Walking With Arthur: Finding God on My Way to New York [Paperback]

James O'Donnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

James O'Donnell was contemplating divorce. Something was missing in his marriage and his life. His daily commute partner into New York City, Arthur, never preached to him or handed him a tract. They just walked ... and God worked. Written in a frank and inviting style that will make you feel like you are taking a journey right alongside him, Jim draws readers in with his gritty and honest candor. A great prequel to Letters for Lizzie.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A spiritual awakening through a series of conversations with a wise older man. -- Ft. Wayne (IN) Journal Gazette, February 26, 2005

Gentle wisdom and hope to exhausted strivers. -- Publishers Weekly, December 13, 2004

Touching story — these principles apply in the colorful rooms of the daycare center or the cubicle next to yours. -- Christianity Today, May 16, 2005

Walking with Arthur – the story of a life changed by the vulnerability of a male friend. -- The New York Times, April 10, 2005

About the Author

"I began my career helping rich people invest for the future. Today, I invest in my students’ futures," says Jim O'Donnell, whose resume reads like an excerpt from Who's Who on Wall Street. O'Donnell has brought to Huntington University the savvy earned as a senior executive at some of the nation's largest financial services companies. From 1981 to 1985, he served as vice president and national sales manager for the Dreyfus Corporation, in New York. One year at Dreyfus, Jim personally sold $1.5 billion in new investments. From 1985 to 1989, O'Donnell led the sales and marketing division of the Portfolio Group, Inc., (now part of J. P. Morgan Chase) increasing assets under the firm's management from $800 million to $2.5 billion. O'Donnell was then recruited to Fidelity Investments, in Boston, first as senior vice president, then as executive vice-president and founding director of the firm’s marketing arm serving wealthy individuals. Though highly successful, O'Donnell always cut against the grain in the dog-eat-dog world of money. A man of deep conviction and thoughtfulness, he strove to inject principles of his Christian faith into an industry often characterized by cut-throat competition. A thought-provoking writer, his opinions on ethics and finance have appeared in Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, The New York Times, America, and other publications. Soon after O’Donnell left the business world in 1994, his wife, Lizzie, was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Letters for Lizzie is his tribute to his wife as well as a raw look at a family struggling to make their way across the terrifying landscape of advanced illness. Walking with Arthur is Jim’s memoir of friendship and personal transformation as he came to faith in the mid-80’s through a friendship with a man named Arthur. Today, O'Donnell serves as Executive-in-Residence at Huntington University still seeking to integrate Christian faith, ethics, and redemptive values into the teaching of business and economics. A popular speaker off-campus, a winner of "Professor of the Year" honors, a teacher whose students have nominated him for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Jim O’Donnell brings high standards to the classroom and challenging ethical questions to bear on real workplace issues.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Northfield Publishing (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1881273679
• ISBN-13: 978-1881273677
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,882,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What really matters and what really doesn't, April 5, 2005

By 

Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking With Arthur: Finding God on My Way to New York (Paperback)

A thoughtful, introspective, stop-and-think sort of book, O'Donnell challenges the reader to confront the shallowness of unbridled selfish ambition and consider the importance of a good friend and a right relationship with our Creator. Early chapters trace his unlikely rise from a broken childhood in the Bronx to the upper league of New York finance. We see him discover that whether striving or arrived, there is a hole inside that greater wealth or accomplishments can't fill. Through a developing friendship, Arthur confounds his assumptions about zany, wacko Christians and shows him a Christ that is genuine, relevant, and worthy.

Especially relevant for the high need-to-achieve, O'Donnell's vulnerability exposes us to his wrestling with the real challenges of family ties, marriage and intimacy, faith and doubt, achievement, and close friendship. But don't mistake this as a how-to or a survey of any topic of Christian living. The book is truly an inspiration for each of us to seek out an Arthur in our own life and live in such a way that we can be an Arthur to someone else.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What I learned from this book, April 2, 2006

By 

Melissa (IN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking With Arthur: Finding God on My Way to New York (Paperback)

Sunday, April 2, 2006

Today is Enough

Who has time to read books anymore? Life is just too busy!! I can't remember the last time I sat down and read through a few chapters, let alone a whole book. Aside from the time I take to read the Bible, I never get a peaceful, quiet moment to read. My life is too chaotic! Any parent knows that when you have a three year old, and a little baby, you just don't get the luxury of "quiet" very often.

