In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience [Paperback]

James Martin S.J. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

The story of one young man's remarkable journey from corporate America to the Society of Jesus. James Martin leads you from his Catholic childhood through his success and ultimate dissatisfaction with the business world, to his novitiate and profession of vows as a Jesuit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The finest book on religious vocation since Thomas Merton's "Secular Journal." -- Ron Hansen, author of "Mariette in Ecstasy"

Review

Praise for the first edition:

 

The finest book on finding religious vocation since Thomas Merton's Secular Journal.

(Hansen, Ron )

Praise for the first edition:

 

This engaging and entertaining book packs a double punch: the world of the Jesuits, which at first is unfamiliar if not downright mysterious, comes to seem a sane way of living in the world, while what we think of as the 'normal' world of corporate America is revealed as very strange indeed. James Martin has given us some savory food for thought.

(Norris, Kathleen )

Praise for the first edition:

 

From the Wharton Business School and a secure place in corporate America to a $35-a-month allowance and the insecurity of a life of faith. This may seem a precautionary tale of downward secular mobility, but as we follow James Martin through his life and Jesuit training, we find it is all about ascent—to God and to true happiness.

(Wilkes, Paul )

Praise for the first edition:

 

The story of James Martin's 'fast track' from GE to the Jesuits is confirmation, if any were needed, that God has a sense of humor. The pursuit of happiness is ultimately inseparable from the call to holiness. Martin has written a Seven Storey Mountain for a new generation of seekers.

(Ellsberg, Robert )

In Good Company tells this seeker's powerful story with humor and grace. The book's gems of wisdom will appeal to anyone seeking meaning in daily life. Fast-paced, compelling, and often humorous, his story offers a fresh, inside look at corporate America, the Jesuit vocation, and the human quest for a life well-lived. (Jesuits Of The Missouri and New Orleans Province )

Martin is both a natural storyteller and a self-effacing fellow, and he pairs that to fine effect in this honest and accessible story. (The Philadelphia Inquirer )

For all those considering a vocation, or needing a reminder about the vocation they chose, Father Martin's journey towards 'seeing life whole' is well worth traveling. (The Tablet, (London) )

An engaging account of his journey from successful businessman to vowed Jesuit . . . inviting, sane, grateful and gracious. (Ruddy, Christopher )

Martin here presents a lively narrative of how he, a yuppie in the corporate world, found riches of a different kind by joining the Society of Jesus. A consummate raconteur with a keen eye for detail, Martin carries the reader along with his vivid prose and his ebullient humor. It's a book for just about everyone who can read. (Dulles, Avery Cardinal S.J. )

Martin has a frank, straightforward style reminiscent of the young Thomas Merton, but just a bit more polished....If you know nothing about prayer and a life of service, you can find it all in this unstuffy, unselfconscious book. And if you know everything about prayer and a life of service, you will start over at the beginning and learn it all again. (Griffin, Emilie ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Sheed & Ward (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580510817
• ISBN-13: 978-1580510813
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, culture editor of America magazine, and author of numerous books, including My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, Fresh Air, The O'Reilly Factor, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe, and on the History Channel, BBC, and Vatican Radio. Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hey! That priest used to work in the cubicle next to mine!, October 11, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience (Paperback)

If you're like most laypeople, you probably regard priests with a combination of awe, admiration and more than a little suspicion (just what are you running away from?). James Martin's moving vocation story ultimately reveals that his decision to leave a high-powered job at the height of his young yuppie-dom was not running away from life, but running towards his heart's undeniable desire.

Funny, wry, and (in this day and age, dare one say?) inspirational, Father Martin's book puts a contemporary spin on the ageless miracle of a calling to the religious life. His gradual and (even to him) astonishing discernment of his life's true course is movingly revealed, while a supporting cast of family members, friends and co-workers provide insight and levity sometimes more suited to a snarky Greek chorus or an episode of "Seinfeld" than a book that's already being compared to Thomas Merton's.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to "give it all up" and find yourself in the process, Father Martin can tell you.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GE whiz, this was a terrific book!, November 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience (Paperback)

Father Martin has written a book that will appeal not just to those contemplating a religious vocation, but to anyone who has sought to find a higher meaning in their lives. I found myself incredibly moved by his story -- while laughing out loud -- as he vividly described his journey from the ivy covered walls of Wharton to the starched shirt corridors of GE Capital to the slums of Jamaica.

A terrific book!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEFORE HR MANAGEMENT, THERE WAS IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, March 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience (Paperback)

This is one great book. Who would believe that a charter member of America's corporate culture with the gold rolex, the rep tie and the ray bans to prove it could do such a total about face and accept the calling to become a Jesuit priest bound by iron vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience? And yet, no lie, this is what this book is all about. Martin is simply magnificent in he way he draws the contrast between his old corporate life as a human resources executive with General Electric and his new life as a Jesuit novice. The descriptions of GE in the merger mania, downsizing, and frenzy of the 1980's are vivid and by turns frightening and amusing to say the least. His descriptions of his spiritual journey are candid and self-deprecating. However, the old habits die hard. Martin's writing is brisk and spare like the memos in the business world he left behind. The meandering intellectualization and name-dropping of somebody like Thomas Merton is clearly absent here. I intend to read any other books by Martin I can find.