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The Pool Boy's Beatitude
In space, the expansion of the universe exceeds the speed of light. In a jail cell the speed of light slows, time ages and deteriorates slowly to a crawl. Jack Joseph understands physics. He understands the nature of quarks, leptons, dark matter and the desire to find the God particle. What Jack doesn't understand is Jack. He has a Masters degree in particle physics, an ex-wife, a sugar mama, a passion for cooking and chronic dependencies he needs to feed. He cleans pools to maintain this chaotic lifestyle. Spinning about in a Large Hadron Collider of his own making, the particle known as Jack is about to collide with a particle known as Sarah.
- GenresFiction
238 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2013
About the author
D.J. Swykert
10 books76 followersDJ Swykert is a former 911 operator, and wolf expert, living in Northern Kentucky, USA. His short fiction and poetry has been published in: The Tampa Review, Monarch Review, Sand Canyon Review, Zodiac Review, Scissors and Spackle, spittoon, Barbaric Yawp and BULL. His novel, Maggie Elizabeth Harrington, won a literary competition with The LitWest Group in Los Angeles in 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 2, 2017
Jack Joseph understands physics, but he doesn't understand himself. He knows he's an alcoholic. He knows he's self-destructing. He just can't help himself. He's got a Masters degree in Particle Physics but he works as a pool boy. He's married to Elle, but his drinking messed that up. He's having an affair with one of his married clients, but he won't stop because she keeps bailing him out (more like enabling his addiction). He's also in love with his new girlfriend Sarah, whom he keeps cheating on! He's a phenomenal cook, quite decent in bed, and charmer. Yet, he's failing at life.
The way I see it, he's tending so many pots that one's bound to boil over!!
As bad as Jack seemed on paper, there was so much depth to him that I couldn't help but like. He kept finding himself in stupid situations and made decisions that made each situation worse. While knowing that he was making it worse. He was utterly frustrating. Yet I understood it was all a part of this character's growth. We had to watch as he steadily fell to rock bottom. To me, this story was really about addiction and how it can terrorize the life of the addict and those around them.
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
POV: Male - 1st person
Steam: 1.5 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone
Publisher: Rebel Epublishers
The way I see it, he's tending so many pots that one's bound to boil over!!
As bad as Jack seemed on paper, there was so much depth to him that I couldn't help but like. He kept finding himself in stupid situations and made decisions that made each situation worse. While knowing that he was making it worse. He was utterly frustrating. Yet I understood it was all a part of this character's growth. We had to watch as he steadily fell to rock bottom. To me, this story was really about addiction and how it can terrorize the life of the addict and those around them.
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
POV: Male - 1st person
Steam: 1.5 out of 5
Book Type: Standalone
Publisher: Rebel Epublishers
September 29, 2017
I originally told D J Swykert I would review one of his other books, but he had this one hanging around and sent it instead. I am always game to try something different, so here we go.
Jack is a pretty poor excuse for a husband and a human being. He is an alcoholic, striving to reach the bottom…of the bottle. Breaking the promises he makes before he even gets them out of his mouth, he figures one little slip, one little drink, what does it matter if he jumps into bed with a client.
A man whore, but the women are just as bad, cheating on their husbands.
One thing we can say in his favor, he can cook up a great meal and loves doing it.
I just kept thinking, he’s a selfish dickwad bragging about how all the women love him, wanna fuck him and take care of him, whether he’s stumbling drunk, passing out and getting the shakes so bad he can’t even drink a cup of coffee.
Is it possible to redeem himself before I reach the end of the story?
He meets Sarah. He experiences love for the first time. Can she be his saving grace?
Once the Piper catches up to him and he is sent to jail, I become more interested.
If you have never known anyone with an addiction, this will give you insight into their behavior. How they will say and do anything to get what they want, what they need.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Pool Boy’s Beatitude by D J Swykert.
To see more visit fundinmental
Jack is a pretty poor excuse for a husband and a human being. He is an alcoholic, striving to reach the bottom…of the bottle. Breaking the promises he makes before he even gets them out of his mouth, he figures one little slip, one little drink, what does it matter if he jumps into bed with a client.
A man whore, but the women are just as bad, cheating on their husbands.
One thing we can say in his favor, he can cook up a great meal and loves doing it.
I just kept thinking, he’s a selfish dickwad bragging about how all the women love him, wanna fuck him and take care of him, whether he’s stumbling drunk, passing out and getting the shakes so bad he can’t even drink a cup of coffee.
Is it possible to redeem himself before I reach the end of the story?
He meets Sarah. He experiences love for the first time. Can she be his saving grace?
Once the Piper catches up to him and he is sent to jail, I become more interested.
If you have never known anyone with an addiction, this will give you insight into their behavior. How they will say and do anything to get what they want, what they need.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Pool Boy’s Beatitude by D J Swykert.
To see more visit fundinmental
January 5, 2015
You know those movies, shows, and books where you’re dreading the character arc because although something needs to happen to make the main character change, you’re also totally dreading it! Character arcs are always something that kicks the character in the teeth. It is that ONE thing that makes the character change. It’s normally a really good thing really but they always happen so horribly that it makes life harder in the moment but so great afterwards.
In this book, the main character, Jack, really does need this kick in the teeth. I like him but he makes the same mistakes over and over and OVER. Then he meets a gal and falls immediately into love.
Sigh… I hate insta-love. I really think this colored my perception of the book and of Jack. He’s brilliant and because of his brilliance he finds himself doing stuff that he hates himself for, until he sees Delilah and then all of that is over. Ugh.. The fact that he’s married and just doesn’t even look back at his wife doesn’t bug me (much) but the insta-love thing? Gross.
Instead of really getting that character arc that I was so desperately hoping for, he falls in love. It’s great and all but I really feel like Jack is a deeper character than this and I wanted more for him and from him.
The writing however, was really brilliant. I’m not an astrophysicist by any means but I love talking about math and physics. The portions where Jack was deep in thought were brilliant! And the ending was ok. I mean when the insta-love hit Swykert kind of lost me but overall it was worth reading just not something that I found myself being in love (ha pun there) with.
Received from the author for an honest review.
3.3/5
In this book, the main character, Jack, really does need this kick in the teeth. I like him but he makes the same mistakes over and over and OVER. Then he meets a gal and falls immediately into love.
Sigh… I hate insta-love. I really think this colored my perception of the book and of Jack. He’s brilliant and because of his brilliance he finds himself doing stuff that he hates himself for, until he sees Delilah and then all of that is over. Ugh.. The fact that he’s married and just doesn’t even look back at his wife doesn’t bug me (much) but the insta-love thing? Gross.
Instead of really getting that character arc that I was so desperately hoping for, he falls in love. It’s great and all but I really feel like Jack is a deeper character than this and I wanted more for him and from him.
The writing however, was really brilliant. I’m not an astrophysicist by any means but I love talking about math and physics. The portions where Jack was deep in thought were brilliant! And the ending was ok. I mean when the insta-love hit Swykert kind of lost me but overall it was worth reading just not something that I found myself being in love (ha pun there) with.
Received from the author for an honest review.
3.3/5
October 28, 2013
*I was given a copy of this book by the author, in exchange for an honest review*
Meet Jack Lee Joseph, he is a pool boy, an alcoholic, a poet, a lady’s man, and a college grad with a degree in Particle Physics. His is married to Elle, who is tired of him drinking, so she gives him an ultimatum; sober up or get out. Needless to say, the siren song of alcohol wins. He goes about his days in a down ward spiral of alcohol and pills, to function. He has several relationships with women he cleans pools for, as well as a special lady; Sarah. Sarah is his true love. But he hides things from her, he hides the secret relationship he has with a well connected lady, who has saved his ass more than once.
Jack is filled with unanswered questions, that need answers. Deep thinking questions, is the universe still expanding? Who are we? Do we really matter? To quiet the questions, he turns to drugs and alcohol. But this is NOT a depressing and dark book. Jack is a complex man, with a complex history and future that he sets.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. But Jack caught my heart and won me over. He is a well written character, I swear I know him! He must have cleaned my pool and filter and we talked. That’s how well he is written.
