Rating: 
Summary: Explaining the call of God
Review: Actually this is not about explaining the call of God, but about one persons call. Many are called but few may act and follow. Mr Martin is living the rat race lifestyle then drops everything to become a Jesuit. Excellent and well told account of his early and later pursuits...
Rating:
Summary: Explaining the call of God
Review: Actually this is not about explaining the call of God, but about one persons call. Many are called but few may act and follow. Mr Martin is living the rat race lifestyle then drops everything to become a Jesuit. Excellent and well told account of his early and later pursuits...
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Father Martin!
Review: Father Martin has once again shown the fascinating side of having a religious vocation. His down-to-earth telling of his steps to becoming a Jesuit is a remarkable piece of work. When I read his first book, This Our Exile, I hoped he would continue his writing and I felt rewarded when In Good Company was published. In Good Company is an honest story told by a gifted young man. Let's hope he continues to tell us of his life as a Jesuit priest.
Rating:
Summary: GE whiz, this was a terrific book!
Review: Father Martin has written a book that will appeal not just to those contemplating a religious vocation, but to anyone who has sought to find a higher meaning in their lives. I found myself incredibly moved by his story -- while laughing out loud -- as he vividly described his journey from the ivy covered walls of Wharton to the starched shirt corridors of GE Capital to the slums of Jamaica. A terrific book!
Rating:
Summary: A Modern Merton!!
Review: Father Martin's book, "In Good Company", is a "Seven Storey Mountain" for the new millennium. It is the captivating journey of a young man's transformation from a "corporate" faith to an "everlasting" faith--that is, faith in what lasts: God and His love. A constant theme in throughout this book is about how "nothing is impossible with God" and that is a necessary thing to be reminded of, especially in this "modern" world of ours. This is a book that ought to be read by those who wish to understand better not only others' faith journey, but their own. I learned much from this book; I appreciate how much faith should be a part of daily life, and not just on Sundays.
Rating:
Summary: Truly moving
Review: Fr. Martin has produced a moving, thought-provoking work that places the phenomenon of religious vocation in a modern context and explores deeply and honestly the motivations behind and struggles within the discernment of a call to ordained service. An earlier reviewer seems to have missed Fr. Martin's lengthy commentary in the last chapter on the individual vows (including chastity); but in addition, I suspect that the author didn't elaborate more fully on his own relationship experience as he didn't seem to have much time for girlfriends -- either at college or at GE. As a devout Catholic, I was greatly pleased to find a book that finally manages to elucidate something that has been grossly misunderstood in popular culture: that the priesthood is a vocation, not an escape. Congratulations to Fr. Martin on a truly stunning accomplishment; this should be required reading for all Catholics, lapsed and practicing.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I loved this book! It's the story of a guy who leaves his life as a corporate executive and enters a religious order. He deals with all the things you'd wonder about: celibacy, prayer, religion and doubt. It's a great book for seekers and believers and it's very honest and inspirational.
Rating: 
Summary: Well written, leaves you wanting more.
Review: I may be a somewhat biased reviewer: I also am a religious priest, about the same age as the author, who likewise left a professional position for religious life. I found many familiar events in this well-paced book: e.g. the "What's that?" reaction of coworkers, the cold, competitiveness described so well at a "selective" university, etc... Our times needed a book like this, and I considered rating it higher. I would strongly recommend it to anyone. My only criticism is the author's reluctance to share much of his own reflection on the events of his life, maybe out of humility? He tells us that his early faith was childish, but could have shared more of his insights as his vocational struggle deepened his faith. We learn that Merton's Seven Story Mountain was helpful to him, but we don't learn much about what in that book helped him the most. There is excellent criticism of middle-class secular American society here, but it remains largely implicit. He shows us that large corporations sometimes overwork their employees (say it isn't so!) And executives are sometimes rude with their underlings (welcome to the real world). The book seems intentionally written from the viewpoint of a religious neophyte, when the reflections of the supposedly more mature author would have, for me at least, added depth. I guess I just expected more from a Jesuit! This book is a great start, maybe a sequel would deliver what I hoped for.
Rating:
Summary: Hey! That priest used to work in the cubicle next to mine!
Review: If you're like most laypeople, you probably regard priests with a combination of awe, admiration and more than a little suspicion (just what are you running away from?). James Martin's moving vocation story ultimately reveals that his decision to leave a high-powered job at the height of his young yuppie-dom was not running away from life, but running towards his heart's undeniable desire. Funny, wry, and (in this day and age, dare one say?) inspirational, Father Martin's book puts a contemporary spin on the ageless miracle of a calling to the religious life. His gradual and (even to him) astonishing discernment of his life's true course is movingly revealed, while a supporting cast of family members, friends and co-workers provide insight and levity sometimes more suited to a snarky Greek chorus or an episode of "Seinfeld" than a book that's already being compared to Thomas Merton's. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to "give it all up" and find yourself in the process, Father Martin can tell you.
Rating:
Summary: one great book
Review: James Martin has written a wonderful book about his spiritual awakening. He seems, by joining the Society of Jesus, to have acquired a wonderful inner peace that comes from doing what God meant for him to do. Father Martin has done an exceptional job of describing his growing ability to hear, and to heed, God's call. As he does in his columns for America magazine, Father Martin writes with great wit and style. I have given this wonderful book to many friends and recommend it to anyone searching for "something more" in their lives.
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