In addition to the absence of silence and private time, is the sleep deprivation. No matter what, I can never get enough! So was the case this morning. Now that daylight savings time has gone into effect, here in Indiana, we have now lost another precious hour of sleep, or so it seems. I wanted to just roll over and pretend it wasn't Sunday. However, I have come to realize that the times where you want to skip church the most are the times where you most need to go. In fact, every time I have resisted the temptation to stay home, I have never regretted what I could have missed!

This was the case today. We went to church and I was tired and couldn't wait to go home and take nap. I wasn't in the mood for much, but I waited for worship to be over and the service to start. Today, we had a speaker. This was a rare treat. Our church usually doesn't have speakers very often. So, you KNOW it's going to be good!

I must say, as tired as I was, I was glad that I was there. The speaker was James O'Donnell. He teaches as Huntington College. He spoke about how he used to be so caught up in his own life. He loved money, and no matter how much he had, or what he had, it was never enough. Yet, he never really considered God too much, until he met a special friend named Arthur. Arthur gently steered him in the right direction, towards God. Over time, he started becoming more curious about the Lord, and eventually, went with Arthur to a Men's group.

As his heart began to soften, he opened up his life more and more to God. It was because of Arthur's friendship that he came to Christ. Arthur's gentleness and patience in leading him was also a big part in drawing him to the Lord.

This man encouraged me that even when you think you aren't doing much for the Lord, you never know the influence you have on people. Just as Arthur led James to Jesus slowly, that is how we must be with others. I have been praying and trying for years to lead certain people to Christ. It hasn't happened yet, but I won't give up hope. It's just hard sometimes. But, this story has encouraged me to keep planting seeds.

Seeds may be small, but they don't stay that way. When they are watered and tended, they grow!! The seeds I plant are sure to grow! So, I must never underestimate the power of patience, kindness, and love. Those are the seeds that are sewn in deeply, and those seeds always have a way of sprouting!!

Of course, this man has written a wonderful book about his experiences called Walking with Arthur. Finding God on My Way to New York. As I mentioned earlier, I am not one for reading books much anymore. Even when I do get books, I start them and then never finish them. What good would it do if I bought a book and then it just sat around?

Nevertheless, I knew I had to take the chance. Most of all, I had a person in mind when I felt God urging me to buy this man's book. So, after the service, I approached his table and talked to Mr. O'Donnell about the person on my heart. I told him that this person is a lot like he used to be. He sees no need for God or for church and he just does things his own way. I told him that I didn't know if this person would read the book, or what it would take to reach him, but I had to try. He wrote inside the cover: "I met Melissa today. You know what? She loves you a bunch. God bless you. Jim O'Donnell"

I don't know if those words will compel the recipient to read or not, but I know that it just encouraged me all the more. I am still clinging to the hope that he, along with other friends and family of mine, will know Jesus before it is too late.

With that thought in mind, I thought that maybe I should read this book when I got home. To my delight, it was only about 150 pages, and looked like an easy, enjoyable read. I thought for sure I could read it in one day, and was determined to do so. That way, I could better refer people to the book, as well as the things that Mr. O'Donnell spoke about in his message this morning.

I can now say that I have actually read a book, other than the Bible, cover to cover for the first time in I don't know how long! Maybe that's not much of an accomplishment, but for me, I was happy that I could finally "finish" something and even more so, get something out of it as well.

I've got to say, this is the best read that I have had in a long time! I might even have to buy my own copy for myself, and even more for people for Christmas presents, and what not. This is a book that EVERYONE should read! It's smart, honest, and real. I also realized that some of the best books are never bestsellers. Until today, I had not heard of this book, but if word gets out, I'm sure others will find the wealth of wisdom in it.

