Alpha Male

The term alpha male comes from the social behavior of wolves, where the strong control and the weak submit. And this is very much what Alpha Male is about. The main sport of this novel, and the main arena in the fight for control and survival is the cutthroat world of commercial real estate in the fast lane of Los Angeles. At the beginning of the novel, Jack Kendrick gets fired from his job as sales manager for a high-power agency because he won't compromise his ethics. He lands on his feet and gets hired by another firm where a supposed subordinate--a selfish, sexy sales agent named Liz Peterson--has a rapid rise to power and wealth and is fast becoming a legend. The two get along and respect each other's talents, but a clash is inevitable, and when it comes it's over ethics, of which Liz has none. Alpha Male is full of wheeling, dealing, and intrigue. There are philosophical and ethical issues, such as the Hegelian search for truth and the struggle for a better world. And, like all good fiction, the issues are dependent on the characters. Jack has two especially strong and valuable allies: his son, Ian, and his wife, Lorna. Lorna supports Jack in his stand for truth while she shows him the power of love; Ian is the one to whom Jack must pass on his value system--even when that value system is not easy for him to understand.