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After This... An Inspirational Journey for All the Wrong Reasons Paperback – April 20, 2006
Catastrophic injuries.Immediate and total blindness.An innocent young life shattered at the hands of a drunk driver. This is an unforgettable account of turning tragedy into triumph. With heart wrenching honesty, humor and insight, Marcus Engel guides us on a path to self-discovery. This coming-of-age story will cause you to view obstacles as opportunities and discover that choices, not circumstances, determine ultimate happiness.
- GenresNonfiction
Unknown Binding
First published April 20, 2006
10 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Engel
11 books17 followersOfficial Biography
Marcus Engel is a bestselling author and speaker whose messages inspire, impact and influence audiences.
His powerful story is customized for each individual organization and always includes the basis of overcoming adversity, commitment to higher goals, honoring health care professionals and embracing the truly important aspects of life.
Marcus’ keynotes have been witnessed by tens of thousands of audience members including major Healthcare Institutions, Corporations, Faith Based Organizations and many of the country’s top rated Universities and Colleges. No matter where audience members are personally or professionally, there is something for everyone!
Marcus’ memoir, “After This…An Inspirational Journey for All the Wrong Reasons,” chronicles his amazing journey. As a college freshman, Marcus was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Through two years of rehab, over 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Marcus remained committed to his goal of recapturing life. This unforgettable story is the basis for “The Drop,” a multi-award winning short film, and is currently in development as a feature film.
Marcus’ other books include “The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care,” “I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Healthcare,” “Everyday Inspiration” and “Open” (an e- novelette written with Amy Glenn-Vega).
Institutions around the country, such as Columbia University, Clemson University, University of Central Florida, Missouri Baptist Hospital, and Wakemed Health continue to use Marcus’ books as required reading for students and health care professionals.
Marcus holds a B.S. in sociology from Missouri State University and an M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University, NYC. He lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife, Marvelyne and Seeing Eye dog, Garrett.
Marcus Engel is a bestselling author and speaker whose messages inspire, impact and influence audiences.
His powerful story is customized for each individual organization and always includes the basis of overcoming adversity, commitment to higher goals, honoring health care professionals and embracing the truly important aspects of life.
Marcus’ keynotes have been witnessed by tens of thousands of audience members including major Healthcare Institutions, Corporations, Faith Based Organizations and many of the country’s top rated Universities and Colleges. No matter where audience members are personally or professionally, there is something for everyone!
Marcus’ memoir, “After This…An Inspirational Journey for All the Wrong Reasons,” chronicles his amazing journey. As a college freshman, Marcus was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Through two years of rehab, over 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Marcus remained committed to his goal of recapturing life. This unforgettable story is the basis for “The Drop,” a multi-award winning short film, and is currently in development as a feature film.
Marcus’ other books include “The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care,” “I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Healthcare,” “Everyday Inspiration” and “Open” (an e- novelette written with Amy Glenn-Vega).
Institutions around the country, such as Columbia University, Clemson University, University of Central Florida, Missouri Baptist Hospital, and Wakemed Health continue to use Marcus’ books as required reading for students and health care professionals.
Marcus holds a B.S. in sociology from Missouri State University and an M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University, NYC. He lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife, Marvelyne and Seeing Eye dog, Garrett.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 17, 2017
This story of severe injury and resiliency is captivating and honest. Mr. Engel tells his story to keep the reader captivated and questioning: what next? I'm left with the emotion of wonder as to how a young man experienced devastation and demonstrated resiliency without harboring anger. If only everyone could capture enthusiasm for life as this author did, our world would be a much kinder and forgiving place.
Thank you, Mr. Engel for sharing your story so others can learn from your experience and recovery!
Thank you, Mr. Engel for sharing your story so others can learn from your experience and recovery!
May 14, 2017
Excellent story of a young man who went blind.
May 30, 2020
Very inspiring story. Worth the read
June 13, 2020
Inspirational
Quick read. Title says it all, sad but also motivational, uplifting, and inspiring. Everyone should be as positive as Mr. Engel.