While I was reading, I felt I just had to write down the things that grabbed me most. One of the first things was this nugget of wisdom that Arthur shared with James about technology: "Far beyond its power to make us more productive or, as some think, save humanity, it has tremendous power to distract or entertain us."

I don't know about you, but that speaks VOLUMES TO ME! How many of us can relate to the ever helpful computer at home or at work who breaks down. Still, we all claim that technology is wonderful and makes our lives easier. Yet, all we do is invest more time and money in repairs and maintenance to keep this helpful tool running. Such a helpful database is most useful, except when it crashes. Then, what do you have to fall back on? I hope we never totally abandon MANUAL RECORDS AND LABOR!!

Another thing that is pointed out is that technology entertains and distracts us. That's for sure! Look how many, myself included, get sucked into computer or video games. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to ease stress by playing a nice fun game on the computer, only to find myself more obsessed and stressed trying to earn points, rewards, and other ridiculous virtual prizes that you can't even get your hands on. "Oh boy! I beat the game! Now what? Is that all there is? I labored for hours on a game? Gosh, that was kind of stupid. What prize or fame did I really attain?"

That's what happens when success is wrongly defined. True success is in things that you don't often see or touch. It's just like this next bit of wisdom from the book: "those of us who find some success in life--whatever success means to us--it can become difficult to trust in anything other than whatever that success is."

Wow! Now there is something to think about! There is always a trust test. People may be shocked when they find out that the temporary things like looks, smarts, money, or even people, fail them. Our trust can't rely on those things. We need to trust in the things that last and won't fade away. Our faith needs to be put in the things that will withstand the test of time and the hardships in life. Our hope and trust needs to be in God, and in the fruit of the Spirit. Those things strengthen us and keep us going.

So many times, fear is mixed in with success. We are often afraid of success itself. I know that I am at times. But, one must realize that the more fear you have about something, the more urgent it is that you overcome it. At least, that's how I feel. The things you fear most should be the things you're most willing to fight for. In Mr. O'Donnell's book, he and Arthur talk about whether or not the thing you're afraid of is really important enough to be worth your fear. Well, when you put it that way, I guess there are a lot of silly fears that can be dropped like, "will I make it to here or there on time?" or "what if I can get this or that done?"

Overcoming fear can be difficult, but I love how Arthur's friend, Perry, puts it: "God often gives us a vision of what's ahead, but doesn't give us the means to get there...yet. He doesn't cut the string to where we are right away." Later, Perry also says: "There's no hurry to make things happen, to make your own success. First, and foremost, just show up. Then do the good that lies nearest. Let God set the pace."

These two quotes put everything in a new perspective for me. A lot of times, I feel "stuck." I feel like I am not doing much, if anything, for the Lord. But, when I read this, I think about what I'm doing now. Maybe, what I'm doing is "enough." Maybe today is "enough." There's nothing wrong with reaching above and beyond, but when you don't quite get there, maybe it's ok to be content with what you did "today," and just resolve to persevering each new day that you are given. God may give us a vision, but maybe it's not always clear how to get there. Maybe, we should just be content to wait and to take things slow. Who says that every step has to be a giant step? Baby steps are steps too, and no matter how big or little the steps are, as long as you're walking, you're moving toward your goal. We have to be content with "today" in order to be happy with what will come "tomorrow." Just wait. I always hear Dr. Phil say: "Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow hasn't happened yet. All you've got is today." Make today count, and don't worry about tomorrow.

Another thing that Mr. O'Donnell talks about in the book are goals and dreams. Everyone has things that they have... Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Pages to the Heart, November 30, 2005

By 

Bob Aubuchon (Camdenton, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking With Arthur: Finding God on My Way to New York (Paperback)

I purchased this book in a curious sort of way, and found it to be be one of those rare and exceptional reads that transcend the pages and passes into the heart ... at least for me. I was struck by the candor O'Donnell offers in coming to faith without all the glamorizing that one sometimes reads in some of the pop-christian authors today. I was challenged in my faith and encouraged to believe in a God who wants to be a part of my everyday experiences, yes, even my failures and mistakes. I would encourage others to read and seek out an Arthur in their life and or become an Arthur to others. Like the vegetables on your plate, this book is good for you.