequence?
If a woman is divorced with children, she's not really alone, and her time with her kids is the last of her springs, so why muck it up?For she listens to the real Book of Luke, and knows that where her treasure is, her heart will also be.
So, like many 16-year-olds of her time and place, the last thing she wants is a serious boyfriend messing with her emotions, forcing her to act all committed and couply.
Your job is to be a kid. What's my job?
My job is to love you. And you know what I say? The two easiest jobs in the world. -
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
I don't even know where to start with this book or how to go about rating it. In the beginning, I honestly wasn't feeling this book at all, because it wasn't what I thought it would be and certain little things were annoying me beyond imagination. But I decided to stick it out, because that's just the kind of reader I am, and I'm honestly glad I did. Before I knew it, it really started to pick up and I was breezing right through the pages. I still couldn't tell if I liked it, or if I hated most of the characters too much for it to be redeemable (and I totally understand that it was kind of the point to hate some of the characters, but even when some people felt sympathy for Luke in the earlier pages, I just thought he was an irresponsible pain). I continued to become more and more engrossed in the story, and the characters, which has never happened to me in a story where the characters were meant to be unlikable. And now I'm sitting down, having just finished the final page, and my head is spinning, and I've felt boredom and hope and hatred and happiness and annoyance and I think, at the end of it all, I may love this book.
I'm going to go try to wrap my brain around how I feel about Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat, and I may edit this review or I may choose to leave it as is, who knows. Although no book is right for everyone, I would absolutely recommend giving this book a try for yourself, you may just end up loving it. At the very least, it will give you strong emotional reactions, and at the end of the day, I think that's kind of great. I may officially be out of my reading slump, and I am quite grateful to Todd R. Baker for making that happen! -
Luke is a divorced father of an 8 year old boy, who is clearly the center of his world. The man is down on his luck, financially drained, with a chip on his shoulder about all of the things he has tried to strike it rich, but seemingly failed. He is bitter as hell about where he is in life, but he continues to nurture his relationship with his son, who seems to be the only person who keeps Luke above water. Not for long. While alone, feeling as low as one can imagine, Luke decides his life is not worth living. In a bizarre twist, he is suddenly the person he believes he deserves to be. He strikes it rich with his internet start up technology, but he is so driven to to be rich, his life around him tumbles like a stack of blocks. His relationships are soured, he treats his son like an afterthought, he is a vicious but wealthy man. In the end, he has made many choices that have steered him down the wrong path, but can he get back and redeem himself? I found it was just like the classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" ... a beautifully woven tale, I picked it up, and found I was unable to put it down willingly. When I was forced to look away, my mind would not let go. The story was continuously in the forefront of my mind, getting back to finish was a constant goal. I've been beyond the final chapter for weeks now, but the tale has not let go. I continue to think about what I've read, and replay the chapters in my mind again and again. It's so damned good, this is one I know I'll read again, just to renew the feeling I got from reading it the first time.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Read the book. Absorb it. Then read it again. You won't be sorry.... -
I was lucky to win this book in a GOODREADS.COM giveaway. I really enjoyed this and his decision at the end was terrific!
This was taken from the above:
"Luke Morrow, a financially struggling young single parent to an 8-year-old boy, comes to believe that he has nothing, until by a magical twist of fate, his improbable internet technology start-up turns him into a Silicon Valley billionaire star. Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat begins with Luke’s harrowing romantic sojourn on the moneyed Westside of Los Angeles. Just when Luke can’t bear life’s pain anymore, he is remade—into a rich but brutal man. As Luke catapults through realms of fame and fortune, he is granted one last chance to seek redemption in a final showdown between honor and his own devastating power." -
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this book in exchange for my fair review. I have had a lot of difficulty with this book. I liked the idea behind it, but found it very disjointed and the writing of the narrative left plenty to be desired. There wasn't any cohesiveness between paragraphs and there was also repetition and/or scattered thoughts throughout the book, making it difficult to understand what was happening. The brief paragraphs came across as more of a script than a novel, and didn't allow you to relate to the characters. This book has potential to be a good story but at this point I am sadly disappointed.
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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Full disclosure: I received this novel as a recipient of a First Reads Goodreads giveaway, but that in no way affected this review.
How does one rate a book that is on one hand positive and the other hand negative? How does one rate a book in which the protagonist is both a decent likeable person and an absolutely deplorable-acting jerk*? That is this reader's difficulty with this novel (Parts were 5 star quality; other parts were 1 star quality).
Luke, a down-on-his-luck single father, loves his eight-year-old son Trevor, but having over-reached with an entrepreneurial enterprise, he has lost his job,his home, and maybe even time with his kid.
