Review: The Price of Dick by Dan Skinner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2014
“Now as a man is like this or like that, according as he acts and according as he behaves, so will he be; a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad; he becomes pure by pure deeds, bad by bad deeds; and here they say that a person consists of desires, and as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.” ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 7th Century BCKarma is a bit difficult to define, especially for those of us who think in terms of western philosophy, but the essence of it is that the Universe will balance itself out, one way or the other. Our actions, good or bad, affect not only us, but everyone around us and they will come back to us. Whether they enhance our lives or tear them apart, is directly determined by our contribution to the Universe. J.J. is a good man, not perfect, but a person with good intentions, a man who treats everyone as fairly as possible. When Dick crosses his path, J.J., in good faith, accepts his offer of friendship. Never could he have imagined the wickedness and havoc that Dick wreaks, not just in J.J.s life, but in everyone's with whom he comes into contact.J.J. has a disadvantage when it comes to understanding someone's true intentions. He's not had the nurturing that most of us have as a child, therefore, he's never learned how to love or trust with his whole heart. He's never experienced the deep, secure feeling of having someone have your back, at least not as an ordinary person has. His inter-personal relations, starting with his family, have been abusive, obscured, or warped in one way or another. When it comes to his association with Dick, he lets him set the parameters because he has no real sense of self. J.J. doesn't know what he can handle or not, and, maybe at one level or another, what he actually deserves. This mindset provides fertile ground for Dick's manipulative behavior, making it even easier to bend J.J. to his will. Dick keeps him confused; he dances circles around J.J.’s gullibility. Dick keeps him off balance, draws him in, and before J.J. knows it, he's in too deep to see his way out. By then, he's embarrassed and angry at himself, besides being hurt and feeling used. One thing Dick counts on about J.J. is his moral compass. Regardless of what Dick does, he's instilled in J.J. an, albeit misplaced, sense of loyalty, trusting that will keep J.J. hooked. There's no way to win with a person like that. Fortunately, the Universe's intentions begin to shift and put Alex into J.J.’s path. Alex becomes his nurturer, in body and in spirit, and helps J.J. see beyond the negativity and helps him find his inner peace; J.J. learns to shine his light brighter than ever before.At many points in the story, I wanted to tie a rock around Dick's ankle and throw him in the ocean, just to be rid of him. It's not a very enlightened attitude, but Dick is...well, a dick! At first I felt only anger and righteous indignation for the way he used J.J. Watching Dick insinuate himself into J.J.’s life was nothing less than excruciating. I had a difficult time getting through the first several chapters because it was so disturbing, but then I started to comprehend that, in actuality, Dick even believes his lies. He can't admit, even to himself that he is gay. He, in essence, is deluding himself as much, if not more, than anyone else in his life. As the story continues, Dick is slowly, but surely, destroying his own life, without any help at all. All the facades he puts up, all the games and deceptions are just as damaging to himself. When he gets to the point where he has to face his consequences, only then does he learn just how poorly he played his own game, fooling no one.This is a strong book with several important life lessons which Dan wove expertly into this real-life inspired tale. We've all had Dicks in our lives, people we aren't sure how to deal with, who infuriate and disgust us; who threaten to turn us inside out, but what's most important about a situation like that, is how we deal with them. As high-minded as it seems, people can only affect you as much as you let them. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a solid, thought-provoking, and often too close for comfort look at life. Thank you , Dan, for sharing your talent and your honest presentation of your own life experiences.Originally reviewed by Rainbow Book Reviews.