Meet Jack Lee Joseph, he is a pool boy, an alcoholic, a poet, a lady’s man, and a college grad with a degree in Particle Physics. His is married to Elle, who is tired of him drinking, so she gives him an ultimatum; sober up or get out. Needless to say, the siren song of alcohol wins. He goes about his days in a down ward spiral of alcohol and pills, to function. He has several relationships with women he cleans pools for, as well as a special lady; Sarah. Sarah is his true love. But he hides things from her, he hides the secret relationship he has with a well connected lady, who has saved his ass more than once.
Jack is filled with unanswered questions, that need answers. Deep thinking questions, is the universe still expanding? Who are we? Do we really matter? To quiet the questions, he turns to drugs and alcohol. But this is NOT a depressing and dark book. Jack is a complex man, with a complex history and future that he sets.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d like this book. But Jack caught my heart and won me over. He is a well written character, I swear I know him! He must have cleaned my pool and filter and we talked. That’s how well he is written.
December 6, 2014
Jack is an alcoholic, drug-using, womanizing, university dropout who stumbles through life by cleaning swimming pools.
This was an interesting story on a number of levels. Firstly, Mr. Swykert knows how to put words on a page. The writing is crisp and engaging. Which is a good thing, because the main character, Jack, needs all the help he can get. To say he’s not an easy character to like is to understate the obvious. He’s cheating on his wife, cheating on his girlfriend, and in general willing to cheat or lie about anything if it’ll lead to his next drink.
So, it’s quite an achievement to write a story told from this reprobate’s point of view and yet keep me engaged throughout. In a strange way, I was always rooting for Jack, but God knows he didn’t deserve my sympathy.
When I tell you that that the story spans only a few weeks of Jack’s life, you’ll understand that I spent most of the time inside Jack’s head. And I learned quite a lot about the mind of an addict in the process. Although his lifestyle was not to be admired, it made perfect sense.
All in all, an unusual and fascinating read.
This was an interesting story on a number of levels. Firstly, Mr. Swykert knows how to put words on a page. The writing is crisp and engaging. Which is a good thing, because the main character, Jack, needs all the help he can get. To say he’s not an easy character to like is to understate the obvious. He’s cheating on his wife, cheating on his girlfriend, and in general willing to cheat or lie about anything if it’ll lead to his next drink.
So, it’s quite an achievement to write a story told from this reprobate’s point of view and yet keep me engaged throughout. In a strange way, I was always rooting for Jack, but God knows he didn’t deserve my sympathy.
When I tell you that that the story spans only a few weeks of Jack’s life, you’ll understand that I spent most of the time inside Jack’s head. And I learned quite a lot about the mind of an addict in the process. Although his lifestyle was not to be admired, it made perfect sense.
All in all, an unusual and fascinating read.
August 25, 2013
When I started reading this book I didn't think I was going to like it. Jack Joseph is a pretty unsympathetic character at the start. He's functioning alcoholic, and despite being married appears to be providing sexual favours to most of the women on his pool cleaning round. He's also a failed astrophysicist keen to inflict his theories of the universe on the reader.
But when a falling out with his wife leads to a meeting with a new and attractive woman, and a drink driving offence raises the spectre of a spell in jail, he begins to realise what really matters in his life. The story becomes a study in the power of love to motivate change and you really begin to root for Jack as he tries to reinvent himself.
Criticism? The wife is dismissed rather too easily. I'd also recommend skipping the epilogue - which is a bit too happy-ever-after for my taste - and leaving what happens after the last chapter to your imagination.
Overall The Pool Boy's Beatitude is a different and thought provoking book and well worth a look.
But when a falling out with his wife leads to a meeting with a new and attractive woman, and a drink driving offence raises the spectre of a spell in jail, he begins to realise what really matters in his life. The story becomes a study in the power of love to motivate change and you really begin to root for Jack as he tries to reinvent himself.
Criticism? The wife is dismissed rather too easily. I'd also recommend skipping the epilogue - which is a bit too happy-ever-after for my taste - and leaving what happens after the last chapter to your imagination.
Overall The Pool Boy's Beatitude is a different and thought provoking book and well worth a look.
March 4, 2014
Jack Joesph a pool boy by trade with a Masters degree in particle physics, has a wife and a married girl friend, plus he's addicted to alcohol and Xanax! To make matters worse, when his wife kicks him out and threatens divorce, all he wants is his booze so he can feel good. He lays down in the yard and continues to drink then passes out to be awoken by two cops kicked his foot. Then Sarah from next door to his wife's apartment came to his aid. Jack juggles two married women as his wife goes through with divorce plans, only to get caught for a DUI that lands him in jail......
DJ Swykert pens a book that women will hate when they meet Jack the adulterer, but you can't help but want to smack him yet cheer when he finally falls in love and gets his act together!
DJ Swykert pens a book that women will hate when they meet Jack the adulterer, but you can't help but want to smack him yet cheer when he finally falls in love and gets his act together!
March 19, 2014
Review to come.
July 7, 2018
This amusing and disturbing story is about a drunk and drug-addicted man who finds redemption through love. His chaotic existence and frequent falls from grace are leavened with reflections on the uncertainty of life and the imbrication of coincidence and destiny. The second half of the book is particularly well done, describing experiences and characters that few readers will know about. There is a palpable tension to this part of the narrative, where the possibility of a new and different life rubs shoulders with the claims of the past and the dangers of the present. The novel is perhaps more of a man’s book than it is a woman’s. It treads a well-worn path through the inebriated male psyche via wry observations and an astonishingly potent libido. The ending feels rather cursory and abrupt and there is much repetition throughout. The central character is inexplicably a babe magnet and undoubtedly far more charming than he should be: most women would stay well away, even if he can cook a mean Cajun stew. Thus, this is a male fantasy of sorts, in which a certain kind of masculinity is unimpeded by addiction, where romance/sex beckons at every poolside, and driving while under the influence of alcohol doesn’t kill anyone.
October 19, 2017
“In space, the expansion of the universe exceeds the speed of light. In a jail cell the speed of light slows…” and the universe contracts. But in a super-large universe, small humans might be just as tiny as particles in a Hadron collider. Hence author D J Swykert’s novel of an existential scientist, aimlessly spinning ever faster till he meets his mirror particle.
The Pool Boy’s Beatitude convincingly portrays a life of entropy and mess, filled with the temptations of drink, drugs and sex, broken with the miseries of ruined relationships, and balanced on the needle of false hope. Somehow through it all the story is hopeful, positive, humorous and oddly enticing. The question is not so much will Jack survive as how will he survive, because surely, behind all this science, there has to be a truth worth living for.
A thinking man’s romance novel, The Pool Boy’s Beatitude creates a character you long to hate and makes you love him… and makes him love someone else… and makes it work. Collision—it’s inevitable. Enjoy.
Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I offer my honest review.
The Pool Boy’s Beatitude convincingly portrays a life of entropy and mess, filled with the temptations of drink, drugs and sex, broken with the miseries of ruined relationships, and balanced on the needle of false hope. Somehow through it all the story is hopeful, positive, humorous and oddly enticing. The question is not so much will Jack survive as how will he survive, because surely, behind all this science, there has to be a truth worth living for.
A thinking man’s romance novel, The Pool Boy’s Beatitude creates a character you long to hate and makes you love him… and makes him love someone else… and makes it work. Collision—it’s inevitable. Enjoy.
Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I offer my honest review.
March 31, 2018
Jack is a walking contradiction. He has a master's degree in particle physics, yet he works as a pool cleaner. He is married, yet has affairs with any woman willing to give him the time of day. He drinks and takes any drugs he can get his hands on. He's the type of guy you would run from in real life, yet in this book he is charming and likeable.
He takes a chance one time too many, and it lands him in jail for drunk driving. Fortunately one of his lady friends is rich enough to hire him a decent lawyer, and he gets minimal time in jail. Unfortunately, she is not his true love. That would be Sarah. Not his wife. She is named Elle.