On the verge of killing himself, he undergoes a miracle or actually many of them. Luke then becomes a successful, but brutal man, taking no prisoners as uses friends, employees, lovers, etc. until they become liabilities. He becomes everything that he planned when he was down and out. Yet, in the end, the outcome may be the same as when a choice must be made that will affect his son and him.
Is redemption possible? Life or death? Which will he choose? Can and will he make the right choices? Do miracles happen?
Loved the interactions between Luke (before) and Trevor. He's a great father who loves his kid and tries to do right by him. On the other hand, the interactions between Luke (after) and Trevor were downright sad. Loved the lemonette tree, too.
A few things of note: one character's name Stacy/Tracy kept changing throughout the story (one time on consecutive pages).
Quotes: "...you still remember what my real job is, the only important one?"
"I forget."
"My job is to love you. What's your job?"
"I forget."
"Your job is to be a kid. And you know what I say? The two easiest jobs in the world." (p. 15)
A more extensive review will be posted on
www.pedometergeek.wordpress.com in the near future once this reader can fully assess her feelings on the story as they are still raw.
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Luke Morrow's downward spiral began years ago when his startup business failed and his wife left him, taking with her their young son, Trevor. Things go from bad to worse and Luke is reduced to working at a minimum wage job and forced to downsize from a modest one bedroom apartment in a good neighborhood to something much smaller and not so nice. The light of Luke's life is his son. During Trevor's visits, the two share adventures and happiness that money can't buy. Then Luke discovers his ex-wife and her husband plan to relocate to the east coast which would make it impossible for him to see his son. Luke is filled with self-loathing and becomes obsessed with the idea that if only he were rich and powerful, his life would be perfect. Or would it?
Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat is hard to break down into neat categories. It has an It's a Wonderful Life aspect that delivers some very powerful messages about consequences. Todd R. Baker expertly paints a portrait of an unfulfilled man who has reached rock bottom. Luke is mildly unlikeable but his tenderness towards his son makes him sympathetic. So much so that in Part 1, Luke's lonely journey into the depths of desperation and fear as he struggles in a cruel, uncaring world actually made me uncomfortable. But Secrets of Men tells two very different stories through its alternate timeline. Part 2 depicts a very different Luke Morrow. In his pursuit of wealth and power he brutally tramples everyone in his path, including his son. His heartless behavior towards his son and his degrading treatment of the women who love him is despicable.
I was intrigued by the author's observations of the psyches of married/divorced men and their expected role in society. The novel explores the stress men put themselves under to attain financial success and offers a rare perspective of their struggle to find their place in a competitive world.
Todd R. Baker's writing style is aggressive and direct and might have seemed somewhat disjointed if the approach didn't serve the story so well. Its third person narrative softens the impact of some of the hard-to-take events making them feel less personal and more objective.
Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat is thought provoking and unusual. It touches on difficult topics such as anxiety, autism, infidelity, divorce, depression and suicide in a realistic manner and without stigmas, which I found refreshing. I believe it will become a favorite of Book Clubs because it's packed with symbolism and issues ripe for discussion.
Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat has only a small speculative fiction portion, so it's not my usual fare and parts of the book were difficult for me to read due to the ugliness of the situations. However, its message of redemption won me over. Ultimately, I enjoyed the love story between father and son. The touching moments between Luke and Trevor stand out as memorable highlights. Todd R. Baker has written a strong debut novel. Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat is haunting and unforgettable -
Luke Morrow, a financially struggling young single parent to an 8-year-old boy, comes to believe that he has nothing, until by a magical twist of fate, his improbable internet technology start-up turns him into a Silicon Valley billionaire star. Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat begins with Luke’s harrowing romantic sojourn on the moneyed Westside of Los Angeles. Just when Luke can’t bear life’s pain anymore, he is remade—into a rich but brutal man. As Luke catapults through realms of fame and fortune, he is granted one last chance to seek redemption in a final showdown between honor and his own devastating power
My Thoughts on it
1 star
First I would like to say thins to the publishers and to my goodreads group The Life Of A Book Addict for giving me a chance at reading this book and to say that I won it though a book giveaway they was having, with that said lets get into what I thought of the book: I loved the cover of it but unfortunately that's the only thing I did love about :all the things I hated about are:
1:found it very disjointed and the writing of the narrative left plenty to be desired,
2: not particularly enjoyable
3:had a lot of difficulty with this book , meaning I had difficultly understand what was happening
4:paragraphs came across as more of a script than a novel
5: it was putting me in a reading slump
those are the number 1 things I hated about this book, plus for reasons 1 , 3 and 4 I had to keep going back and re reading pages and paragraphs to try and understand what I just read more than once , and because of that I could only stand to read 77 pages of it, so with that said I'm DNF it, and won't be finish it, I really did try to keep reading it because 1: I don't like DNF books and 2: I kept hoping it would get better but it just didn't not for me, its just impossible for me todo so. Wish I could give it a better rating but I just can't do so. -
Much needed lessons on money and satisfaction. We often chase after our dreams without truly knowing what achieving those dreams would be like. Very moving novel.
