The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
Product Description
A new story of common wisdom from the bestselling author of The Traveler’s Gift. Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses. Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. “Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely,” he says. “Don’t squander your words… More >>
The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
When Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers got ahold of all their reviewers to give them an opportunity to get review a book even if they already had one out to review, I was interested. What can I say? I’m a book lover.
The Noticer sounded like a very interesting book. I was eager to receive it and dig right in. The book starts off with a man, Andy, who lives under a pier and helps himself to people’s garages, if they leave them open, on cold nights. Jones is The Noticer. The one who gives others a little perspective. Sounds interesting, right?
Yeah. That’s what I thought too.
Andy has a little resentment towards God for putting him under a pier. Jones, in the attempt to give him some perspective, assures Andy he’s ‘not selling anything’ … and gives him three books to read. Books about other people.
When Jones started telling Andy that happy, enthusiastic, positive people are the ones people love to hang around and that one’s opportunities and encouragement come from people, so to get opportunities and encouragement one has to be positive, happy, and enthusiastic otherwise people won’t want to hang around you and things will get worse and worse …. I just couldn’t read any more.
Flipping through the book to see if maybe I had misunderstood some of the message being passed along, I see halfway through, the Lord is mentioned again. In a one-sentence prayer that wasn’t even serious. Literally, Jones was teasing when he said it. No other mention of the Lord. LOTS of historical figures (those were the books Jones were passing along), but not the ONE who truly matters.
Now I’m sure this book will get RAVE reviews. Afterall, this sort of thing is hugely popular right now (just look at the likes of Joel Osteen), but not in our house. All of our opportunities come from HIM, not people. All our encouragement and ANYTHING good comes from HIM, not people. Sure, people may be the vessels He chooses to use to get the message across …. but ultimately, HE is the source. And a book that says otherwise — even if it may seem harmless to some — I just can’t tolerate having having around me.
This book is published under the auspices of being a Christian life book and it is published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian Publisher. But, this book has nothing to do with God! If I could give it 0 stars, I would. I worry about how this book will affect what people think and what they will believe because of it. The premise of this book is that perspective is everything: essentially, what you think you will become. This is the theology that is preached by Joyce Meyers and Joel Osteen. It is also the theology that Hank Hanegraaf disects in detail as unbiblical in the updated version of Christianity in Crisis.
There is a belief out there called the health and wealth gospel–essentially that if we do what God wants us to, then we are promised a happy and good life–in fact, the very life we want. Nowhere in the Bible is such a promise made! In fact, Christ says this life is not going to be easy. And Sheila Walsh aptly puts it in her book Let Go that with Christ, life isn’t going to be easy, but it will be simpler–because we will understand that Christ is going to walk through the trials with us and give us the strength we need when we seek Him.
This book is written as a novel intended to share theology and ideas through a story. It is not a “how to” book. But, basically, I would not recommend it. There are far better books to spend your time reading that are sound in their theology and that will encourage you in your walk with the Lord. This one won’t. It will encourage you to walk through your life without God in the picture and encourage you that you can do it on your own.
I will mention that not only do I disagree with the ideas in this book, but it is poorly written. It is choppy and disjointed in the writing. It is hard to get a picture of what is going on in the story at times.
“The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective noticer” by Andy Andrews is a newly published book (April 2009) by Thomas Nelson Publishers. This story revolves around a mysterious old man named “Jones” who visits in a simple town, Orange Beach, Alabama. He mysteriously appears in people’s lives, at the right time – usually when their world seems to be crashing around them. He gives what he calls, “a little perspective”. This is how Jones explains himself:
“I am a noticer,” he said. It is my gift. While others may be able to sing or run fast, I notice thats that other people overlook. . . . I notice things about situations and people that produce perspective. That’s what most folks lack – perspective – a broader view. So I give them that broader view . . . and it allows them to regroup, take a breath, and begin their lives again.”
This 156 page book is a quick reading book, with a nice story, but it lacks a Biblical perspective – it lacks God. Being it is published by Thomas Nelson publishers and is labeled as a “self-help/personal growth” book, I expected depth, from a Biblical viewpoint, and this was not a basis of The Noticer. It is a power of “perspective” and personal achievements that people are making changes in their lives rather than dependence and life changes through God. There is the passing mention of prayer and faith, yet no leading to what this faith is.
If you are looking for a quick reading book, something to “self-help” yourself without God, then a person may make personal changes in his/her life. But it all comes down to what the foundation is. Is it you? Is it based on a person? Or is it God?
I give this book a 2 out of 5.
I do many book reviews and rarely do I leave a negative review. This is my first review as a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger and appreciate this opportunity.
Andy Andrew’s latest self-help book tells the story of Jones an enigmatic old man who has the gift of noticing things in other people’s lives. Based in small town America Jones, always seen with an old tan suitcase, transforms lives with his homely wisdom. With his gospel of perspective ( the lack of it is apparently the origin of all our problems !!!) he rescues marriages, lifts young men out of poverty, and generally makes everybody happy. A sort of an older version of Oprah with a suitcase. The book ends with Jones doing a disappearing act, leaving behind his suitcase and a letter inside urging his followers to carry on his good work.
My view of self-help books is that they are a waste of time, ink, and paper. Sadly the Noticer confirmed my opinion. Jones ‘wisdom’ is claptrap. Articulate, fine sounding, and almost persuasive, yes certainly, but claptrap nonetheless. On page 135 he informs us with the less than thrilling insight that the greatest success secret in existence is to be a person others like to be around. Wrong. People liked to be around Hitler in 1930s Germany but I don’t think he has been judged to be a success. In chapter four another Jones gem comes in the form of his solution to worry. In the world according to Jones (or should that be Andrews) only 8 percent of our worries are legitimate concerns and thus we concentrate on dealing with those and hey presto all anxiety is gone. Hogwash. See how the Jones formula works with the guy sitting in a cold, dark, prison cell awaiting execution in a few hours time.
This book described by Nancy Lopez as “the best book I have ever read” (presumably she doesn’t read much) is a collection of self-help strategies, none of which stand up to scrutiny. Do yourself a favour, give [...] and [...] a miss try out Moses, Solomon, David Paul, and Peter. They are in the Bible and they know what they are talking about, unlike Jones.
here is nothing I like more than to spend an evening (or a day) snuggled up with a good book. I appreciated the fact that this was an ‘easy read’. Each chapter focuses on a different person living or travelling through Orange Beach, Alabama. Each is impacted by a man named Jones. Jones seems to know personal things about each and how to fix the biggest problem in each life. As he counsels each, there is an individual moral lesson that shines through each chapter. Love languages, consequences, responsibility… these are some of the lessons that shine in this book.
I think it would be a good gift to place in a hospital room, waiting room, or to read on a plane or a trip. The only problem I had with the book is it does not mention or emphasize a relationship with Jesus Christ. For this reason, I would be careful who I gave or recommended this book to.