I got dizzy trying to keep track of all his women. His one saving grace is that he is a good cook. He make delicious meals for Sarah. That's almost enough to redeem him in the reader's eyes. He's a charming scamp who refuses to grow up, and that is his charm.
By the end of the book, there is some hope for him.
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He takes a chance one time too many, and it lands him in jail for drunk driving. Fortunately one of his lady friends is rich enough to hire him a decent lawyer, and he gets minimal time in jail. Unfortunately, she is not his true love. That would be Sarah. Not his wife. She is named Elle.
I got dizzy trying to keep track of all his women. His one saving grace is that he is a good cook. He make delicious meals for Sarah. That's almost enough to redeem him in the reader's eyes. He's a charming scamp who refuses to grow up, and that is his charm.
By the end of the book, there is some hope for him.
My blog:
The Interstitial Reader
https://theinterstitialreader.wordpre...
July 17, 2018
When an alcoholic, young pool cleaner is struggling to hide the extent of his addiction from his wife while sleeping with multiple clients, he learns that his wife wants a divorce and he needs to figure out housing for himself.
Full Review On YouTube Here: https://youtu.be/FMeEZ92dJ-M
Pretty much at the same time, during a routine stop for running a yellow light, he gets a DUI and realizes he will be serving prison time since this is his second offense!
He has to come to terms with his addiction and get clean as well as decide whether he will be a kept man on the side by a pool cleaning client or start and try to keep a new relationship going, all while keeping them all oblivious to the chaos his life is.
The first person perspective gives you real insight into the lies that addicted people tell themselves as they destroy their lives!
Full Review On YouTube Here: https://youtu.be/FMeEZ92dJ-M
Pretty much at the same time, during a routine stop for running a yellow light, he gets a DUI and realizes he will be serving prison time since this is his second offense!
He has to come to terms with his addiction and get clean as well as decide whether he will be a kept man on the side by a pool cleaning client or start and try to keep a new relationship going, all while keeping them all oblivious to the chaos his life is.
The first person perspective gives you real insight into the lies that addicted people tell themselves as they destroy their lives!
July 16, 2018
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I got this book from the author. I was not sure how this would turn out, but Jack has a lot of issues and drinking and drugs are at the center. That is not all there is Elle does her best to support him but she wants to change him and he is not ready for that. Then he meets up with Sarah. She does change him but it is not as easy as just saying that. They had their problems as well, but how does it turn out? I will not tell but I did enjoy reading it. I have a cat too lol. Sorry could not help it.
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April 20, 2020I got this book from the author in turn for a review. It is a good story and is through the eyes of an addict/alcoholic. I love how the book shows Jack's struggles with addiction and his struggles in life his love life. If you are interested in a book like that this is the story for you
October 16, 2015
**I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
This book was not what I expected it to be, and I say that in a positive way. Jack Joseph is your atypical particle physicist turned pool boy and full-time alcoholic. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the universe and fully aware of the lack of definitive answers to any of the questions in life. This unnerves him to the point of becoming an alcoholic who part-time self-medicates with prescription drugs to quit his addiction. He is a man who is unable to hold an honest relationship, and ultimately a person who just does not understand who he really is. Then he meets Sarah, a woman who does to him what no one else has yet been able to do, she makes him want to change into better person. Through the course of this book we follow Jack, with an insider’s view of his life. Following an ex-physicist pool boy’s life might not sound very intriguing but trust me it is, and you have no idea what’s in store when you tag along with Jack Joseph.
The Pool Boy’s Beatitude is a very intelligent book, from the language to the subject matter to the science, psychology, and philosophy behind it. D.J. Swykert did an amazing job of weaving all these complex ideas together in a smart and entertaining manner. On a base level the book deals with what happens when you give up hope, but on a more complex level it tackles basic human needs, weaknesses, vices and love. Jack knows so much but what he doesn’t know are concrete, scientific answers to the universe and life, and he has a hard time dealing with this. He turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism and seems to sabotage himself over and over again as he struggles to come to terms with himself and reality. There is also a continuous, internal struggle of who is to blame for his actions. We see in him the alcoholic’s tendency to blame others and the world around them for their mistakes and actions, but we also see him blame himself and take responsibility for who he is and where his life has gone. The reader is witness to a man fighting with the good and bad inside himself, a struggle we each go through every day of our lives.
From the beginning I found this book to be reminiscent of Douglas Adams in terms of the style and the humor and intelligence behind it. It also reminded me of philosopher and author Albert Camus, who dealt a lot with coming to terms with the uncertainty and futility of life and how to deal with living. Where the first half of this book deals with Jack’s downfall at the hands of his questions, vices, and self-sabotage, the second half tackles his struggle to better himself, understand the things he can, and rebuild his life.
This book shows us is that not even the smartest people out there, the ones who understand the universe and space and physics, can fully understand themselves and life. It also shows us that it is okay not to understand everything, as long as we can understand what makes us happy. In Pool Boy’s Beatitude, Swykert focuses on human nature and our struggle and desire to understand the universe and ourselves. It is a very smart book and a very human book. I really enjoyed reading it, partly due to my love of the universe and philosophy, but also because it is a well-written and engaging book. It may not be for everyone but if you want a book that touches on deeply philosophical issues, challenges human behavior and our understanding of the world we think we know, then this book would definitely be for you. D.J. Swykert tells a story we can understand and created a character we can relate to. Jack is not a hero, in the heroic sense, and he is not perfect. He is human. He is a person doing the same thing everyone else in the world is doing, trying to be happy.
“I awake believing coincidence solves most problems, answers most questions. Most of science believes we are a cosmological accident and everything was created from an explosion of a primeval atom, a Big Bang, not a lick of which they can prove. This is what we do know: beyond any reasonable doubt our universe began, we are here. Prior to us being here there was nothing; during and after the beginning there was something. This is the state of cosmology, what we believe we know about creation. No wonder billions of us choose to pray.”
Check out this review and others on The Book Cafe
This book was not what I expected it to be, and I say that in a positive way. Jack Joseph is your atypical particle physicist turned pool boy and full-time alcoholic. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the universe and fully aware of the lack of definitive answers to any of the questions in life. This unnerves him to the point of becoming an alcoholic who part-time self-medicates with prescription drugs to quit his addiction. He is a man who is unable to hold an honest relationship, and ultimately a person who just does not understand who he really is. Then he meets Sarah, a woman who does to him what no one else has yet been able to do, she makes him want to change into better person. Through the course of this book we follow Jack, with an insider’s view of his life. Following an ex-physicist pool boy’s life might not sound very intriguing but trust me it is, and you have no idea what’s in store when you tag along with Jack Joseph.
The Pool Boy’s Beatitude is a very intelligent book, from the language to the subject matter to the science, psychology, and philosophy behind it. D.J. Swykert did an amazing job of weaving all these complex ideas together in a smart and entertaining manner. On a base level the book deals with what happens when you give up hope, but on a more complex level it tackles basic human needs, weaknesses, vices and love. Jack knows so much but what he doesn’t know are concrete, scientific answers to the universe and life, and he has a hard time dealing with this. He turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism and seems to sabotage himself over and over again as he struggles to come to terms with himself and reality. There is also a continuous, internal struggle of who is to blame for his actions. We see in him the alcoholic’s tendency to blame others and the world around them for their mistakes and actions, but we also see him blame himself and take responsibility for who he is and where his life has gone. The reader is witness to a man fighting with the good and bad inside himself, a struggle we each go through every day of our lives.
From the beginning I found this book to be reminiscent of Douglas Adams in terms of the style and the humor and intelligence behind it. It also reminded me of philosopher and author Albert Camus, who dealt a lot with coming to terms with the uncertainty and futility of life and how to deal with living. Where the first half of this book deals with Jack’s downfall at the hands of his questions, vices, and self-sabotage, the second half tackles his struggle to better himself, understand the things he can, and rebuild his life.
