The Noticer by Andy Andrews

If you've been fortunate enough to meet someone who always seems to distill a situation down to its core elements and offer a point of view that resonates with your soul, then you'll probably recognize that someone in Andy Andrews' novel The Noticer.

The Noticer is a heartwarming tale of an apparently ageless old man, Jones, whose visits to a small town help bring about positive changes in the lives of many. Although Jones highlights his gift for noticing things that others overlook, it is really his ability to offer alternative perspectives that helps lead people to wise choices.

I enjoyed the lifestyle-improvement tips woven into the storyline. In his first meeting with the main character Jones acknowledges that through our own bad choices and decisions we may find ourselves in difficult circumstances. It is through good choices that we can direct ourselves into better circumstances. Jones advises, “What we focus on increases.” Later, in an encounter with a couple considering divorce, the principles of Gary Chapman’s “Love Languages” are well exemplified.

Jones explains to a group of teens that wisdom is “the ability to see, into the future, the consequences of your choices in the present.” He offers the people he encounters a way to envision their future given the path they’re on and he paints an alternate future available through a shifted perspective.

The Noticer can easily be read in one or two sessions but the book is so filled with pearls of wisdom I've found myself drawn back to revisit key points. This story bears reading and re-reading. I have already found occasion to share anecdotes from the story and I hope to continue to spread these words of wisdom.