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This book is truly a great story showing that just because you may get what you want it may not turn out as you expect.Seeing both sides of Luke's life and how destiny changes you was very interesting. I will look for more books by this author.I received this book free as part of goodreads giveaways.
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This was received in a Goodreads Giveaway in trade for an honest review.
Overall, I very much liked the concept of the novel. Part 1 was very interesting and pulled at my heart strings. Part 2 was slow for me at times, and I found myself getting very angry with Luke. Think the ending was a little rushed given the concept. -
Review to come. ***Please note I received this book for free from Goodreads First-reads.
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As Luke Morrow is about to turn 40, he feels like is a failure. It's as if life has thrown him a lemon, and he needs to decide if he should make lemonade, or give up everything and end it all. After a “magical twist of fate”, he is given the opportunity for a do-over. Will he make the right choices and end up a happier man, or will he end up worse off than he was to begin with?
I enjoyed this book because of the symmetry and balance in the text between the two timelines. Much care was given to replay exact scenarios in both lifetimes, but with a little twist that made them different, and allowed the reader to gain that extra bit of insight into the minds of the characters due to these tiny changes in the scenes. One of my favorite examples is when Luke is singing to baby Trevor in the first lifetime, “How wonderful life is, with Trevor in the world” and then when he is singing to him in the second go-around he sings, "How wonderful life is, with Daddy-O in the world”. It was spot-on for exactly where Luke’s mind was in the two divergent timelines.
The only major way this story would have been better for me, was if a few timeline inconsistencies were cleared up. These are minor issues, and not crucial to the plot, but were distracting to me, nonetheless.
**SPOILER ALERT**
In the first timeline, Kit, his niece was five years old when he visits his sister’s family in Chicago. At this time, Trevor was eight, and Luke and Lisa were already long divorced. However, in the second timeline, Kit attends the marriage of Luke and Lisa and is five years old. The age of Luke when he got married did not change, so Kit’s age is a discrepancy.
The other problem was with Trevor’s age. In the first timeline, Luke receives his 20 year college reunion book and Trevor is eight years old. In the second timeline, when Luke receives his 10 year college reunion book, Lisa is pregnant with Trevor. If one is true, the other is off by two years.
But, as I said, these issues were minor and did not take away from the plot of the book, merely made me frustrated.
**END SPOILER**
Potentially Offensive Content:
Sex – multiple one night stands between consenting adults, other sexual encounters between consenting adults, voyeurism, masturbation, prostitution, etc.
Violence – military discussions about war, one scene involving domestic violence on a child, verbal abuse, suicide
Language – I did not keep a tally, but the there were many swear words and other potentially offensive language sprinkled throughout the entire book. The “F” word is used multiple times.
**SPOILER ALERT**
I especially enjoyed how much the author made me empathize with nearly all of the characters at different times. During the the first timeline, I really felt sorry for Luke. He was a good guy, who had just been handed some rough breaks in life. Then fast forward to the second timeline, and I really didn’t care if he was hit by a bus, and was at times actively rooting for such a catastrophe to befall him. The character development was amazing, though, because just as Ebenezer Scrooge learned to value life in A Christmas Carol, or George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, Luke comes around in the end.
**END SPOILER**
I would recommend this to anyone who likes stories with a “life lesson”, especially along the lines of A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life, as they are similar in theme.
This paperback was given to me in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
https://shelvesofknives.wordpress.com... -
Even though I won this book in a giveaway, I really enjoyed it. I liked that it represents so many parents out here in the real world. Single parents who try to do right by their own children and sometimes due to frustrations and stress, we don't always handle things in the best ways. Sometimes we have mental breakdowns and may even think ending our lives will make things stop. I loved the little twist towards the end of the book, how Luke got a second chance. This book kind of reminded me of "Ghost of Christmas Past" where they main character gets to see how things would've ended up if he went down a certain path. I would definitely recommend this book.
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First I must say this is the most awesome cover on a book ever! I could not wait to read it!
Also I received a ARC on book for a review and I really appreciate the opportunity but I must be honest for myself! You may love it or you may hate it. Book brings strong emotions!!!
The book is wrote in small & large paragraphs. It's not really a written story but more of highlighted sections of a life. Is this a male writing style. Kind of like Patterson short & sweet (except some of these "paragraphs" are nowhere close to sweet) No wasted words? But that's not why it's a 3 star book even though it did take off a 1/2 point because sometimes I wanted to know more. But this is my observation on author's writing style.
