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

by James Martin

In this humorous memoir, listen to New York Times bestselling author and podcast host of The Spiritual Life, Father James Martin as he shares the story of his life as 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, Comedian and writer

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

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."

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Religion, Audiobook, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

Audible Audio

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

James Martin, SJ is a Jesuit priest, writer, editor at large of the Jesuit magazine America, and consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Fr. Martin grew up in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, United States, and attended Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business in 1982 and worked in corporate finance at General Electric for six years. Dissatisfied with the corporate world, he entered the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits) in 1988, and after completing his Jesuit training (which included studies in philosophy and theology, as well as full time-ministry) was ordained a priest in 1999. He received his Master's in Divinity (M.Div.) and Master's in Theology (Th.M.) from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now part of Boston College).

During his Jesuit training, Martin worked in a hospital for the seriously ill and a homeless shelter in Boston, with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Jamaica, with street-gang members in Chicago, in a prison in Boston, and for two years with East African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, with the Jesuit Refugee Service. In addition to his work at America magazine, Fr. Martin has written or edited more than 15 books, most of which are about spirituality and religion. He is a frequent commentator on religion and spirituality and has appeared on all the major networks, served as an expert commentator for ABC for the papal conclave that elected Pope Francis, and has written for many outlets, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Father Martin's best known books The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything (2010) and Jesus: A Pilgrimage were both New York Times bestsellers; My Life with the Saints was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book; and all three were winners of the Christopher Award.

He has received over 15 honorary degrees from Catholic colleges and universities, and in 2017 Pope Francis appointed him as consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

Reviews

[Ellen Cosgrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I heard Fr. James Martin speak was at a live taping for the Colbert Report. I was very taken by his charm, his intellect, his sense of humor, and his spirituality.

I saw he was leading a book group for his latest book and decided to read it. It was a fun memoir following along as he recounted his childhood through the early years of his Jesuit study. Since we’re basically the same age, we shared many familiar experiences and I particularly enjoyed his recounting of working in NYC in the 1980s where we frequented many of the same places.

I had hoped he would go into more detail about his discernment to enter into religious life, but he has covered this elsewhere, so it was an enjoyable opportunity to get to know him better and to understand what makes him tick.

[Jeffrey Aubuchon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Fr. James Martin and I appreciate his vision of inclusion among Catholics. This book doesn't (explicitly) address that vision, nor is it Merton's Seven Storey Mountain. This is his homage to summer work as a teenager and as a young professional. He's showing the world that 'priests are human, too'. It's a beach or airplane read for those nostalgic for bicentennial America and soda jerks.

[Annelieske Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Funny and light hearted stories with just a touch of spiritualism and Jesuit reflection. The 70s tidbits sent me down a shag carpet and permanent daylight savings rabbit hole

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant work

[Tim Nistler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful book and the first I’ve read by Father James Martin. It’s an enjoyable telling of his summer jobs and life leading up to his joining the Jesuits. So many great stories and some heart breaking ones too. Here was a young man who didn’t seem to know he was destined to become a Jesuit. Life lessons that in some cases didn’t register as such until later in his life. It is also refreshing to read from a religious leader about his life before he became religious and in such a candid way - including drinking and smoking pot. His story never feels judging or even preaching. It’s just his story and Father Martin’s humanity is on display from a young teen into his adulthood and I guarantee you’ll enjoy this read.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful read! Being raised Catholic, we tend to form a certain view of the life of a priest, and so it was so much fun to read about the ACTUAL life of Father Martin - before he took his vows. Completely relatable and definitely not censored to give the reader any other impression beyond the fact that yes, even religious members of the Church grew up living their lives in many of the same ways (mistakes and all) that the rest of society did! It was fun to hear his take on the various summer jobs he endured and how they changed his view on life, especially as he looked back on the experience. Great read - definitely recommend!

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book and it was narrated by Fr. James. I enjoyed his stories about growing up, two years older than me, and loved all the nostalgia shared, and could relate to current events, pop culture, etc.. He had some fun, and interesting summer jobs, and I was very entertained by his experiences and stories shared. A friend of mine just told me that she worked with him at GE Capital. He has had an interesting journey to the priesthood, and I have been a fan of his and his beliefs and teachings for years, and for who he chooses to fight for. I also connected with him this winter when his Mom and my Mom passed away just about at the same time. I found his writing about his Mom a comfort to me as I began to mourn and feel the loss of my own Mom. The book is light, funny, and heartwarming, and I enjoyed hearing him tell his story.

[Glen Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting life study focused on summer jobs and life choices. Those born in the 1960s will be reminded of a lot that we’ve seen and experienced. Here are life lessons that everyone can relate to even if you’re young and don’t remember having a paper route. This is a fun, enjoyable read, written by a man with a sense of humor, humility and reality. This is for everyone that’s interested in living a life of fulfillment.

[Anna Fishel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio. The first 2/3 of the book is an interesting and entertaining memoir that recounts the author’s work experiences. It is both entertaining and relatable. Then the last hour or so packed a big punch for me as it, in essence, showed how the sum total of your life experiences can frame your sense of equanimity. The timing was uncanny as this is something I have been focusing on in my life. And it was lovely, unexpected wisdom from a book that I had chosen simply for entertainment.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it was interesting to read about his experiences in summer jobs, I kept waiting to hear about his spiritual journey. Apparently he became very burned out by his job in the financial sector and a horrible boss and gave it all up to become a Jesuit priest seemingly overnight. So the only spiritual advice is to avoid soul crushing work??

