Please see below for
* Summary of the book
* Where to buy the book
* Book reviewsTREBLE DAMAGES
Through brilliance and ruthlessness, Jack Pressler becomes the top antitrust lawyer in the country. His many successes and dominating personality allow him to run his firm with an iron fist. His partners fear and admire him. He earns an eight-figure salary and becomes the first new name partner in the firm since the 19th Century.
Jack’s complex legal practice is explored at every angle, from his successes at law school and as a law clerk to his meteoric rise as an associate and his later dominance as a partner. As a fifth year associate, he discovers how a complex price-fixing scheme operates and argues a dispositive motion against the dean of the antitrust bar. As a young partner, he skillfully maneuvers among his colleagues to win major battles at partnership meetings. His numerous litigation victories bring him fame and fortune. Even when he suffers a rare defeat, Jack has the last word.
The book is dominated by Jack’s fascinating relationships with friends, family, colleagues and adversaries, and by his memorable experiences with them. Each of these characters leaves an indelible mark on Jack’s life and his interactions with each of them show a different aspect of Jack’s complex personality.
Jack’s one flaw transcends his entire life, ever since his early conflicts with his father. If someone tries to cross him, his ego causes him to react with a vengeance. When he is at the height of his success his mother warily asks whether he can finally let go of a slight. Jack tells her that he never will.
At the end, Jack is handling a case that he expects will result in great success. Damaging evidence, an ethical lapse, and his ego cause him to face losing everything. He is forced to confront issues that have plagued him his entire life, which leads to a surprise ending.
What helps make the book a fun read are its many colorful characters and interesting stories. Alex, his law school classmate from the Soviet Union, is sharp and witty, and every word he says has meaning. Liam, his colleague from law school until they are senior partners, is a burly first generation Irish American who calls him Jackie and becomes his long term best friend. Heather, the beautiful and brilliant woman from Mississippi, becomes his first great love until his ego ruins their relationship and causes a tragedy. Wendy, the beautiful daughter of the managing partner of Jack’s firm becomes his wife and the mother of his beloved son until her crass materialism and selfishness drive him away.
I intend to use one-third of the proceeds from the sale of the book to support three charities that are near and dear to my heart. The first is Big Brother Big Sister of the National Capital Area. I first started seeing Darold when he was a skinny 11 year old. He’s now a 55 year-old grandfather and I only get to see him a few times each year, but he’s still my Little Brother and I love him like the brother that I never had.
The second charity is the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation. When our dear friends lost their young son to cancer, they didn’t fault the medical care that he received, but they were dismayed that they received no support for the trauma that they faced. They formed the Foundation to provide education, advocacy, research and psycho-social support for children with cancer, their families, and medical personnel. Peter and Vicki have done heroic work on a shoe-string budget. I’d like them to have more to work with.
The third charity keeps me very busy every week. I have volunteered for four days each week for more than two years at Insight Memory Care Center, which provides specialized care, support and education for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments. I’ve never had so much fun in my life, and I’ve met extraordinary people whom I’ve gotten to know well and love as part of my extended family. Every time my wife picks me up at the end of the day I have a wide grin on my face and lots of stories to tell.
If you choose not to buy a copy of my book, I still hope that you will consider donating to these extraordinary charities. Thank you.
WHERE TO BUY THE BOOK
I’m pleased and amazed at how many book stores nationwide are offering my book for sale (you can even get the eBook in Australia.). It’s available at Hudson Booksellers, which sells books at airports, and at Walmart. I suspect that most stores won’t have the book in stock, which means that you will have to order it.
The book is priced at $7.95 for eBook, $17.95 for paperback, and $27 for hardcover. Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other smaller chains have the book, along with many individual bookstores.
There are many places that sell just eBooks where you can buy the book. In addition to the big chains, they include Draft2digital, Kobo, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio, Apple, and Baker and Taylor.
HIGH PRAISE FOR TREBLE DAMAGES
Jenny Delacruz
OnlineBookClub
4 out of 4 stars
Here’s a novel that will give you some hardcore lessons and realities in life. Treble Damages by David Elkind is an interesting story about a successful lawyer obsessed with victory.
