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 or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure…and they matter forever."
Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it.
Like The Traveler's Gift, The Noticer is a unique narrative is a blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration. Gifted storyteller Andy Andrews helps us see how becoming a "noticer" just might change a person's life forever.
What could this one man possibly have to say that is important enough for the Commander of the Allied Air Forces to ask his help? Why did every senior leader the United States Air Force has in Europe and the Middle East recently assemble in one room at one time to hear him speak?
Who is this man, that he would walk the golf course with Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez as she played her last tournament as a touring professional? Why was he invited to spend an afternoon with General Norman Schwarzkopf and his son, who was about to depart for college? What would he be asked to discuss with a ninety-one-year-old Bob Hope alone by the swimming pool in the entertainer's back yard?
Hailed by a New York Times writer as a 'modern-day Will Rogers who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America,' Andy Andrews is an internationally known speaker and novelist whose combined works have sold millions of copies worldwide. He has been received at the White House and has spoken at the request of four different United States presidents.
Andrews'best-selling book, The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success, is an international sensation, remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for four and a half months and being translated into nearly twenty languages. Featured on ABC's Good Morning America as a book-of-the-month selection, The Traveler's Gift is the stunning story of one man's search for meaning and success in life by traveling back into time and conversing with seven historic individuals. Its message of hope, faith, and perseverance is transforming thousands of lives worldwide every day, spawning a teen version, The Young Traveler's Gift; The Traveler's Gift Journal; a home study audio program, Timeless Wisdom from the Traveler; and life-study curriculum's in high schools, mental-health organizations, and prisons nationwide.
Andrews lived a relatively normal life until the age of nineteen, when both his parents died, his mother from cancer, his father in an automobile accident. 'I took a bad situation and made it much worse,' Andrews says with a rueful smile, referring to choices he made during this tragic period of his life. Within a span of several years, the young man found himself literally homeless (before that was even a word!' he says), sleeping occasionally under a pier on the gulf coast or in someone's garage.
It was at that time when Andrews asked the question that would focus his search for what would ultimately affect millions of people. The question? 'Is life just a lottery ticket, or are there choices one can make to direct his future?' To find the answer, he first went to the library. There, over time, he read more than two hundred biographies of great men and women. How did they become the people they were? he wondered. Were they simply born this way? Or were there decisions made at critical junctures in their lives that led to such success? The young Andrews finally determined that there were seven characteristics that each person had in common. 'What will happen,' he mused, 'if I study these seven common denominators and harness them in my own life?
The rest is history. 'The Seven Decisions,' as he calls them, were the engines used to carry Andrews' life in a different direction. And twenty-plus years later, these same Seven Decisions became the outline around which he built the story of The Traveler's Gift and the basis of his PBS Special.
- Andy's Latest Work -
Since the success of The Traveler's Gift and Mastering the Seven Decisions, Andrews has released an array of well-received literature, including the New York Times bestseller The Noticer. Offering a fresh and insightful perspective on how people can change their view of the world, and their place within it, The Noticer has succeeded tremendously in furthering Andrews' prevailing message of finding hope in the face of adversity. Based on the remarkable true story of Andrews' own life, the book teaches its readers that, "Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective."
Released in the same year, Return to Sawyerton Springs features Andrews' trademark wit and humor as he weaves tales around an enchanting town that can be found in the hearts of those who long to take a deep breath, relax, and find time for the humor and meaning in everyday life. "I dare you to read the first chapter aloud to a friend and not fall on the floor laughing," said Mark Victor Hansen, creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. By reflecting on the seemingly ordinary aspects of everyday life, Andrews reveals them for what they truly are--extraordinary aspects of something much greater.
Released in 2010, The Heart Mender has created a stir in literary circles. Elegantly blending a riveting story, extensive research, and a powerful message of hope, the novel is a true adventure set against the warm waters and white sand of the America's Gulf of Mexico during World War II. Lieutenant Josef Landermann is a German U-Boat officer betrayed and left for dead. When he washes ashore in a sleepy coastal town, he looks to a young war widow for survival. Robert Silvers, executive publisher of The Saturday Evening Post calls The Heart Mender an "unforgettable experience."
2010 also saw the release of two more books, The Butterfly Effect, a book exploring a scientific theory based on physics within the context of our own lives, and The Boy Who Changed the World, Andrews' first children's book. The Butterfly Effect shows readers that every action, however big or small, matters. Andrews accomplishes this by introducing historical examples that illustrate how one person can set off a spark that, in turn, ignites the lives of unforeseen others.
The Boy Who Changed the World illustrates this same principle to children, enabling them to see how they can have a meaningful impact on the world around them. It is full of vibrant, full-page illustrations by Philip Hurst and chronicles the true story of the young Norman Borlaug--the boy who grew up to change the world. Children will be delighted by the illustrations and excited by the story as they learn that they too can change the world, just like Norman.
