Life is Magic, Jon Dorenbos
Life is Magic, Jon Dorenbos
3 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Life is Magic
My Inspiring Journey from Tragedy to Self-Discovery

Author: Jon Dorenbos, Larry Platt

Narrator: Jon Dorenbos

Unabridged: 6 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/05/2019


Synopsis

“Jon Dorenbos is a magical person. Life Is Magic shows how we can all choose happiness in the face of overwhelming odds.” —Ellen DeGeneres

An extraordinary and empowering story of resilience, forgiveness, and living a life of purpose in the face of unfathomable obstacles.

You may know him as an NFL All-Pro or as a world-class magician who made the finals of America’s Got Talent, but Jon Dorenbos says that what he does is not who he is. He is someone who coached himself, at the most tender of ages, to turn tragedy to triumph.

One morning in August 1992, when Jon was twelve years old and living a seemingly idyllic childhood in suburban Seattle, he woke up for baseball camp. His dad waved goodbye. Later that day, Jon heard the news: his father had murdered his mother in the family’s three-car garage. In an instant, his life had shattered. He’d essentially been orphaned.

Thrust into foster care while his father stood trial for murder, Jon struggled. Left to himself, he discovered an unlikely escape performing magic tricks. If you found a way to alter your reality, after your dad—your hero—killed your mom, wouldn’t you cling to it too? Then came football, which provided a release for all of his pent-up anger. Together, magic and football saved him, leading to fourteen NFL seasons on the gridiron and raucous sleight of hand performances to packed houses across the globe. In 2017, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition leaving him with a choice. To either break down or—as he’d by now long taught himself—bounce back.

“Life Is Magic shows how we can all choose happiness in the face of overwhelming odds” (Ellen DeGeneres) and provides a roadmap for overcoming even the darkest of times. Jon’s story is poignant and powerful, told by a charismatic and optimistic man who has overcome life-or-death challenges with grace, persistence, a childlike sense of wonder…and jaw-dropping card tricks.

About Jon Dorenbos

Jon Dorenbos is a former professional football player, a celebrated magician, and a sought-after keynote and motivational speaker for Fortune 500 companies. A special-teams long snapper, he played fourteen seasons in the NFL, mainly for the Philadelphia Eagles, and appeared in the Pro Bowl twice. In his parallel career as a magician, he was a finalist on season 11 of America’s Got Talent and appears frequently on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He and his wife, Annalise, reside in Huntington Beach, California, with their child.


Reviews

While it was great to go through memory lane with many of Jon's middle and high school experiences, but ultimately I loved learning a valuable lesson about forgiveness and perseverance. This book was a wonderful reminder of why and how we can overcome even the most difficult situations. After recent......more

Goodreads review by Mj

I love this guy! I saw him on AGT doing his magic. I'm not a fan of magic but he had so much personality doing it and it was fantastic. Plus, being from Philly, I loved that he was an Eagle. Now, his personalty astounds me after having his father kill his mother when he was 12. I have to admit that......more

What a great story this is. Great reminder of how defeating self can bring so much peace to one's heart. Thank you Kind of the great reminders of what gratitude can do for us if When we remind ourselves, WE ALIVE! Thank you for being you .I lost my mother at the age of 14 to the disease of alcoholism......more

Goodreads review by Amy

Fantastic story! I was crying and laughing and sometimes in the same sentence. Jon’s story is not his life. He spends every waking moment creating his life with each thoughtful and exacting decision. He creates love, fosters passion and a zest for life that has made him a guy everyone wants to be ar......more