This book shows us is that not even the smartest people out there, the ones who understand the universe and space and physics, can fully understand themselves and life. It also shows us that it is okay not to understand everything, as long as we can understand what makes us happy. In Pool Boy’s Beatitude, Swykert focuses on human nature and our struggle and desire to understand the universe and ourselves. It is a very smart book and a very human book. I really enjoyed reading it, partly due to my love of the universe and philosophy, but also because it is a well-written and engaging book. It may not be for everyone but if you want a book that touches on deeply philosophical issues, challenges human behavior and our understanding of the world we think we know, then this book would definitely be for you. D.J. Swykert tells a story we can understand and created a character we can relate to. Jack is not a hero, in the heroic sense, and he is not perfect. He is human. He is a person doing the same thing everyone else in the world is doing, trying to be happy.
“I awake believing coincidence solves most problems, answers most questions. Most of science believes we are a cosmological accident and everything was created from an explosion of a primeval atom, a Big Bang, not a lick of which they can prove. This is what we do know: beyond any reasonable doubt our universe began, we are here. Prior to us being here there was nothing; during and after the beginning there was something. This is the state of cosmology, what we believe we know about creation. No wonder billions of us choose to pray.”
Check out this review and others on The Book Cafe
January 17, 2016
If you spent six years of your life in college in the quest to obtain an education only to find out that what you have been studying leads to the conclusion that nothing is permanent or knowable or that there is no end nor beginning, that all of what makes up your life is relative, would you be disillusioned? What would you do? Keep on seeking? Quit? This is the story of Jack Joseph, a budding scientist fresh out of school with a Master's Degree in particle physics. The Theory of Everything has let Jack down. He finds that you can learn as much from the bottom of a pool as from a a blackboard full of equations so he becomes a pool boy, cleaning pools in Detroit. Demons from his past--alcohol and drugs--plague him, destroy his marriage, and threaten to send him to the bottom of inhumanity, and prison. In the past there have been brief temporary stops, periods of abstaining from alcohol. These moments don't last and now Jack is out of control. His wife, Elle has thrown him out, he has nowhere to stay,he has not been sober in more than a week, and he's messing around with the wives of other men. Although he says he's not, he is a gigolo. He's Rosemary gigolo. He is a kept man who understands instinctively that there's more to life than being controlled by his urge to drink, party, and fuck. During all this, he meets Sarah who will show him, give him a reason to stop spinning out of control, and make his way back to a life of science. It is her love that sustains him through more dark moments. This is Jack's story and it might be yours.
D.J. Swykert's writing is compelling, imaginative, and real. The language, honest and raw, pulls no punches. Last night my husband and I were watching previews at movie theater while waiting for the movie, Star Wars to begin. At the end of one of the previews, the rating included a warning of some rude humor. That describes D.J. Swykert's writing. The story is entertaining but if you dislike profanity and in-your-face talk about sex, drinking, and relationships, this is not the book for you. Still, I challenge you to read The Pool Boy's Beatitude. It is a well-written, well-edited, nearly error free rationale for why it is a crime not to live life though in Jack's universe the question becomes does it mean living life responsibly as if others mattered?
The science of quantum mechanics, the universe, The Theory of Everything, particle physics is related in such a way to make the study of physics interesting and solely a province of geeks and nerds. Physics meats metaphysics. Swykert shows that both are the study of the universe (the 4 w's and the h (how)), the self (we are all made up atoms) and love (like time, a construct like most of what is in physics). The Pool Boy's Beatitude competes on the level of the hit tv series, The Big Bang Theory and Carl Sagan's theory of humans with lizard brains. It is that good. Equally good and disconcertingly real is Swykert's delving into the world of petty crime, the world spent inside courtrooms and county jails where most believes they are innocent, find "Jesus" and where crime like hiding and feeding addictions is more work than a 40-60 hour job could ever be. This choice, to work this hard at something that will likely land you in jail, probably prison, and possibly end in with an untimely death answers Jack's question whether addiction is choice of free will or the result of biology. It is choice as it violates the natural law that bodies at rest tend to remain at rest.
Blend D.J. Swykert and Michael Connelly into one author and the two sides of law and disorder meld into one coin. Read this book. You'll be entertained while you learn about the universe, science, and yourself, but be forewarned. Like when you go grocery shopping, eat first. Besides being an alcoholic, Jack is a gourmet cook; his Cajun-inspired creations (which led me to think at first, we're in New Orleans, not Detroit) are mouth-watering.
Copy provided by author in exchange for a honest review.
D.J. Swykert's writing is compelling, imaginative, and real. The language, honest and raw, pulls no punches. Last night my husband and I were watching previews at movie theater while waiting for the movie, Star Wars to begin. At the end of one of the previews, the rating included a warning of some rude humor. That describes D.J. Swykert's writing. The story is entertaining but if you dislike profanity and in-your-face talk about sex, drinking, and relationships, this is not the book for you. Still, I challenge you to read The Pool Boy's Beatitude. It is a well-written, well-edited, nearly error free rationale for why it is a crime not to live life though in Jack's universe the question becomes does it mean living life responsibly as if others mattered?
The science of quantum mechanics, the universe, The Theory of Everything, particle physics is related in such a way to make the study of physics interesting and solely a province of geeks and nerds. Physics meats metaphysics. Swykert shows that both are the study of the universe (the 4 w's and the h (how)), the self (we are all made up atoms) and love (like time, a construct like most of what is in physics). The Pool Boy's Beatitude competes on the level of the hit tv series, The Big Bang Theory and Carl Sagan's theory of humans with lizard brains. It is that good. Equally good and disconcertingly real is Swykert's delving into the world of petty crime, the world spent inside courtrooms and county jails where most believes they are innocent, find "Jesus" and where crime like hiding and feeding addictions is more work than a 40-60 hour job could ever be. This choice, to work this hard at something that will likely land you in jail, probably prison, and possibly end in with an untimely death answers Jack's question whether addiction is choice of free will or the result of biology. It is choice as it violates the natural law that bodies at rest tend to remain at rest.
Blend D.J. Swykert and Michael Connelly into one author and the two sides of law and disorder meld into one coin. Read this book. You'll be entertained while you learn about the universe, science, and yourself, but be forewarned. Like when you go grocery shopping, eat first. Besides being an alcoholic, Jack is a gourmet cook; his Cajun-inspired creations (which led me to think at first, we're in New Orleans, not Detroit) are mouth-watering.
Copy provided by author in exchange for a honest review.
January 6, 2017
A bizarre but entertaining book with a strangely likeable lead
Jack Joseph is a particle physicist, pool cleaner, womanizer, drug-addict and an alcoholic. When his wife Elle kicks him out for refusing to clean up his act, Jack only descends further into his chaotic lifestyle – until he meets Sarah, the one woman of the many in his life who might just be able to save him from himself. Jack vows to quit the booze and start a life with her, but unfortunately his previous poor choices means that he may be facing a jail sentence. As well as this, the unorthodox debt he owes to one of his female pool-cleaning customers may make settling down to an honest life with Sarah impossible.
This was a very strange book but also quite an interesting one. It is written from the perspective of Jack, a womanizer, alcoholic, liar, cheat and drug addict, who shouldn’t be a likeable character at all. However, almost annoyingly, he won me over with his cynical world view and deeply philosophical musings on the meaning of life, time and the universe, which made for interesting little asides in the story. His background of studying physics for 10 years did also make his life choices a little more understandable – if you discover that nothing is permanent or actually means anything, we may not even exist and life is all relative, it isn’t completely incomprehensible that you would reject morality and living an honest life in exchange for easily-obtained pleasures from booze, drugs and sex. The narrative was well written and flowed easily and many of the other characters were well-developed and interesting, although Jack himself was the most complex and I did find myself rooting for him to succeed (although he absolutely doesn’t deserve too) as I went through the book.