I would suggest you read this book to be entertained by how this man climbed the ladder to success.
I like the storyline of the story. I also appreciate how the author introduces each character with brief but detailed background history. I also enjoyed how the author assembled the significant characters in Jack’s life, like his best friends, Alex and Liam, as well as his mother and his son. The narrative has some scenes that are not far from reality.
This is another review of this book after the revision. I am so honored to have a free copy of the revised, error-free version. I appreciate the author for responding and correcting the errors mentioned on the previous review. I already love the story and this time, it is an even more enjoyable and smooth read.
I would still recommend the book to readers who want to read books for diversion and entertainment. You may think of it as one of your television series that involves family, corporate jobs, betrayal, success, etc.
The book deserves a full 4 out of 4 star rating. Everything has been put together impeccably – from the storyline, the way the characters were introduced and how it is close to reality. It is an altogether gratifying read.****************
Diane Donovan
Midwest Book Review
Jack Pressler has spent his life building his reputation as the best antitrust lawyer in the country. In order to attain this position, he’s also honed a personal style of ruthless, heartless behavior that has earned him a reputation as both effective and frightening.
Treble Damages is a story not just of success gone awry, but anger management. The irony of rage’s redirection to successful professional circles and then it’s (perhaps inevitable) disintegration when Jack reveals the extent of this personality disorder will not be lost on readers who follow Jack from his father’s early messages to his latest conflicts.
David Elkind is especially adept at portraying confrontations that eventually force Jack to acknowledge his failings, adding strong supporting characters like fellow professional Heather, who confronts Jack’s attitude with a spunky assessment of her own. On the face of it, Treble Damages is a legal story about a lawyer’s challenging career. But this legal drama of successes and failures is driven by underlying emotional currents that ebb and flow in a satisfying manner to make connections between past experiences and lessons, present-day choices, and future consequences. This juxtaposition of emotional and professional change will satisfy readers of legal dramas and psychological growth alike.
Jack’s rationalisms for his behaviors and events, his anguish over his sound defeat on a key case, and his changing relationships all power a story that moves readers on many different levels.
From his moves to smaller-town Harrison back to Manhattan to his evolving relationships as his power grows, Jack exhibits a tight control over his workplace and himself which leads him to understand what the real root of the problem is, in a surprising conclusion.
Elkind’s Treble Damages will grab readers interested in legal processes, but also holds the power to educate and enlighten as they absorb Jack’s effective and ineffective approaches to life and law.
This moving tale, dually powered by emotion and legal process, belongs in any collection strong in psychological dramas and legal fiction.****************
Pikasho Deka
Readers’ Favorite
Author David L. Elkind tells a moving tale about a man consumed by anger and ego, which propels him toward a successful professional career in exchange for losing his humanity, bit by bit, and being driven by the sole purpose of winning at any cost. Jack is an absolutely riveting protagonist. He has layers of depth to his character, which get slowly peeled away as the narrative moves forward. Jack’s complex morals and his tendency to be an antagonist as well as a protagonist in the story make him fascinating to read. The fact that even with all his success, he still can’t let go of any slight to his person, real or imagined, speaks volumes about his massive ego. I highly recommend Treble Damages to readers who enjoy slice-of-life stories.
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James Campion Conway
Pubby
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
The writing was good and drew me in and along throughout the whole story. Recommended.
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Andrea Smith
Reedsy
Loved it! 😍
A legal thriller about a brilliant lawyer who triumphs in his career but continually falls short of personal glory due to his anger issues.
Elkind brings an intimate knowledge of anti-trust litigation to the courtroom scenes. And a devastating portrait of a vengeful man. He has a hard time suppressing his fault even though his best friend Liam points it out. David Elkind unlocks the links between his wrath and this setback that dooms his romantic relationships. Treble Damages takes the reader through his various life phases and his cases. It’s a fantastic glimpse into his downfall. Within a year Jack loses two people loved dearly. Readers discover a legal thriller with a strong angle on fury.
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