Men Cry in the Dark

Great book! But to you people who put it down, you gotta do better than that. First of all, as far as your criticims of the GRAMMATICAL ERRORS in the book, people, you CAN NOT fault the author for that. If you know anything, you'd know that was the publisher's fault. That's like blaming Denzel Washington or Samuel Jackson for a poorly-written script or direction in a movie they acted in. If you had problems with the editing, voice that w/the publishing company (I believe Mr. Baisden addressed that with the publisher). The ONLY reason I could see anybody not liking this book, is perhaps they saw THEMSELVES portrayed, and sometimes we as humans don't like to see our negative sides. But the book was NOT all negative. Finally, someone published something w/4 positive brothas w/decent careers and not just "getting by." I know I may be rambling, but it just incenses me how we as Afr-Amers moan and whine about how we are portrayed in the media or books, and finally, someone comes along and does something positive----and we complain about how "unrealistic" or trash their product. Mr. Baisden, I commend you. Keep going, and I'm one brotha who'll be one of the first people in line to get your next book. I think "Maintenance Man" should be out about now, right? Peace black man.

It was wonderful to read a novel by a black man whose characters were well educated, financially secure and prominent within the community. I read this novel in 2 days. By choice, I read only novels by African American authors and Michael is up there with Terry McMillian and E. Lynn Harris. KUDOS

I thought this book was good in terms of revealing what men go through and think when it comes to relationships with women. As a black man, it's good to see another brother come out with our side of the story. I liked the characters and how he gave them their own individual identity. Mark's character was rather irritating, but not to the point of overshadowing the rest. I've had my won personal encounter with a Valerie myself, so that story line blows another myth out of the water. Good call, man. The ending was a definite eye opener. Something a lot of us brothers need to experience. Good work Mike! I've read some of the other reviews and all I have to say is it's rather contradictory for those who don't like the book speak of how too much emphasis is placed on color, material things, body size, education, etc., and then turn around and attack the writer personally as if what you've written was directed at them. It's one thing to say you don't agree with what the brother has written, but when you turn around and attack him in regards to child support and writing ability, maybe you need to check yourselves to see how YOU really feel about yourselves. Let's critique the content of the book; not that of the writer's personal life! Looking forward to the 'Maintenance Man', Mike. Keep doing what you're doing.

Men Cry In The Dark is a great book. I guess it is safe to say that it is the male version of Waiting To Exhale. I was really into this book, because when I started reading it, I did not want to put it down. Several places in the book were so funny. I laughed so hard tears were flowing. The book is about the relationships of four best friends, Derrick, Tony, Ben, and Mark. All of whom, despite their humble beginnings, became successful business men. They all had a great sense of family and frienship that I applaud. Men Cry In The Dark gave us insight to issues in which men are faced with such as interracial dating, single parenthood, and the JOB. Without giving information about this character, my hat goes off to Angela, Ms. Westside. She stood firm in what she believed. Read the book to see if you agree with that!

Sisters, wake up! This book is a definite must read. I've read a lot of the reviews here, and it seems to me that some of you can't handle the male point of view. Since this is a FICTIONAL story based on FICTIONAL people I decided to read it again to see if I missed something. I can't speak for everyone, and I'm not saying my opinion is right but like it or not here goes. For decades, women have been given theories and explainations about why men cheat by these so called relationship experts and professionals, and women have really bought into it. But nobody ever questioned the women's behavior. I didn't hear too many of us complaining when we turned out by the thousands to see 'Waiting to Exhale.' Now that a brother has come out to tell things from a man's perspective, everybody wants to cry foul. What he is saying is new and unfamiliar information, but just as valuable as ours. Not everyone enjoyed the book, but to attack the author personally shouldn't come into it. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very realistic, the story easy to follow, but it was also thought provoking, entertaining, and informative. The ending was perfect. Sisters, we all need to think like Angela. Short term pain is a lot easier to deal with than long term problems coupled with long term pain. Mark had a lot of issues, but in my opinion, he needed to learn to love and accept himself and let go of the past. I really admired Tony for going out of his way and sticking to his guns when it came down to dealing with Valerie. Some women can be just as bad as some men. And I really admired Tracey for sticking by her man, while taking care of her business too. Ben was a real sweetie. Too bad he couldn't be seen for more than just a 'nice guy.' As far as Vanessa goes, we need to keep our business concerning our men on the downlow. Derrick got what he deserved. I understood why he did what he did, but he was obviously used to doing this sort of thing and getting away with it. It was good to see that he acknowledged that he got what he deserved too. It would be nice to see if his character has applied what he learned from that experience in a future book (hint,hint!). Watch out men! There are some Angelas running around out there! As a black female who enjoys reading books penned by black authors, it's refreshing to see our brothers stepping up to the plate and writing books about themselves, and creating positive images of themselves in doing so. We can continue to argue, cry, and holler about the state of relationships between black men and women. But if we're going to talk, let's talk about EVERYONE'S shortcomings, and yes, men and women, we ALL have some faults and issues. One finger pointing the blame isn't going to resolve anything. You keep doing what you're doing, Michael. I'll always be a supporter of you, the rest of our black male authors, and black men in general, and I'm looking forward to 'The Maintenance Man.' And y