About the Book
It's so easy to be a bad boy when you no longer have to be good.
Sebastian Behr used to be a good boy. Hot shot, high flying call centre executive, he had a little piece of everything: respect, a huge paycheck, beautiful wife, high-end cars, and a big house. The only things left to get were a couple of nice kids and that happy coast to a comfortable retirement. Nothing was supposed to get in his way. Instead, his wife got a boyfriend, his job got downsized and he's taken in some new roommates. And now, with nothing else to do, it's all boobs, booze, and rejection letters. Sebastian knows what it takes to be good, but does he have what it really takes to be bad?
Ever wonder what a man thinks when he picks a woman out of a crowd and convinces her to sleep with him? Ever wonder what he thinks about himself when he does it? Sebastian Behr can tell you.
Riotously funny, refreshingly honest, and deceptively insightful, Ten Toes Down is a spirited personal odyssey that follows Sebastian Behr as he searches for his place in the world in the wake of an unexpected divorce, countless hangovers and endless available women. Venturing boldly into the heart of the contemporary male, Ten Toes Down wallows just long enough in the libidinous antics and bad boy manners of Sebastian’s post-divorce regression to deliver the reader a boisterous ride to the dirty side of town.
What others have to say...
"...a whirlwind ride..."
The book is a never-ending series of adventures. Getting into a man's head, seeing what he thinks while handling the repercussions of divorce - Asher Conrad hits it right on the spot. ...a breath of fresh air to know that not all divorce stories are from the female perspective, and that it can be insightful without dropping the comedy, which makes it a great read. In addition, the characters have such depth to them, making them even more believable. Read more...
Maria Beltran
"Ten Toes Down" starts explosively, introducing Sebastian Behr hungover in the front seat of his truck, then flipping back to the day it all started -- when he innocently answered his wife's phone and came ear-to-ear with her long-term lover. This is the story of Sebastian, an average guy with a hotshot job just trying to play things by the book. When his white-picket-fence plans get blown out of the water by his wife's affair, Sebastian gets back with his bachelor buddies and is determined to enjoy life, and every beer, bar and casual hook-up along the way. Seductive, yes, but when Sebastian loses his job in the recession of 2008, things start to spiral out of control... This is a well-written but wild ride with a cynical edge that'll keep you turning the pages. And somehow, between the crazy escapades and endless beers, it'll make you reconsider what it really is that we want from good times, close friends and hot sex.
katjagrace
I found this book to be engaging and intense. It projects a perspective of divorce not often heard and often misunderstood. The characters were like-able and hate-able in the same breath and evoked a wide range of emotion in me. The author succeeds in creating believable and real relationships, not only between the characters but between the characters and me the reader. I found there to be a great depth in all the characters, which made me dislike some intensely and feel compassion for them just as intensely. At times the raw emotion and actions of the characters, was difficult for me to accept and move through, but the redemption in the end suited and satiated my mind and heart, and was well worth the journey. A compelling read on all accounts.
B.Norman
Like a rock rolling down a hill, this book gathers momentum with each consecutive chapter. It is a book about the ravages of divorce on a well ordered life, but it's not a dreary book. Sebastian Behr is a good guy who has bad things happen to him. The story is told from his viewpoint, which is interresting when you juxtapose what Sebastian thinks, vs. what Sebastian does. It is refreshing to see a book that is from the male perspective of divorce, usually you run into the female experience in the ubiquitous chick lit.
The other main characters in this novel are lovable Pete, and ladies' man Ty. Everybody knows a Pete and Ty. They are the perfect Wingmen, and they get Sebastian out of (and into!) every situation imaginable. Their antics are too entertaining to miss. These men are all trying to make the best of some bad circumstances, and they have a lot of fun in the process. Their characters are believable, and you want to find out what happens to them. Although this book deals with some serious topics, it is lighthearted and easy to read.
A definite must read.
Elizabeth V.
Ten Toes Down is a brave journey through the darkened back side of the American Dream. It details the destruction and rebirth of Sebastien and two of his oldest friends, as they confront the realities of men in modern-day America, discovering in the process what it means to be men, and what is truly worth living for. Engaging, raucous, sometimes perverse, sometimes harrowing, it takes a sympathetic look, as each in his own way confronts the often far-reaching consequences of the recklessness of youth, and and the pursuit of real happiness.
Klaus S.
When I first picked up this book I wasn't sure that I'd like it, or what to expect at all. This book is a large step out of my comfort zone of sci-fi and fantasy, but I'm pleased to report that it was fantastic. Ten Toes Down is fast paced with each adventure starting before our main character Sebastian, or even the reader, gets a chance to catch a breath after the last one ended. This book is a must read for guys everywhere, whether it be to commiserate with Sebastian and his friends, live vicariously through them, or even just think "Man, I'm glad I'm not like them." Regardless, you'll be sure to be laughing throughout. I found this book to be a quick read, but this is because when I picked it up I didn't put it down until my boss was glaring at me for reading at work, or my eyes were drooping and the words were blurring hours past my bedtime. I read the book on the bus, trains, streetcars and subways, and was very disappointed when I flipped to the last page.
Brendan