On April 12, 2011, The Final Summit, the long-awaited follow-up to The Traveler's Gift, was released. The Final Summit finds David Ponder, the hero of The Traveler's Gift, at a completely different time in his life. Now older--and with the wisdom of the Seven Decisions he discovered in The Traveler's Gift--David Ponder and a cast of historic figures have been charged with the task of discovering the one principle that will save all of humanity from dire consequences. And the answer they seek is only two words.
Andrews' latest book and New York Times Bestseller, How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, arose from a question Andrews asked himself several years ago: Where do we being to find common ground in regard to what we want (or don't want) for the future of America? From the question came a challenge: Is it possible to write something that doesn't use the words Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, yet conveys a message with which everyone could agree? Can it be written in a concise fashion allowing anyone to read it, clearly understand the message, and be empowered in less than fifteen minutes? How Do You Kill 11 Million People? is his answer to those questions.
Driven by his own personal moving story, Andy Andrews communicates to his audience through the heart--an uncommon style in today's media-driven world. Arguably, there is no single person on the planet better at weaving subtle yet life-changing lessons into riveting tales of adventure and intrigue--both on paper and on stage.
If you pick up this book titled THE NOTICER, by Andy Andrews, don't make the mistake I made. Don't wait until bedtime to start reading it. When I picked it up last night, I had every intention of simply reading the introduction and then turning out the light and calling it a day. Having read everything Andy Andrews has written, I knew it would be a good and just wanted to see what it was going to be about. Well, there is no introduction, so I thought I'd just read the first few pages to get a feel for it. I finished reading it around 1:30 this morning. Yes, it's that good.
Okay, it gets even better. Just past midnight, I even got up and ate a plum for a quick midnight snack and told myself, "Okay, you've got a busy day tomorrow. Go to sleep." I turned out the light and it took all of about 3 minutes before I turned it back on and opened the book again. I knew trying to fall asleep was a fruitless endeavor. I simply had to finish the book.
Andy Andrews is one of the finest writers (and public speakers) of our time. If you are not familiar with his work, this book would be a great place to start. For me, it may not have been quite as good as The Traveler's Gift, but that book has had such a profound effect on my life, I may be a little biased. I hope in time, this book will have an equally profound effect and in the few hours since I read it, I have thought about it's messages all day. Those messages are still sinking in and I will certainly read the book again this weekend before I decide who I want to share it with first.
I don't want to spoil the story for anyone, so I will only say the story revolves around a very influential old sage who touches so many lives by simply giving the people he encounters a new persective. When it all boils down to the basics, that's how simple it is in creating the determining factors of our lives. Whether we choose to be happy or miserable all revolves around our perspective.
One of the beauties of this book is that Andrew's deftly applies the "new perspective" principal to so many differing situations. You are sure to find more than a few examples of things that will relate to your own life. There's definately a message here for everyone.
Andy concludes this magnificent story with a Reader's Guide. A few pages of thought provoking questions that will help put it all together for you and would make for an extraordinary group discussion.
For me, personally, the story really helps reinforce my own personal mission - to inspire and empower people professionally, personally and spiritually to elevate their lives to a higher level. There's a little bit of "Jones" in all of us. Read the book and you'll understand exactely what I mean. I give this the highest recommendation possible.
His name was Jones. Not Mr. Jones, just Jones. If you had the opportunity to meet Jones, you would never forget him. He had a way of making a significant impact on your life. He always seemed to come around when you were at your lowest. Life was difficult and you were not sure how to keep going. But then you met Jones. He called himself a "noticer", because he noticed things that others overlooked. He noticed "things about situations and people that produce perspective. That's what most folks lack--perspective--a broader view".
Perspective--it's about how you look at things--how you look at life. That is what I learned from reading this book. No matter how bad things look, it was all about HOW I looked at things. "The Noticer" is an amazing story of how one man changed a community. He helped many people look at their lives differently. Jones helped Andy who was 23, homeless, and parentless. He helped Andy find perspective and it changed his life. Jones helped a couple find perspective which helped them save their marriage. He helped an older widow, who felt her life had been lived and was finished, find perspective that her life was just starting and that even she could make a huge impact in people's lives. Jones helped so many people. He touched many lives.
"The Noticer" by Andy Andrews is one of the best books I have ever read. The book could not have come at a better time for me to read, as I gained perspective. Amazing, inspirational, encouraging are just a few of the many words that could be used to describe this book. This is a book that I will read again and again. This is a book that EVERYONE should have and read.
Do you find yourself in transition in life? I happen to be going from a rewarding career of mothering with children in the home to a happily married teacher with independent and successful children. What is next? Only God knows for sure but this book by Andy Andrews brings an awareness of "the best is yet to come". I pray that my eyes will continue to be open to the opportunities that will come now that my life is in transition.The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
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