In Good Company: The Fast Track from the Corporate World to Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience

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.


GE whiz, this was a terrific book!   November 28, 2000
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

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!


Another winner from Father Martin!   October 12, 2000
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

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.


Well written, leaves you wanting more.   January 4, 2001
sodakmonk (Midwest USA)
12 out of 16 found this review helpful

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.


Truly moving   January 8, 2002
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

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.