Below is why 3 stars: (If you stop here I would recommend reading the book and making your own mind up on stars because of the emotions brought into yourself while reading plus it makes you think $ it is a powerful book.)
WARNING!!!
BE CAREFUL READING BELOW THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK! I DON'T THINK IM SPOILING IT, BUT COULD HAVE BECAUSE OF STRONG EMOTIONS THIS BOOK PUTS IN A PERSON.
It starts with Luke Morrow, a divorced dad, with limited visitation to his son Trevor, whom he really loves. He was an ad exec who tried to get into the Internet craze but failed and he just isn't hitting his dreams and is basically starting to lose everything including his wife, Lisa, who is remarried. It shows his life this way for the 1st half and you are really pulling for him and then things change and he gets to go back and relive his life but he is a totally bad person. I hope I'm not giving too much info but there is a lot in this book in both lives! It was an interesting read and it does make you think. Book clubs will love this one! Why a 3 star book??? Because I wanted to reach into the book and pull Luke #2 out and beat the crap out of him. I was honestly sick reading about him.
Also the author has great points on living with a soul or without but it almost was like he was trying to preach that if you are a good person and good to those around you then you will not succeed. On the other hand if you are a complete jerk and care about no one but yourself then you can succeed. I have met many successful people that are nice and many that are failures that are horrible people. Also right before end, it gets very strange. You will see for yourself when you read.
Anyway I am glad I read the book and I do recommend it as a read but I can't promise you will like it! -
It will make you feel like you are living through this yourself. Very well written and gripping novel. I won this book through the giveaways.
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Ocean Park, CA. Luke Morrow’s (CTO, PhD, physics PhD, computer engineering, Princeton) life has gone from better to worse.
His Internet start-up Company went under & now Lisa has filed for divorce & is taking Trevor their son to live with her.
Luke does his best to have a part-time relationship with his son.
Romance well it never was a home run for him.
Lisa seems to have lots of relationship some marriage others just sex.
Luke lands a dead-end job at The Great Indoors as an appliance delivery manager.
What does Luke’s future hold?
This is the most bizarre book I’ve read in a long time.
Also Jacob M. Appel was in my thought process.
Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written satire book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a large set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great satire movie, or a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Aqueous Books; Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn) -
Lilac Wolf and Stuff
**I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I'll say this, it's difficult to put down. It's incredibly fast past, at times too fast to follow what is going on. That doesn't really fit with how lengthy it also seems to be.
I'd call it Dude Lit, like the opposite of chick lit. It's entirely from Luke's perspective. He's a decent guy who makes poor decisions. He gambled his family's money on an internet idea that didn't pan out. In the resulting spiral, he lost his marriage. And while he tries to get back on top, he's still saddled with some bad luck and poor people skills. You can't help but notice how he doesn't treat people that great, and he feels like he deserves more than he gets. And this is while he's not the a**hole.
Then something very It's a Wonderful Life happens and Luke finds himself living a parallel life. You see all the same people, but he's even more of a self centered twat. He's willing to do anything, step on anyone to get what he wants. And he wants money and power. He marries the same girl, has the same boy, but his treatment of them both is completely different. There is nothing even remotely endearing about this guy.
To be honest, there wasn't much to like about the first version, either. Except he had empathy for the women in his life and he loves his son more than anything.
Not the best writing, kind of hard to follow a lot of the time. But it keeps moving, quickly and I just had to read it all the way through, even when I truly hated Luke. Trust me, you will hate him. -
I have to be honest, this book was just not for me. I liked part 1 and the last few pages but everything in between that was really just bland filling with hints of unintentional comedy.
Part 1 was good, I was getting into the characters, feeling bad for Luke and his struggles. The relationship Luke had with his son Trevor was fun and unique. There were a few parts that I thought were odd, like when Luke talking about all his online dates, but overall the first section of the book is good.
When Part 2 started I was interested, even with the whole God/Angel thing that was going on, and seeing Luke in a world that was opposite of what we read so far had a certain appeal to it. But in my opinion this lasted too long, I felt like information was being thrown at me with little care behind it. He bought this, then that, then this, then that. The slow growth of possessions and cycle of women coming and going got repetitive quick.
Not all of part 2 was bad though, there was some unintentional comedy in there. The way Luke treated people was mean and terrible but to be honest I found some of it funny because it was so over the top.
I think the author had a good idea and a good message to send, but the writing (which was too script-like in some places, something others have mentioned) and a huge portion of part 2 just wasn't for me.
I received this book through a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.
