Book Review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews
There are a thousand way of painting a picture of selflessness. The Noticer is the story of Jones told from Andy’s point of view – one a ragged voice of older wisdom who can mysteriously can read people and speak wisdom into their lives. The other, a misdirected homeless kid. The story uses the best of well-established brushes and colors, such as the all-knowing sage and the classic “keep the fork because the best is yet to come”, to paint a portrait of one man who the lives of others by taking life slowly enough to notice the lives of others and the tact to speak wisely into their lives. The book manages to blend the genre of fiction and non-fiction by teaching good principles of relationship through an interesting narrative. By the end of the book Jones has touched dozens of lives saving people from divorce, bankruptcy, suicide, etc.
I love the idea of looking outside of ourselves and to encourage people. – Andy has even taken it a step further with the Noticer Project (http://www.thenoticerproject.com/ ) – He is encouraging people to notice people who have influenced their lives and thank them publically. I love the idea of empowering people to “counsel” others. The book serves the church well to encourage people to passively notice or actively hearing problems and then thinking creatively about helping them. People can help people – and few problems are so big or complex that a concerned person cannot help. Frankly, it’s not the kind of book that speaks to my learning style per se – and the information isn’t especially helpful to someone whose mission it to notice and help people. But I can’t be encouraged enough to notice and help people – so the book is a worthwhile, and enjoyable short read for me.
(I am a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program . )
