{"product_id":"work-in-progress-confessions-of-a-busboy-dishwasher-caddy-usher-factory-worker-bank-teller-corporate-tool-and-priest-9780062694485","title":"Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBestseller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this humorous memoir, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author and podcast host of The Spiritual Life, Father James Martin tells the story of a busboy, dishwasher, caddy, usher, factory worker, bank teller, and corporate tool and, finally, a Jesuit priest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Funny, charming, inspiring and wise--this is a memorable memoir.\" -- Stephen Colbert\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWork in Progress\u003c\/i\u003e is a snapshot of several years--first as a boy, then as a teenager, and finally as a young adult--of being thrown into a series of jobs for which Martin had zero training. He had never set foot in a restaurant kitchen before working as a busboy and dishwasher; never stepped onto a golf course before working as a caddy; and had never seen a factory floor before working as an assembly-line worker. He almost always felt uncomfortable, unsettled, and uneasy. But, like many of us, he needed the money.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis coming-of-age story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, a lighthearted tale for readers who enjoy personal narratives, and it's unlike anything Father Martin has written before. As he puts it, \"This is a spiritual memoir from a different angle ... told 'slant' as Emily Dickinson might say.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach chapter features photos of memories and milestones throughout Father Martin's young life. If you're an aficionado of snafus, you won't be disappointed. He's not the hero of these stories, more a hapless teenager who learns in each job, even the ones he loathes, something about the value of work, about what it means to be an adult, about people, and about life overall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWork in Progress\u003c\/i\u003e teaches us small but important life lessons such as: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ework hard and be on time, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edon't be mean, apologize when you need to, and forgive frequently, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eask if you don't know something, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edon't misuse power, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003epay attention to those who are struggling, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003elisten and, above all, be kind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartin shares, \"My summer jobs, crazy and funny and varied as they were, had something to do with who I am. As we Jesuits would say, the lessons I learned helped to 'form\" me.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e James Martin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e HarperOne\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/03\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.10w x 1.50d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780062694485\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2026 pg. 63\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMartin, James:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRev. James Martin, SJ, \u003c\/strong\u003e is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of \u003cem\u003eAmerica\u003c\/em\u003e magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestsellers \u003cem\u003eLearning to Pray, Jesus: A Pilgrimage\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything\u003c\/em\u003e. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks and outlets, like \u003cem\u003eThe Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, The New York Times, \u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"James Martin \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47733911978141,"sku":"9780062694485","price":47.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_e61014d9-43a1-4042-9510-897699ea9f06.jpg?v=1773738649","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/work-in-progress-confessions-of-a-busboy-dishwasher-caddy-usher-factory-worker-bank-teller-corporate-tool-and-priest-9780062694485","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}