Quick read. Title says it all, sad but also motivational, uplifting, and inspiring. Everyone should be as positive as Mr. Engel.
January 20, 2015
I hesitated picking up this book because I feared it was going to be a tale of a man blinded in a horrible accident preaching on how God saved him and how his readers can use God's love to conquer their own obstacles. While I am a Christian, I don't care for being told how to believe, and generally find such books more off-putting than inspirational. That said, I was completely wrong in my initial impression of the book and am glad I gave it a chance.
Engel was a college freshman when a speeding drunk driver plowed into the car in which Engel was a passenger, ejecting him from the car, and sending him into the pavement/asphalt/whatever face-first. While his legs were also injured and he got a nasty case of road rash on his butt, Engel's face took the brunt of the impact, breaking most of his facial bones and destroying his eyes. Early in his recovery, doctors had to place a breathing tube into Engel's throat, limiting his ability to communicate. Given the damage to his face, it was widely assumed his brain had taken a big hit too, and it wasn't until Engel was able to get the attention of someone to give him a pen and paper that he could prove his brain escaped the crash largely undamaged. Some of the notes he wrote during his time in the hospital are included in these chapters, and while they look scribbly, one has to figure that he was writing them laying down, while on painkillers, and without the benefit of sight to guide his writing across the page.
What I found most interesting about this portion of the book was the way he described his brain's efforts to rewire itself. I hadn't read many, if any, accounts of people who were blinded suddenly and traumatically, as opposed to being born impaired or slowly descending into blindness, so maybe such experiences are common. His hallucinations were very vivid, perhaps influenced by medication, but also likely efforts of the optic portions of the brain to create images of what was going on despite the sudden absence of input from the eyes. He also details his battles against insomnia and particular people who went out of their way to motivate his healing when he was feeling particularly hopeless.
His recovery continues with sections about his transfer to a school for the blind to learn how to 'be blind', obtaining his first Seeing Eye Dog, and accomplishment of his ultimate goal of returning to college. A recurring theme in the book was Engel's ability to surround himself with the right people at the right time, and these later sections highlight this well. In Denver at the school, he encounters two other young men learning to cope with their blindness who refuse to let it stand in their way of having a good time, as compared to the older students who seemed resigned to a future of disability and in need of coping strategies. While training with his dog, Engel meets an older man, also getting his first dog, who suffered a very similar injury on the same day of Engel's accident, a guy who clearly knew exactly what Engel had gone through, and they could find strength in knowing they weren't alone. Returning to college, Engel's injury gives him new thoughts on opinions he developed in the semester before the accident, particularly on fraternities and the true meaning of brotherhood.
Overall, I found it an enjoyable book, a fast read that covers a fairly short period of time, only about 4 years, but Engel packs a lot into the story of those 4 years. The inspiration in the title comes from words he was told in the hospital and song lyrics that particularly resonated with him that he has channeled into his true calling as a motivational speaker. Since it will be hard to top the day of the accident and subsequent pain on many levels as the 'worst thing ever' and he survived it, Engel chooses to make the most of the second chance he was given and show others that there is a future for everyone and roadblocks are merely challenges to overcome or means to redirect life down a new path.
Engel was a college freshman when a speeding drunk driver plowed into the car in which Engel was a passenger, ejecting him from the car, and sending him into the pavement/asphalt/whatever face-first. While his legs were also injured and he got a nasty case of road rash on his butt, Engel's face took the brunt of the impact, breaking most of his facial bones and destroying his eyes. Early in his recovery, doctors had to place a breathing tube into Engel's throat, limiting his ability to communicate. Given the damage to his face, it was widely assumed his brain had taken a big hit too, and it wasn't until Engel was able to get the attention of someone to give him a pen and paper that he could prove his brain escaped the crash largely undamaged. Some of the notes he wrote during his time in the hospital are included in these chapters, and while they look scribbly, one has to figure that he was writing them laying down, while on painkillers, and without the benefit of sight to guide his writing across the page.