However, the story itself was far from perfect. I found the way that Jack fell instantly in love with Sarah and was instantly able to tackle all his problems through the desire to have a life with her to be very unrealistic and also out-of-character for someone who we know to be driven by addiction. Whilst the idea that he was ‘addicted’ to Sarah was conveyed, it just didn’t ring true for me, and I thought it unlikely that he would be able to resist the temptation of at least some of his many vices. The ending was also very abrupt and in my opinion, unrealistic – it’s hard to explain without giving the story away, but I don’t think things would have really turned out the way they were implied too. It is the lack of a real conclusion to Jack’s story that has made me rate this novel 3 instead of 4 stars – I was genuinely disappointed that the author hadn’t written a few more chapters to wrap things up better, as there was great potential for a better ending.
Overall, this was a good book with an excellently developed lead, but I found that the ending was a bit unsatisfying and some of the plot a little far-fetched. However, the author is a talented and engaging writer and although I was a bit sceptical of this story, I enjoyed it more than I expected I would.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
Jack Joseph is a particle physicist, pool cleaner, womanizer, drug-addict and an alcoholic. When his wife Elle kicks him out for refusing to clean up his act, Jack only descends further into his chaotic lifestyle – until he meets Sarah, the one woman of the many in his life who might just be able to save him from himself. Jack vows to quit the booze and start a life with her, but unfortunately his previous poor choices means that he may be facing a jail sentence. As well as this, the unorthodox debt he owes to one of his female pool-cleaning customers may make settling down to an honest life with Sarah impossible.
This was a very strange book but also quite an interesting one. It is written from the perspective of Jack, a womanizer, alcoholic, liar, cheat and drug addict, who shouldn’t be a likeable character at all. However, almost annoyingly, he won me over with his cynical world view and deeply philosophical musings on the meaning of life, time and the universe, which made for interesting little asides in the story. His background of studying physics for 10 years did also make his life choices a little more understandable – if you discover that nothing is permanent or actually means anything, we may not even exist and life is all relative, it isn’t completely incomprehensible that you would reject morality and living an honest life in exchange for easily-obtained pleasures from booze, drugs and sex. The narrative was well written and flowed easily and many of the other characters were well-developed and interesting, although Jack himself was the most complex and I did find myself rooting for him to succeed (although he absolutely doesn’t deserve too) as I went through the book.
However, the story itself was far from perfect. I found the way that Jack fell instantly in love with Sarah and was instantly able to tackle all his problems through the desire to have a life with her to be very unrealistic and also out-of-character for someone who we know to be driven by addiction. Whilst the idea that he was ‘addicted’ to Sarah was conveyed, it just didn’t ring true for me, and I thought it unlikely that he would be able to resist the temptation of at least some of his many vices. The ending was also very abrupt and in my opinion, unrealistic – it’s hard to explain without giving the story away, but I don’t think things would have really turned out the way they were implied too. It is the lack of a real conclusion to Jack’s story that has made me rate this novel 3 instead of 4 stars – I was genuinely disappointed that the author hadn’t written a few more chapters to wrap things up better, as there was great potential for a better ending.
Overall, this was a good book with an excellently developed lead, but I found that the ending was a bit unsatisfying and some of the plot a little far-fetched. However, the author is a talented and engaging writer and although I was a bit sceptical of this story, I enjoyed it more than I expected I would.
Daenerys
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.
August 21, 2015
* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review which follows. *
Jack Joseph is a conundrum. He possesses a Master’s degree in particle physics yet owns his own pool cleaning business. Jack appears to live within the constraints of his mind while pondering the dark matter of the universe. Jack even has high aspirations and would love to find the God particle, even though he dropped out of college when he found physics to be too tedious. You see, Jack just wants to live life his way.
However, all of the brilliance of Jack is dimmed with the way he chooses to perceive the world. Jack thinks that life is governed by random coincidences. To that effect, he lets his life spiral into chaos. With a failing marriage and a wife who wants a divorce, Jack slips into the black hole of alcoholism. Mix in casual sex with multiple clients and drugs to soothe the pain of too much alcohol, Jack continues his descent out of control in a controlled world.
After Jack’s wife Elle, kicks him out of the house, he finds solace with Rosemary, one of his clients who uses sex, alcohol, and drugs to manipulate him into her version of the perfect man. Jack in his randomness, allows the situation to proceed even though he realizes he has sold out his soul for this pitiful existence. Jack is polarized by his dependencies, unable to break free.
One drunken night, Jack meets Sarah. There is an immediate connection, something that Jack has never experienced before. Jack is smitten and when a DUI lands him in jail, he is forced to face his demons and reconcile his lifestyle to the lovely Sarah.
My Recommendation:
To me, Jack Joseph was a likable guy even though he had enough failings to make any woman run the other way. There was something about him that was intriguing and drew me to him. I found many of Jack’s viewpoints made me uncomfortable and most of his life choices were mind boggling. Although, that is what made me want to read more. I really wanted to figure this guy out and see what made him tick.
D. J. Swykert makes Jack a real person. Written in the first person, Swykert has Jack display credible addict tendencies that sometimes were shocking in their authenticity. I found myself wanting Jack to get better and to find his way through his addictive personality and lifestyle. Sometimes I felt his desperation and pain. Other times I wanted to kick him in the teeth for all of his stupidity. The next thing I knew, I liked the guy again because I finally realized, there is a little bit of Jack Joseph in all of us.
This was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a book that makes you think about the intricacies of life in general. The story moves along quickly and the dialog makes you feel like you are in the room overhearing the characters. You feel this story through Jack’s eyes, flaws and all. Jack really got under my skin!
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 4.5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 4
Overall Rate: 4.5
Jack Joseph is a conundrum. He possesses a Master’s degree in particle physics yet owns his own pool cleaning business. Jack appears to live within the constraints of his mind while pondering the dark matter of the universe. Jack even has high aspirations and would love to find the God particle, even though he dropped out of college when he found physics to be too tedious. You see, Jack just wants to live life his way.
However, all of the brilliance of Jack is dimmed with the way he chooses to perceive the world. Jack thinks that life is governed by random coincidences. To that effect, he lets his life spiral into chaos. With a failing marriage and a wife who wants a divorce, Jack slips into the black hole of alcoholism. Mix in casual sex with multiple clients and drugs to soothe the pain of too much alcohol, Jack continues his descent out of control in a controlled world.
After Jack’s wife Elle, kicks him out of the house, he finds solace with Rosemary, one of his clients who uses sex, alcohol, and drugs to manipulate him into her version of the perfect man. Jack in his randomness, allows the situation to proceed even though he realizes he has sold out his soul for this pitiful existence. Jack is polarized by his dependencies, unable to break free.
One drunken night, Jack meets Sarah. There is an immediate connection, something that Jack has never experienced before. Jack is smitten and when a DUI lands him in jail, he is forced to face his demons and reconcile his lifestyle to the lovely Sarah.
My Recommendation:
To me, Jack Joseph was a likable guy even though he had enough failings to make any woman run the other way. There was something about him that was intriguing and drew me to him. I found many of Jack’s viewpoints made me uncomfortable and most of his life choices were mind boggling. Although, that is what made me want to read more. I really wanted to figure this guy out and see what made him tick.
D. J. Swykert makes Jack a real person. Written in the first person, Swykert has Jack display credible addict tendencies that sometimes were shocking in their authenticity. I found myself wanting Jack to get better and to find his way through his addictive personality and lifestyle. Sometimes I felt his desperation and pain. Other times I wanted to kick him in the teeth for all of his stupidity. The next thing I knew, I liked the guy again because I finally realized, there is a little bit of Jack Joseph in all of us.
This was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a book that makes you think about the intricacies of life in general. The story moves along quickly and the dialog makes you feel like you are in the room overhearing the characters. You feel this story through Jack’s eyes, flaws and all. Jack really got under my skin!
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 4.5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 4
Overall Rate: 4.5
June 1, 2019
I went into this book, not really knowing what it would be about. I only knew that I liked the Author’s other books, so I was expecting to like this one too. The cover doesn’t give much away, I could see obviously the pool on the cover and the “physics equation”. Each chapter also starts in a similar way, which is good and different. ( E = {1} ) and so forth for each chapter.
