Mayflower Madam is the nickname given to Sydney Biddle Barrows by the tabloids after her arrest on prostitution related charges.

After the trial she collaborated with William Novak to write her story, the story of a woman who ran a successful and ethical escort agency in New York for five years.

With a very straightforward and honest style, her autobiography gives an account of her time in the sex industry without apology, and the further the book progresses, the clearer it becomes that there is no reason to be ashamed at all.

Having worked in the fashion industry and finding herself out of work at one point, a friend suggested answering phones at an escort agency. As time went on, she began to see that the owner was not operating ethically, and was not using good business sense either.

Sydney struck out with her friend to establish Cachet, an exclusive and expensive escort agency run professionally, with the girls' welfare in mind at all times.

From personal grooming to behaviour, Sydney, known as Sheila, coached the girls on how to behave as high class professionals. Remarkably intelligent given she says she never did an escort herself. She worked on two principles, that the client should be kept happy if in any way that was possible, but that it should never be at the expense of her girls.

While other escort agencies were making the girls wait weeks for cheque or credit card payments, if they were paid at all, she paid them on time. While others happily refunded or discounted at the girls' expense, she instituted the option to walk out of any booking they weren't happy with and still get paid.

Other agencies regularly lied about the height, weight, or attractiveness of their girls, she convinced her clients that she was honest by providing accurate descriptions and excellent follow-up.

Funnily enough, her techniques worked just as well in the escort industry as they had in the fashion industry and she was successful.

However, after five years of operation, with no links to police corruption, the mafia, drugs or any of the problems commonly believed to be part of the industry, she was arrested.

Overnight she became a tabloid hit, with stories about an alleged million-dollar prostitution ring running on the front page for weeks. In the end she pleaded guilty to one lesser charge of procuring and was free to go.

This is an interesting and unique perspective on the industry, from a woman with a business background who ran her agency exactly like a business, proving that it could be done without exploiting the girls.

In many ways it's like a how-to for escort operators, and anyone who has run a successful business will recognise the techniques she used. From the training of her escorts in the details of what was expected to the induction of new phone operators. Sydney's attention to detail and determination made her one of the best, and this is one of the most interesting books about the escort world I've read.