SKU: 51997342725

Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest

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Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and PriestNew York Times Bestseller In this humorous memoir, New York Times 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. "Funny, charming, inspiring and wise this is a memorable memoir." Stephen Colbert Work in Progress is a snapshot of several years first as a boy, then as a teenager, and

New York Times Bestseller

In this humorous memoir, New York Times 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.

"Funny, charming, inspiring and wise--this is a memorable memoir." -- Stephen Colbert

Work in Progress 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.

This 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."

Each 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.

Work in Progress teaches us small but important life lessons such as:

 

  • work hard and be on time,
  • don't be mean, apologize when you need to, and forgive frequently,
  • ask if you don't know something,
  • don't misuse power,
  • pay attention to those who are struggling,
  • listen and, above all, be kind.

 

Martin 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."

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SKU: 51997342725

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Donald
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
work gloves
Color: (001) Black / Black / Reflective, Size: Large
great gloves... love em
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2025
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Anna
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 3
Lightweight, good touchscreen functionality, poor sewing quality
Color: Black (002)/Black, Size: Small, Color: Black (002)/Black, Size: Small
I really liked these gloves. They are thin, but provided a fair amount of warmth. The touch screen worked great. I also thought the little pocket was a great addition. The downside is the second time I wore them, the seam on the thumb split. Not sure if it was a defect in just this pair or a recurring thing as my size was sold out when I attempted to exchange them.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2021
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Martha A. Wells
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Quality Gloves
Color: Black (001)/Jet Gray, Size: Large
May run a little small, but a quality product
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Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2026
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Lisa
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice gloves
Color: Black (001)/Jet Gray, Size: Medium
These are my second pair I lost one from my first pair and was happy I could still buy these they are so comfortable and warm for cold weather but not super cold Fit was perfect
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Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2026
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Dawn Hawa
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Run small
Color: Black (001)/Jet Gray, Size: Large
Great but they run very small
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Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2025

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