The main character Jack Joseph is a physicist (by degree) and a pool cleaner by job. He also comes across as quite a philosopher to me. This part of the character shone out to me, as written by D J Swykert. His characters are always seemingly intelligient with their words, but not so by their actions. The majority of characters I have known by Swykert have been addicts of some kind. Jack Joseph is no different, an addict but with an interesting outlook on life. Within the first few pages, he is showing us his philosophies.
“I am not a being of my own choosing, but I am free to make choices for myself.”
Although Jack is an alcholic and a cheat, he is likable. I could kind of understand his actions. He has gotten himself in a difficult place and has to survive the best way he can. Some choices he makes are debateable and some make total sense.
What I also loved about Jack was that he was a passionate foodie. He loved to cook and eat good food. We see him buy some ingredients and make delicious sounding dishes. Not something that I would typically pair with an addict. But Jack isn’t your typical addict and that is what makes him so likeable and readable.
The book is more character driven that plot ( in my opinion). We follow Jack through his days, with the side line characters and the things Jack has to do to get by, the plot is good and I wasn’t sure which way Jack’s life would go.
After Jack has a chance meeting with Delilah (as he called her), his life may be about about to change. But he also has a Wife, a sugar mama and a dependancy with which he needs to satisfy. It was Jack’s state of mind and philosphies that made me enjoy this book so much.
Will Jack go to prison? Who will he end up with, or will he end up alone? You will need to read to find out.
There are so many great quotes I could give from Jack’s thoughts, but I will finish with this one.
“I’ve always thought the best attributes you can have as a person are empathy and compassion, if you feel these, and you feel them passionately enough that they direct your life, then you’re a pretty good person.”
But to see the other side of Jack:
“I like the world better when I’m high”.
Sometimes, I think a few carefully chosen quotes from a book says quite a lot about the characters.
I recieved a copy of the first edition by kindle. There is now a second edition available with this cover and was published in October 24th 2018 by Magic Masterminds
The main character Jack Joseph is a physicist (by degree) and a pool cleaner by job. He also comes across as quite a philosopher to me. This part of the character shone out to me, as written by D J Swykert. His characters are always seemingly intelligient with their words, but not so by their actions. The majority of characters I have known by Swykert have been addicts of some kind. Jack Joseph is no different, an addict but with an interesting outlook on life. Within the first few pages, he is showing us his philosophies.
“I am not a being of my own choosing, but I am free to make choices for myself.”
Although Jack is an alcholic and a cheat, he is likable. I could kind of understand his actions. He has gotten himself in a difficult place and has to survive the best way he can. Some choices he makes are debateable and some make total sense.
What I also loved about Jack was that he was a passionate foodie. He loved to cook and eat good food. We see him buy some ingredients and make delicious sounding dishes. Not something that I would typically pair with an addict. But Jack isn’t your typical addict and that is what makes him so likeable and readable.
The book is more character driven that plot ( in my opinion). We follow Jack through his days, with the side line characters and the things Jack has to do to get by, the plot is good and I wasn’t sure which way Jack’s life would go.
After Jack has a chance meeting with Delilah (as he called her), his life may be about about to change. But he also has a Wife, a sugar mama and a dependancy with which he needs to satisfy. It was Jack’s state of mind and philosphies that made me enjoy this book so much.
Will Jack go to prison? Who will he end up with, or will he end up alone? You will need to read to find out.
There are so many great quotes I could give from Jack’s thoughts, but I will finish with this one.
“I’ve always thought the best attributes you can have as a person are empathy and compassion, if you feel these, and you feel them passionately enough that they direct your life, then you’re a pretty good person.”
But to see the other side of Jack:
“I like the world better when I’m high”.
Sometimes, I think a few carefully chosen quotes from a book says quite a lot about the characters.
I recieved a copy of the first edition by kindle. There is now a second edition available with this cover and was published in October 24th 2018 by Magic Masterminds
June 22, 2015
The Pool Boy’s Beatitude
Jack Joseph is a mess. That’s all there is to it. He’s an alcoholic, a chronic skirt-chaser, and a semi-reluctant gigolo. He’s got a brilliant mind but works as a pool cleaner. He says, “I’m a toker, a smoker, and never in much of a hurry to do anything, in college since 1999 studying all kinds of things, plants, germs, books, music, art, bugs, stars, and numbers.”
He does a lot of philosophizing, some deep, some not, and Carl Sagan is his hero. When he began musing over accelerated particles in space-time, I was ready to put the book down. But I didn’t. I don’t do math and I don’t do science, but I do watch the Big Bang Theory. I survive that by tuning out in science-y stuff, and that’s what I did here. I skipped all the complicated stuff, which is probably not all that complicated for someone with a high school knowledge of the sciences, but, having gotten that out of the way, I think I fell a little bit in love with Jack Joseph.
In the beginning, I thought Jack was just another jerk who falls into a bucket of crap and emerges smelling like the proverbial rose—his wife throws him out, and he immediately meets the woman of his dreams. When he’s low on money, a wealthy customer/lover provides him with more than he needs.
I followed him from bed to bed, bar to bar, and to jail. My desire to throttle him gradually gave way to wanting to rescue him. Had he been unaware of either his failings or his potential, he would not have been nearly as appealing, and I would not have finished the book.
DJ Swykert does a beautiful job of balancing the multiple facets of Jack’s character. Just when my jerk-o-meter was ready to go off the charts, Jack did something sweet, or admitted to something unexpected, and there I was, back on the “Awwww” train.
The story moves quickly and the dialogue is crisp and realistic. There’s no romanticizing of alcoholics or drug-users, but neither is there any stereotypical criticism. The reader sees them as Jack sees them—just people. Very flawed, and very human.
The scenes from jail seem realistic, and the characters Jack finds there are finely drawn. His compassion for his cellmates further endeared him to me. His descriptions of the place evoked the despair of the men there, and his descriptions of the food ruined my appetite for a day after I read them.
What I didn’t expect was any kind of redemptive experience, and when his time in jail didn’t result in it, I thought I’d nailed it. Jack was a tragic character and would never change. I would finish the book expecting him to drink until his liver gave up, to continue his bed hopping and skirt-chasing. I was wrong.
In the end, it is a love story, and, even if a little too good to be true, still satisfying.
Jack Joseph is a mess. That’s all there is to it. He’s an alcoholic, a chronic skirt-chaser, and a semi-reluctant gigolo. He’s got a brilliant mind but works as a pool cleaner. He says, “I’m a toker, a smoker, and never in much of a hurry to do anything, in college since 1999 studying all kinds of things, plants, germs, books, music, art, bugs, stars, and numbers.”
He does a lot of philosophizing, some deep, some not, and Carl Sagan is his hero. When he began musing over accelerated particles in space-time, I was ready to put the book down. But I didn’t. I don’t do math and I don’t do science, but I do watch the Big Bang Theory. I survive that by tuning out in science-y stuff, and that’s what I did here. I skipped all the complicated stuff, which is probably not all that complicated for someone with a high school knowledge of the sciences, but, having gotten that out of the way, I think I fell a little bit in love with Jack Joseph.
In the beginning, I thought Jack was just another jerk who falls into a bucket of crap and emerges smelling like the proverbial rose—his wife throws him out, and he immediately meets the woman of his dreams. When he’s low on money, a wealthy customer/lover provides him with more than he needs.
I followed him from bed to bed, bar to bar, and to jail. My desire to throttle him gradually gave way to wanting to rescue him. Had he been unaware of either his failings or his potential, he would not have been nearly as appealing, and I would not have finished the book.
DJ Swykert does a beautiful job of balancing the multiple facets of Jack’s character. Just when my jerk-o-meter was ready to go off the charts, Jack did something sweet, or admitted to something unexpected, and there I was, back on the “Awwww” train.
The story moves quickly and the dialogue is crisp and realistic. There’s no romanticizing of alcoholics or drug-users, but neither is there any stereotypical criticism. The reader sees them as Jack sees them—just people. Very flawed, and very human.
The scenes from jail seem realistic, and the characters Jack finds there are finely drawn. His compassion for his cellmates further endeared him to me. His descriptions of the place evoked the despair of the men there, and his descriptions of the food ruined my appetite for a day after I read them.
