AMORALMAN

A True Story and Other Lies

By: Derek DelGaudio

Narrated by: Derek DelGaudio

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Truth and lies are two sides of the same coin. But who's flipping it? A thought-provoking and brilliantly entertaining work of nonfiction from one of the world's leading deceivers, the creator and star of the astonishing theater show and forthcoming film In & of Itself.

Derek DelGaudio believed he was a decent, honest man. But when irrefutable evidence to the contrary is found in an old journal, his memories are reawakened and Derek is forced to confront - and try to understand - his role in a significant act of deception from his past.

Using his youthful notebook entries as a road map, Derek embarks on a soulful, often funny, sometimes dark journey, retracing the path that led him to a world populated by charlatans, card cheats, and con artists. As stories are peeled away and artifices are revealed, Derek examines the mystery behind his father's vanishing act, the secret he inherited from his mother, the obsession he developed with sleight-of-hand that shaped his future, and the affinity he felt for the professional swindlers who taught him how to deceive others. And once he finds himself working as a crooked dealer in a big-money Hollywood card game, Derek begins to question his own sense of morality, and discovers that even a master of deception can find himself trapped inside an illusion.

AMORALMAN is a wildly engaging exploration of the fictions we live as truths. It is ultimately a book about the lies we tell ourselves and the realities we manufacture in others.

©2021 Derek Delgaudio (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

One of NPR's Best Books of the Year

"Every magician is, or wishes they were, masters of secrecy and deception. But what if you are a magician who doesn't want to deceive? Derek DelGaudio has given us a story about how and where we find truth, and he takes us through some very dark places to get there. We learn how a nice young man became a professional card cheat in a most dangerous game, we learn about magic, and about the shadows in Plato's Cave, about illusion and reality, until we finally discover that the book in and of itself is a magic trick - one that holds out the hope that we can all learn to walk out of the deceptive and cavernous darkness and into the light." (Neil Gaiman)

"The old hustler’s adage holds that 'the game is sold, never told' - meaning that anything you learn will cost you. AMORALMAN is a riveting ledger of one man’s education, a parable about the lines between grifters and marks, a moral man and an amoral one. Buy this book - it’s cheaper than not buying it." (Jelani Cobb)

“This is a book about honesty, deceit, and the short distance that lies between. It is a straightforward gaze at the blurry intersection of fact and fiction, and its revelations ultimately arouse suspicion about everything.” (Steve Martin)

Do yourself a favour and get it now

This book is a journey with Derek and yourself. I was captivated from start to finish and did the whole book in one sitting. I love that Derek is the one speaking. The inflection and emotion can be heard in each line. If you haven't seen In and Of Itself on Hulu i highly suggest watching that as well! An incredible book that should win book of the year.

Great Story

Although it felt short, that often means you left them wanting more. This is the case with Amoralman. I will say that if you have seen Derek's In & Of Itself, then this is a good companion piece to that story. You will have a lot of the same info you knew before, but with so much more depth. I still wanted more.

Absolutely a Must Read!!

This is a wonderfully told story, a performance for you ears and mind. A great addition to in & of itself.

so vital and compelling

personal and historical ride through a (another) world I knew nothing about. Listened straight through.

loved this so much

This story was captivating start to finish. no wasted words. Lovely, true. Or, "true?"

wonderful written

I started this book because I saw his show on hulu which if you haven't seen I would recommend also. This book was just as great as the stories in his show. He has a way of reeling you in and keeping you their through the whole journey.

a wonderful unique memoir

I hadn't heard of Derek DelGaudio until he was interviewed for this book, and I was struck by his story telling ability. This is a short memoir, really tightly focused on this weird time in his life he was a dealer working for a con man in LA. He doesn't touch on his success much later, or tell us anything about what he has become, and this book is much better for it.

Heartfelt sincere look into another world

First, this is a very interesting journey into a subculture that I didn't even know existed.
Second, although the author is not a professional voice actor, he does a great job of narrator. Normally, when I see the author is the narrator, I steer clear, but this is a worthy exception.
Third, the story Is fascinating and thought-provoking. I finished the book 2 weeks ago and I've thought about it often since I finished. To me that is a sign of a really good story. I highly recommend this book.

Absolutely Mind Blowing!

I was captivated from beginning to end. This was a great story that left me absolutely mind blown. Totally recommend it!

A gifted storyteller with other skills, too.

An insightful quest toward truth, filled with honest deceit towards himself, life and the universe.