What I found most interesting about this portion of the book was the way he described his brain's efforts to rewire itself. I hadn't read many, if any, accounts of people who were blinded suddenly and traumatically, as opposed to being born impaired or slowly descending into blindness, so maybe such experiences are common. His hallucinations were very vivid, perhaps influenced by medication, but also likely efforts of the optic portions of the brain to create images of what was going on despite the sudden absence of input from the eyes. He also details his battles against insomnia and particular people who went out of their way to motivate his healing when he was feeling particularly hopeless.
His recovery continues with sections about his transfer to a school for the blind to learn how to 'be blind', obtaining his first Seeing Eye Dog, and accomplishment of his ultimate goal of returning to college. A recurring theme in the book was Engel's ability to surround himself with the right people at the right time, and these later sections highlight this well. In Denver at the school, he encounters two other young men learning to cope with their blindness who refuse to let it stand in their way of having a good time, as compared to the older students who seemed resigned to a future of disability and in need of coping strategies. While training with his dog, Engel meets an older man, also getting his first dog, who suffered a very similar injury on the same day of Engel's accident, a guy who clearly knew exactly what Engel had gone through, and they could find strength in knowing they weren't alone. Returning to college, Engel's injury gives him new thoughts on opinions he developed in the semester before the accident, particularly on fraternities and the true meaning of brotherhood.
Overall, I found it an enjoyable book, a fast read that covers a fairly short period of time, only about 4 years, but Engel packs a lot into the story of those 4 years. The inspiration in the title comes from words he was told in the hospital and song lyrics that particularly resonated with him that he has channeled into his true calling as a motivational speaker. Since it will be hard to top the day of the accident and subsequent pain on many levels as the 'worst thing ever' and he survived it, Engel chooses to make the most of the second chance he was given and show others that there is a future for everyone and roadblocks are merely challenges to overcome or means to redirect life down a new path.
January 24, 2016
The message about inspiring yourself even through hard times is well put in this book. It's well-categorized as an inspirational book and not a memoir. I enjoyed the author's overall attitude and his experience is incredibly compelling. I read the book quickly and without difficulty. The best writing is through the accident and hospital scenes which I imagine was tough to write about and the author takes his time with getting the details right. I wished the book had been more of a memoir that went a little deeper tin some of the darker moments later after the hospital. Engel, I believe in an effort to keep the message positive, while honest about a few darker times, doesn't spend much time in description of those times and so they felt slightly glossed over. I think the book would have been more compelling if the author would have allowed himself time to revel in more of the details of some of the encounters so their depth was really felt. The pacing felt a bit rushed.
January 3, 2009
No spoilers conatined in this brief review:
I found this a compelling read. Mr. Engel's experience is unpleasant to say the least, but through it all, I felt a connection to him, his experience, and his attitude. I cannot say that we were dealt the same hand, but out strategies are similar. Including our mutual admiration for the Indigo Girls! I recommend this highly, and will be happy to loan my copy....
I found this a compelling read. Mr. Engel's experience is unpleasant to say the least, but through it all, I felt a connection to him, his experience, and his attitude. I cannot say that we were dealt the same hand, but out strategies are similar. Including our mutual admiration for the Indigo Girls! I recommend this highly, and will be happy to loan my copy....
June 21, 2011
Marc is my friend from Camp Mo-Val in Union, MO. He is from St. Louis, MO. I saw him and his seeing eye dog many summers while away at camp. This is his inspiring memoir about how he nearly died and lost his sight after he was hit by a drunk driver when he was 18. It is poorly edited, however, his incredible story supercedes any troubles you may encounter with misspellings and grammatical errors. Truly a delight about how the human spirit can conquer all.
August 30, 2012
I loved this book..Marcus' story was inspirational and gave me new ideas about life and it's value. After hearing him speak numerous times at DeSales University, I knew I had to read this..and it was well worth my time.
May 16, 2008
Inspirational what the human spirit can endure! This young man has quite a story and an attitude that seems to conquer all fear in his life.
June 18, 2012
Inspirational story about working through your low times to get to better times. I can't imagine having to go through what this man went through.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews