A Review
The Noticer
Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Releasing Tuesday, April 28, 2009, A.D.
Four lions out of five
In the Disney movie, The Lion King, Rafiki, the medicine monkey confronts the prince of the jungle, Simba. Simba has been living in the past and blaming himself for his father’s death and his uncle’s rise to corruption. They argue for a while then have this classic exchange:
Adult Simba: I know what I have to do. But going back will mean facing my past. I’ve been running from it for so long.
[Rafiki hits Simba on the head with his stick]
Adult Simba: Ow! Jeez, what was that for?
Rafiki: It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.
[laughs]
Adult Simba: Yeah, but it still hurts.
Rafiki: Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or… learn from it.
[swings his stick at Simba again who ducks out of the way]
Rafiki gave Simba a lesson in … perspective
Andy Andrews’ new modern fable, The Noticer, is all about perspective.
Andy Andrews loves people. You can tell that in the way he blogs, in the way he greets audiences after live engagements, and in the way he describes people in his books. In The Traveler’s Gift, Andrews describes famous characters from history with care and aplomb. While a fictional tale, we see Abraham Lincoln, Joshua Chamberlain, and Christopher Columbus in ways that cinema and history don’t often show us. He brings that same care and love for people to his neighbors and friends on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
As I read through The Noticer, I kept Google handy. Every time he introduced a new guest or a new place along Orange Beach, I Googled it. All of the places he mentions in the book are genuine. The proprietors of those places are living breathing humans. What a tribute to the place that has nurtured your soul. What a tribute to the people that you’ve woven your life together with.
As you read The Noticer, you’ve got to remember that it’s a fable. You’ve got to remember that change does not happen instantaneously.
The Noticer begins with a painful glance into Andy’s life. We meet Andy underneath the dock. He’s in tears mourning the loss of his parents. That’s when Jones shows up. Andrews credits Jones with introducing him to great biographies——and changing his perspective. The rest of the book travels with Jones as he helps others all over the Gulf Coast change their perspectives.
The cynic in me didn’t like the rehash of Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages material. While I love the content and research behind the five love languages, I did not like Andrews recitation of it. I’m probably over-thinking this since there are thousands of people who will be exposed to this book that would never be exposed to Chapman’s work. So, I will appreciate the homage.
Like most modern fables (like The One-Minute Manager), everything seems to happen too quickly and too perfectly. His characters don’t resist change as much as those of us with flesh on.
Intrigue built as I continued to read. Jones is a curious man and I wanted to know more about him. Who is he going to talk to next? How is he going to confront them? As you read the book, don’t speed read. Read as you would if you were enjoying an early summer day along the Gulf Coast. Don’t miss yourself along the streets and sand.
I almost missed myself. But Jones showed up in my bedroom when I read chapter seven. He delivered a Rafiki-sized whack upside my head. Once I was “noticed”, I was hooked.
As the book builds to the climax, I felt a part of the community. When everyone gathers at the diner, if you’ve been “noticed”, you’ll be there, too, wondering what is in Jones’ suitcase.
Even the most causal readers will care about the end of the book and most readers, like me, will want to change perspective in their lives.
In my day to day life, I am tasked with writing persuasive copy. I realize that my job is about changing someone’s perspective. I feel more equipped to do so after reading The Noticer. But the bigger benefit to my daily career has been the fact that I understand someone else’s perspective a little better. Or at least I ask the question, “What is their perspective?”
The Noticer is a very quick read. I know that this book will sell very well. I believe that the social network strategy that Nelson has employed will be like kerosene onto an already well-built fire complete with kindling and well-seasoned fuel.
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