the Last Shot
Available Now
A raw and honest memoir about addiction, athletics, family, belonging, and the search for a life that no longer needs to be proven.
WHO THIS IS FOR
The Last Shot is for people in recovery, families affected by addiction, athletes and former athletes, coaches, high achievers who have tied their worth to performance, and anyone searching for identity, belonging, and purpose after loss.
WHAT YOU’ll FEEL
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Relieved
Your honesty may give them permission to admit, “I’m not the only one who has felt this way.”
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Hopeful
Your story shows that a life can be rebuilt, not perfectly, but honestly and meaningfully.
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Grateful
Some readers may feel thankful because your vulnerability gives language to something they have carried privately.
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Unsettled
The rawness may stir up memories or truths they have avoided in their own lives.
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Seen
Recognize parts of themselves in your shame, hiding, pressure, family wounds, or need to perform, even if their circumstances are different.
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Compassionate
Because you don’t write from self-pity or excuse-making, you may be able to feel tenderness for the younger version of you, and maybe for younger versions of themselves.
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Challenged
The book may quietly ask you to look at where they are still hiding, performing, numbing, or confusing usefulness with worth.
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Connected
Even if you don’t share my exact story, they may feel joined to the emotional truth underneath it: wanting to be loved, seen, forgiven, and useful.
WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK UNIQUE
It is not only a story about addiction or getting sober.
It gives readers a rare look at long-term recovery, not as perfection, but as honesty, steadiness, service, and presence practiced over time.
Quote from the book
For years I believed that achievement would finally answer the questions I carried about my worth. I chased approval through athletics, escaped through alcohol, and searched for belonging in places that could never provide it. Recovery eventually taught me that the life I was trying so hard to earn had been available all along. The real victory was never about winning. It was about learning to accept myself, show up for others, and build a life rooted in purpose rather than performance."
Reviews
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"While addiction is at the heart of the story, its message reaches way beyond that."
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"A deeply moving story that stays with you long after you finish it."
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"Anyone facing a difficult season of life will find strength in these pages."
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"Honest, vulnerable, and ultimately hopeful."
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"I could not put it down."
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"I read this book in one sitting."
Shows that recovery is about much more than not drinking. It is about learning how to live differently, tell the truth, repair what can be repaired, and stop believing our worth must be earned. This book gives readers a look at the long road of recovery, not just the crisis, but the decades of becoming more honest, present, and whole and what that represents. It also shows how addiction and pain can move through a family, and how recovery can begin to change that story for the next generation. More than anything, I hope it reminds people that we are not defined by our worst moments, and that a life can still be rebuilt with connection, purpose, and abundance.
Why This Book, Now
✺ Frequently asked questions ✺
5. What makes The Last Shot different from other recovery memoirs?
The book explores recovery through the lens of athletics, coaching, family dynamics, belonging, and the search for worth beyond achievement.
6. Is the book based on a true story?
Yes. The Last Shot is a memoir based on John Fleming's personal journey through addiction, recovery, coaching, family life, and personal growth.
7. Is there a companion workbook?
Yes. After the Last Shot expands on the themes of the memoir and helps readers apply its lessons to their own lives.
8. Is John available for speaking engagements?
Yes. John speaks to treatment centers, recovery organizations, schools, athletic programs, book clubs, and community groups on topics including recovery, resilience, identity, belonging, coaching, and personal growth.
1. What is The Last Shot about?
The Last Shot is a memoir about addiction, athletics, recovery, family, identity, and belonging. It explores how one man's journey through alcoholism and recovery ultimately became a search for purpose, self-worth, and abundance.
2. Is this book only for people struggling with addiction?
No. While addiction is part of the story, many readers connect with its themes of family, identity, achievement, belonging, resilience, and personal growth.
3. Who should read The Last Shot?
The book is for anyone navigating a major life transition, struggling with self-worth, rebuilding after adversity, or searching for greater purpose and meaning.
4. Is The Last Shot a sports memoir?
Partly. Athletics and coaching play important roles throughout the story, but the book is ultimately about identity, family, recovery, and personal transformation.