By OBBM Network Editorial Staff

Derived from an episode of Get on The Ark.

He suffered a severe injury, the pain echoing louder than any courtroom battle he had ever faced. That moment, raw and unforgiving, sparked the narrative that now drives Jeffrey Horelick’s memoir, An Unfulfilled Life, a book he describes as both a comedy and a chronicle of redemption.

From Caddy Shoes to the Courtroom

Horelick’s early years were shaped by the hustle of New York’s streets. While working as a caddy at the Garden City Hotel, he observed attorneys discussing cases, a sight that ignited his ambition to become a lawyer. “Being a caddy for other attorneys during work so I found their stories to be so fascinating that that was the reason I decided to go into law,” he recalled.

His parents, both college‑educated, reinforced a love of reading. His mother, an English literature major at NYU on a scholarship, filled their home with books, while his father’s pragmatic approach to problem‑solving complemented that literary influence. “If you read books on law, if you read books on science and medicine… do you imagine all the problems you could probably solve?” Horelick said, crediting his parents for the habit that would later fuel his voracious reading of roughly one hundred books a year.

A Family Legacy in Candy and Real Estate

Horelick’s family history reads like a cross‑generational business handbook. On his mother’s side, great‑grandfather Dave operated an installment loan business that morphed into a real‑estate empire in Brooklyn as credit cards emerged. “He would collect once a week… and he put other family members into this installment business when they arrived,” Horelick explained, noting how those early financial practices evolved into property ownership that was passed down through the generations.

His father’s side contributed a different flavor—literally. In the 1950s, his father handed out samples of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups at A&S stores, helping a modest Pennsylvania confectioner gain national traction. This effort eventually led Hershey to acquire HB Reese, integrating the brand into its own factories. The family later expanded into other sweets such as Charleston Chews, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, and the 1970s phenomenon Nerds, as well as Cry Baby Bubble Gum and Cry Baby Tears. “My father’s side’s family brought this interesting candy industry,” Horelick said, acknowledging the dual expectations that shaped his early career choices.

The 2015 Collapse and the Path to Recovery

After selling his candy‑industry business, Horelick’s life took a drastic turn when a fall down a flight of stairs in 2015 caused severe injuries to his right leg and lumbar spine. The accident forced him to confront physical limitations he had never imagined facing. In his memoir, he details the pain, the surgeries, and the long rehabilitation process that tested his resolve.

Prayer became a cornerstone of his healing. He described walking around his lake, speaking aloud to God, and interceding for a dear friend named Victoria. “I would walk around my lake in my backyard and I would pray and talk out loud to God,” he said, noting that the act of praying for others seemed to bring unexpected comfort to his own struggles.

Writing as a Means of Preservation

Motivated by a desire to honor his aging parents—his father is 90 and his mother 86—Horelick chose to write the memoir chronologically, beginning with his mother’s perspective because of her sharper memory of family lineage. He aimed to capture stories that might otherwise be lost, especially as many photographs from his father’s generation lacked identifying information.

“By writing this book, I’m hoping to keep alive for my son and future generations what I’ve been able to get from my father, plus mine, plus what my son experienced,” he explained, emphasizing the intergenerational purpose of his work.

From Review to Reputation

Beyond his own writing, Horelick has built a reputation as an avid reviewer. His review of his own book climbed to the top spot on a major platform, maintaining the number one position among roughly 4,000 reviewers. He also participates in product review programs, noting that while many products are satisfactory, he does not shy away from calling out subpar items, a practice he describes as an honest service to consumers.

His commitment to sharing knowledge extends to his personal life as a single father. His son, now 27, recently moved out, prompting Horelick to reflect, “It’s like Christmas every day here,” as he embraces the freedom and responsibility that come with that new chapter.

Through the lens of his memoir, Jeffrey Horelick offers a testament to resilience: the ability to rebuild after betrayal, loss, and physical injury, guided by faith, family legacy, and a relentless pursuit of learning.

The full episode of Get on The Ark is available on OBBM Network TV.