What I didn’t expect was any kind of redemptive experience, and when his time in jail didn’t result in it, I thought I’d nailed it. Jack was a tragic character and would never change. I would finish the book expecting him to drink until his liver gave up, to continue his bed hopping and skirt-chasing. I was wrong.
In the end, it is a love story, and, even if a little too good to be true, still satisfying.
July 1, 2015
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Jack is a particle physicist; Jack is a pool boy; Jack is a lizard; Jack is a serial lover; Jack is an alcoholic drug addict; Jack don’t know crap about himself or real love … until Sarah.
Jack leads an unconventional life in Detroit, Michigan. He has a Master’s degree in Particle Physics and yet cleans pools. He has an ex-wife and a girlfriend that he discovers the depth of true love with while also being a ‘kept man’ by another woman. He has issues with alcohol and prescription drugs. Is any of this his doing? No and here is why …
I do not feel as if there was any conscious choice on my part to be who I am. There is no reason I am an alcoholic drug addict, I just am. I just became. It happened and I had nothing to say about it.
His struggle to live life the way he wishes is severely challenged when his wife throws him out of the house and refuses to reconsider their marriage. Jack begins to deteriorate until he finds Sarah. Sarah gives him hope of a better life, a reason to find himself and be the best. First, however he has to find his way out of a couple of sticky situations – jail, being a ‘kept man,’ and an alcoholic drug addict.
I enjoyed how DJ Swykert brought real life events into his story – Mayor Kwame, his wife, Manoogian Mansion and the politics surrounding Mayor Kwame’s life. The thinking pattern and actions of addicts is very realistically detailed as well.
Excellently written, I found myself beginning this book at 9 AM and finishing it by 5 PM because it captured my attention and held it. I wanted to see how far Jack would go, what would bring him down and whether he would dig himself out or sink down into the deepest darkest depths. Jack’s constant questioning reflects what most people ask themselves but when someone else answers his question:
“I don’t think you were ever meant to be anything but what you are, Jack.”
This offers insight into Jack and his life from a different perspective. A constant perspective in that nothing is his fault until his freedom is threatened and possibly losing his true love. Jack is forced to grow up and begin to make life changing, conscious decisions.
This is a great book, one that I would highly recommend. Swykert grabs you and keep you entrenched in the story until you finish it! The plot is well developed as are the characters.
WordsAPlenty gives this book a 5 star review.
Jack is a particle physicist; Jack is a pool boy; Jack is a lizard; Jack is a serial lover; Jack is an alcoholic drug addict; Jack don’t know crap about himself or real love … until Sarah.
Jack leads an unconventional life in Detroit, Michigan. He has a Master’s degree in Particle Physics and yet cleans pools. He has an ex-wife and a girlfriend that he discovers the depth of true love with while also being a ‘kept man’ by another woman. He has issues with alcohol and prescription drugs. Is any of this his doing? No and here is why …
I do not feel as if there was any conscious choice on my part to be who I am. There is no reason I am an alcoholic drug addict, I just am. I just became. It happened and I had nothing to say about it.
His struggle to live life the way he wishes is severely challenged when his wife throws him out of the house and refuses to reconsider their marriage. Jack begins to deteriorate until he finds Sarah. Sarah gives him hope of a better life, a reason to find himself and be the best. First, however he has to find his way out of a couple of sticky situations – jail, being a ‘kept man,’ and an alcoholic drug addict.
I enjoyed how DJ Swykert brought real life events into his story – Mayor Kwame, his wife, Manoogian Mansion and the politics surrounding Mayor Kwame’s life. The thinking pattern and actions of addicts is very realistically detailed as well.
Excellently written, I found myself beginning this book at 9 AM and finishing it by 5 PM because it captured my attention and held it. I wanted to see how far Jack would go, what would bring him down and whether he would dig himself out or sink down into the deepest darkest depths. Jack’s constant questioning reflects what most people ask themselves but when someone else answers his question:
“I don’t think you were ever meant to be anything but what you are, Jack.”
This offers insight into Jack and his life from a different perspective. A constant perspective in that nothing is his fault until his freedom is threatened and possibly losing his true love. Jack is forced to grow up and begin to make life changing, conscious decisions.
This is a great book, one that I would highly recommend. Swykert grabs you and keep you entrenched in the story until you finish it! The plot is well developed as are the characters.
WordsAPlenty gives this book a 5 star review.
April 10, 2015
Jack Joseph is the main protagonist who is a functioning alcoholic, womanizer, weed smoker, physics philosopher and swimming pool cleaner that holds a master’s degree in particle physics. His marriage is in turmoil due to his heavy drinking and broken promises to his wife who eventually kicks him out. Jack has a lot of emotional and financial worries going on in his life that he needs to clean up, but just like his physics states, everything is in a state of flux, decomposition and failure and he finds it hard to get motivated and address these issues until he meets Sarah...
After meeting Sarah, Jack begins to self medicate and runs down his own detox program and discovers love for the first time in his life beyond himself. He uses a mix of Xanax and Valium to wean himself off the alcohol. However, with his ex-wife filing for a divorce and his other girlfriend Rosemary, he finds himself caught up in a web of deceit he struggles to break free from. Jack makes a commitment to Sarah but still has an obligation to Rosemary who bailed his sorry arse out of jail and gave him cash and drugs with the possibility of a new home as she has friends in real estate.
With Rosemary, Jack crosses the threshold in to Rosemary’s abyss away from everything he said he wouldn’t step away from love, Sarah, an honest relationship, breaking free from his drug orbit and unhooking himself from his habits. No longer Rosemary’s pool boy and casual lover, he soon becomes her servant as she is his lifeline to drugs and Rosemary eventually becomes his benevolent, malevolent and benefactor.
Will Jack come clean to Sarah, who is his lifeline to his spirit and soul? Or will he revert back to his old habits? Or will he succeed for a change?
DJ Swykert successfully manages to create a great first person narrative that sucks the reader into Jacks world to such a degree it seems effortless which leads me to conclude that DJ Swykert is a master of an incredibly complex art that is conspicuously challenging to any author.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon
After meeting Sarah, Jack begins to self medicate and runs down his own detox program and discovers love for the first time in his life beyond himself. He uses a mix of Xanax and Valium to wean himself off the alcohol. However, with his ex-wife filing for a divorce and his other girlfriend Rosemary, he finds himself caught up in a web of deceit he struggles to break free from. Jack makes a commitment to Sarah but still has an obligation to Rosemary who bailed his sorry arse out of jail and gave him cash and drugs with the possibility of a new home as she has friends in real estate.
With Rosemary, Jack crosses the threshold in to Rosemary’s abyss away from everything he said he wouldn’t step away from love, Sarah, an honest relationship, breaking free from his drug orbit and unhooking himself from his habits. No longer Rosemary’s pool boy and casual lover, he soon becomes her servant as she is his lifeline to drugs and Rosemary eventually becomes his benevolent, malevolent and benefactor.
Will Jack come clean to Sarah, who is his lifeline to his spirit and soul? Or will he revert back to his old habits? Or will he succeed for a change?
DJ Swykert successfully manages to create a great first person narrative that sucks the reader into Jacks world to such a degree it seems effortless which leads me to conclude that DJ Swykert is a master of an incredibly complex art that is conspicuously challenging to any author.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon
May 25, 2016
The pursuit of higher education can be perceived as an accurate treatise on the human psyche. The lofty ambitions that accompany the designations that only higher learning can provide sometimes act as a shield towards having to live life and be subject to experiences that one just cannot get from books.
In "The Pool Boy's Beatitude" by DJ Swykert, we have such a character. Jack Joseph is so smart that his grasp of physics is second to none. But with such incredible intelligence comes the relentless burden of a loud mind. This loud mind is one that many people can relate to, with its incessant over-rationalization of things that often have no meaning at all.
And like many of those over-educated, Jack finds himself to be employed in a field totally unrelated to his educational background. In this case, he's working as a pool boy to the rich and famous, which has its own set of physics to learn. He's got his own set of complicated relationships, and this his own set of personal demons, but onwards he pushes through the terrain of the glamorous and the inferior brained.
The author has interestingly created a novel with not only an extremely realistic main characters, but a study on the pursuit of affirmations that sometimes just do not exist. It's a focussed piece that does not get lost in overly verbose descriptions of the rich. Instead, there's a tightness on the intellect of the one Jack Joseph as he navigates life with the burden of extreme brightness and the limitations of life choices.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com!
In "The Pool Boy's Beatitude" by DJ Swykert, we have such a character. Jack Joseph is so smart that his grasp of physics is second to none. But with such incredible intelligence comes the relentless burden of a loud mind. This loud mind is one that many people can relate to, with its incessant over-rationalization of things that often have no meaning at all.
And like many of those over-educated, Jack finds himself to be employed in a field totally unrelated to his educational background. In this case, he's working as a pool boy to the rich and famous, which has its own set of physics to learn. He's got his own set of complicated relationships, and this his own set of personal demons, but onwards he pushes through the terrain of the glamorous and the inferior brained.
The author has interestingly created a novel with not only an extremely realistic main characters, but a study on the pursuit of affirmations that sometimes just do not exist. It's a focussed piece that does not get lost in overly verbose descriptions of the rich. Instead, there's a tightness on the intellect of the one Jack Joseph as he navigates life with the burden of extreme brightness and the limitations of life choices.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com!
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March 5, 2016I was sent this free book by the author in exchange for an honest review
You can find more reviews at
http://behindthespine.blogspot.com
In this story the main character is Jack Lee Joseph. He is an alcoholic and flirtatious man with a knack for Particle Physics that cleans pools for a living. In the beginning he was married to a woman named Elle but because of the lack of keeping his promises to stop drinking after she clearly told him she would leave if he didn't become estranged. Then he meets Sarah and to him he finds what he needs.
I liked reading this story. There were moments that as a reader you could identify with. When you hit the bottom you are wondering how did it get so far out of hand and how can you get out of it. Alcoholism was just one of his problems but he used them as a filler just to feel good. You can't help but feel sorry for him. When he meets Sarah there is an instant connection and things start to look up.
The writing was really good. I liked how it flowed really well. For me it started off right to the point but at the same time it didn't feel rushed.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
Rating 4.5 Stars
Recommend? Yes
You can find more reviews at
http://behindthespine.blogspot.com
In this story the main character is Jack Lee Joseph. He is an alcoholic and flirtatious man with a knack for Particle Physics that cleans pools for a living. In the beginning he was married to a woman named Elle but because of the lack of keeping his promises to stop drinking after she clearly told him she would leave if he didn't become estranged. Then he meets Sarah and to him he finds what he needs.
I liked reading this story. There were moments that as a reader you could identify with. When you hit the bottom you are wondering how did it get so far out of hand and how can you get out of it. Alcoholism was just one of his problems but he used them as a filler just to feel good. You can't help but feel sorry for him. When he meets Sarah there is an instant connection and things start to look up.
The writing was really good. I liked how it flowed really well. For me it started off right to the point but at the same time it didn't feel rushed.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
Rating 4.5 Stars
Recommend? Yes
July 16, 2015
Too frequently new authors are overlooked in favour of the old staples and many are missing out on brilliant works. Don’t miss this one!
Jack, pool cleaner extraordinaire, and servicer of bored housewives, believes himself to be “cock of the walk”. He dropped out of College, considering his Physics studies tedious, is married to caring woman, and believes that he has no master - except perhaps for alcohol and drugs.
He manages to walk the tightrope between lad and stewbum, at least until his wife kicks him out, and he is caught DUI – again. Nowhere to live, no money for his habits, and a potential jail sentence hanging over his head, Jack prostitutes himself in an attempt to get out of his hole. Through the haze, he accidentally (or coincidentally) stumbles across a woman whom he feels true love. Will love conquer all and be the boost Jack needs to straighten up?
I can thoroughly recommend “The Pool Boy’s Beatitude” to anyone who loves a captivating read, challenging themes, and the promise of new love.
Jack, pool cleaner extraordinaire, and servicer of bored housewives, believes himself to be “cock of the walk”. He dropped out of College, considering his Physics studies tedious, is married to caring woman, and believes that he has no master - except perhaps for alcohol and drugs.
He manages to walk the tightrope between lad and stewbum, at least until his wife kicks him out, and he is caught DUI – again. Nowhere to live, no money for his habits, and a potential jail sentence hanging over his head, Jack prostitutes himself in an attempt to get out of his hole. Through the haze, he accidentally (or coincidentally) stumbles across a woman whom he feels true love. Will love conquer all and be the boost Jack needs to straighten up?
I can thoroughly recommend “The Pool Boy’s Beatitude” to anyone who loves a captivating read, challenging themes, and the promise of new love.
January 2, 2016
4.5 stars
"Given a long enough period of time,
not only is it possible for the impossible
to occur, but eventually it does.”
– Jack Joseph
Jack Joseph is caught between a rock (the chaos of his substance-fueled existence) and a hard place (the awareness that his life’s purpose is lost somewhere between universal truths and his daily choices.) While Jack is many things -- a philanderer and a pool cleaner with Master’s in physics – when we meet him he’s a full-time juggler trying to keep the increasingly slippery aspects of his life from hitting the ground -- women, customers, and the remnants of his dreams.
Jack is a chameleon – alternating between “manipulator” and “manipulated” in any given moment as he navigates through his daily life. And the people in Jack’s orbit? They alternate between waiting for him to change to just plain waiting for him. His wife Elle’s decision to stop the one-more-chance-dance changes the trajectory of Jack’s everyday life.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com!
"Given a long enough period of time,
not only is it possible for the impossible
to occur, but eventually it does.”
– Jack Joseph
Jack Joseph is caught between a rock (the chaos of his substance-fueled existence) and a hard place (the awareness that his life’s purpose is lost somewhere between universal truths and his daily choices.) While Jack is many things -- a philanderer and a pool cleaner with Master’s in physics – when we meet him he’s a full-time juggler trying to keep the increasingly slippery aspects of his life from hitting the ground -- women, customers, and the remnants of his dreams.
Jack is a chameleon – alternating between “manipulator” and “manipulated” in any given moment as he navigates through his daily life. And the people in Jack’s orbit? They alternate between waiting for him to change to just plain waiting for him. His wife Elle’s decision to stop the one-more-chance-dance changes the trajectory of Jack’s everyday life.
...read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)com!
January 7, 2016
Jack Joseph is a troubled man. He is a physicist who works as a pool boy. So right off we know that something isn’t right. Why is someone, who obviously is a smart man, working as a pool boy?
Jack is an alcoholic, but that is only one of his problems. The alcoholism ruins his marriage and a DUI lands him in jail. He has plenty of time to try to figure out where he went wrong.
They say you have to hit bottom before you are ready to change.
Alcohol, drugs, sex….none of them really helped him get what he wanted. They eased his physical cravings, but something was always missing. He just couldn’t put his finger on what that elusive something was.
His wife has had enough and kicks him out. With nowhere to go and no one to be with he falls into his usual pattern of drinking. It may not solve the problem, but he’ll feel better about it if he is drunk. Then he meets Sarah. There is an immediate connection. He wonders if she might be what’s been missing in his life.
This was an interesting read.
This book was given to be by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Jack is an alcoholic, but that is only one of his problems. The alcoholism ruins his marriage and a DUI lands him in jail. He has plenty of time to try to figure out where he went wrong.
They say you have to hit bottom before you are ready to change.
Alcohol, drugs, sex….none of them really helped him get what he wanted. They eased his physical cravings, but something was always missing. He just couldn’t put his finger on what that elusive something was.
His wife has had enough and kicks him out. With nowhere to go and no one to be with he falls into his usual pattern of drinking. It may not solve the problem, but he’ll feel better about it if he is drunk. Then he meets Sarah. There is an immediate connection. He wonders if she might be what’s been missing in his life.
This was an interesting read.
This book was given to be by the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2016
Review coming soon on the Collected Works blog!
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