The Story
Tommy Short never missed a call. But he almost missed himself.
In 2023, Tommy Short, keynote speaker and author, gave up his phone for a year.
He discovered that he wasn't just addicted to the device; he was addicted to the identity it allowed him to curate. To being in control. To the dopamine drips of notifications and likes.
To the illusion that he was important.
Tommy thought losing his phone would be the hard part.
He was wrong.
Told through a series of intimate letters to his two young daughters, The Call I Almost Missed is part memoir, part manifesto. In this deeply personal exploration of identity, fatherhood, marriage, faith, and the sacredness of slowing down, Tommy invites you into the year that remade him.
Poetic, piercing, and profoundly human, The Call I Almost Missed isn't about giving up your phone. It's about reclaiming your soul.
Author: Tommy Short
Publisher: Houndstooth Press
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 358
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781544551494
About the Author
Short, Tommy: - Speaker and writer Tommy Short focuses on helping high-performing leaders reclaim presence in a distracted world. A former Division I Men's College Basketball Referee, for nearly two decades he officiated elite-level games including Olympic training camps and nationally televised matchups. When he stepped away from his phone for 365 days, he confronted his deepest fears about identity, success, and faith. His story, with its raw honesty and life-changing insights, has resonated with executives, athletes, and parents alike.
Description
Tommy Short never missed a call. But he almost missed himself.
In 2023, Tommy Short, keynote speaker and author, gave up his phone for a year.
He discovered that he wasn't just addicted to the device; he was addicted to the identity it allowed him to curate. To being in control. To the dopamine drips of notifications and likes.
To the illusion that he was important.
Tommy thought losing his phone would be the hard part.
He was wrong.
Told through a series of intimate letters to his two young daughters, The Call I Almost Missed is part memoir, part manifesto. In this deeply personal exploration of identity, fatherhood, marriage, faith, and the sacredness of slowing down, Tommy invites you into the year that remade him.
Poetic, piercing, and profoundly human, The Call I Almost Missed isn't about giving up your phone. It's about reclaiming your soul.
Author: Tommy Short
Publisher: Houndstooth Press
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 358
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781544551494
About the Author
Short, Tommy: - Speaker and writer Tommy Short focuses on helping high-performing leaders reclaim presence in a distracted world. A former Division I Men's College Basketball Referee, for nearly two decades he officiated elite-level games including Olympic training camps and nationally televised matchups. When he stepped away from his phone for 365 days, he confronted his deepest fears about identity, success, and faith. His story, with its raw honesty and life-changing insights, has resonated with executives, athletes, and parents alike.
