The Noticer by Andy Andrews

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.


Andy is a guy down on his luck living under a bridge in Orange Beach, Alabama. Depression and fear grip Andy but just when fear and hopelessness are about to tangle him up he meets Jones an old guy with white hair wearing jeans and flip flops. Under that bridge Andy sees the first glimpse of Jones "gift of wisdom" which he calls his gift of being A Noticer. Jones explains to Andy some lessons on life and adds a little perspective to his situation. Jones tells Andy he has been given a gift, he hands him three books autobiography's starting with George Washington. These three books open Andy's eyes and throughout the story we find Andy has read threw two hundred bios, picked up his life becomes successful, marries and is happy.

Later he runs into Jones again and watches how Jones effects the small towns people. People who are flawed and full of problems, marriages on the verge of divorce, young adults ready to waste their lives. Business men going broke and people just in the gutters.

During the first few chapters I thought this was going to be another Inspirational climb these seven steps to a better life. Give all your money to church because God is a ATM machine…you slip your card in you get some cash back!! Thankfully it didn't follow those footsteps but focused on the steps of becoming a person that uses wisdom. The Jones character made this readable. It was written in a way that held my attention but I guess for me I didn’t get the concept. Reading biography's of other peoples success and drama just didn’t jive with me. Although I did see who the Jones character was representing and how the general message of being a person of integrity and a person that other people can depend on and trust leads to success in life and in relationships. Jones touches every character in a way that each problem can be addressed. Where each storm the person is going threw can be overcome with hope and the right direction.
Basically this a story of wisdom and learning from your mistakes. Being a person of integrity, how to speak and address people how you look at yourself and building yourself into a wise person. Also with that wisdom of life's lessons to pass on to others and plant seeds of encouragement.