[Mary Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw the author on the Colbert show talking about this book with his friend Stephen. I've read other good books by Martin, and this one is outstanding. It's a memoir of the summer jobs he had from boyhood through his young adult years. Funny, honest, detailed -- he was a normal kid in 1970s America who happened to grow up to become a Jesuit priest.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in same area, a few years later than he, so it was nostalgic to hear stories about places that are very different now. Martin gets a bit verbose at times and tends to over-explain some things like how to operate an industrial popcorn machine, but it was an entertaining and interesting audio book.

Much respect for him telling it plain. It was nice to hear from a priest who grew up "just like us" and experienced all the wildness of youth and taking ownership.

[Vita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars . Review to come soon

[Kevin Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me...not want to be a Jesuit, but it made me appreciate them more than I already do!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable reminiscence of summer jobs in the ‘70s and ‘80s. How could I not enjoy a book that references raking a shag rug?!

[Cyndi T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Descent book. Very good if you want to take a trip down memory lane of popular items in the 70's and 80's.

[Molly Yonker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got out of my reading groove so took a sec to finish, but a good little fiction break! I also just do really like Fr. Martin

[Jeanne Bessee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about the background of a Priest, that surprisingly to me, was not always what you would expect. Glad he found a life that made him happy.

[Sarah Kearns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a witty and wise, and a great reminder that priests are human too. The humor and insight make it both entertaining and thought-provoking!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful, smart, funny memoir. Father Martin is someone I would love to have as a friend. Highly recommend.

[Joshua Rosati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Round up, easy listen. Seems like a nice guy who is trying to look back and take the most out of his experiences even if he didn't realize the value of them at the time (like most of us don't).

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir and vocation story and a clear explanation of how we are all a work in progress.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am now a fan girl of Father James Martin who was the author of this book. I was not familiar with this author before, and I see that he has written several books. I loved how the author was so vulnerable and truthful about his younger days and earlier jobs. I found it really refreshing that a graduate of Penn State Wharton School of Business would decide to go in the exact opposite direction of his profession. He also narrated the audiobook, and I love hearing the author’s voice. His voice was genuinely kind, and I enjoyed listening to him reflect on earlier times. I was very interested in what he said about his university as that is where the notorious Donald Trump also went. I am guessing that Trump is about 20 years older than the author. He did not paint a very attractive picture of the school. While James comes from the middle class outside Philly, the school was filled with legacy students and extremely wealthy young people. He talked about and explained the ideology used at that school of business, and he decided that it didn’t work in the long run or sync with his values. It is a great story of how someone truly came to find their passion. The book was also very entertaining and I burst out loud laughing a couple of times.

[Shawn Sigler · Rating 1 out of 5]

My mother in law gave me this book because she knows that I am Catholic, and she thought that I would enjoy it. I read it because I know that she will ask me to discuss it. But I don't know why the author wrote it.

[Rebecca Stilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve listened to a couple other books by this guy, and I know I loved at least one of them, but this just seemed inane and meaningless

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us who are of a certain age (read: baby boomers) started working as young teenagers, perhaps babysitting and mowing lawns before moving on to jobs with a real paycheck. Fr. James Martin, a Roman Catholic priest and prolific author who is both wise and witty, recounts the many summer jobs he held as a teenager in the 1970s. The result is often hilarious and always insightful—and touched with a bit of nostalgia for a time long past.

Most of the summer jobs he held are listed in the subtitle, and the chapters on each of them are filled with fun (and funny) stories about the work and his colleagues. Like Fr. Martin, we worked then because we were expected to do so, but also because we needed the money—for everything from weekend fun to college expenses.

Here are some of the highlights:
• When he was bussing tables at age 15 in 1976 at the Ice Cream Inn in a suburb of Philadelphia, the Bicentennial Wagon Train paraded past the restaurant, causing all the customers to run outside to watch—unbeknownst to Martin, who was back in the kitchen. When he emerged into the totally empty restaurant with half-eaten food on every table, he had an unusual reaction. After all, what should a good busboy do? Uh oh.

• As a golf caddy who never once played golf, Martin had to learn a lot quickly. Find out what happened when a thunderstorm hit and a grumpy golfer threw his clubs at the poor caddy and ran for cover, yelling at Martin to stay put but be sure to keep the clubs dry. Oh, and don't get hit by lightning.

• Find out what he did when he worked in a small factory, and one of his fellow workers encouraged him to break the equipment—just a minor malfunction—so they could get a good half-hour break while the machine was being repaired. She told him he could be a man or a mouse. Which did he choose?

• Learn about the horrific sunburn he got the summer he was working as a bank teller. It was so bad, his feet swelled up, making it almost impossible to wear shoes.

• Fr. Martin is often asked: Did you live a real life before you entered the Jesuits? He answers that question quite well with several stories that might make some appalled…drinking, smoking marijuana, and strip clubs among them. But there is a point to all this: Now when people bring their deepest regrets to him, Fr. Martin understands and has compassion for them.

And then finally, Fr. Martin explains how after graduating from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and working for several years as a "corporate tool" (his words) for General Electric, he felt called to the priesthood. The call happened in a most unusual way.

The book's opening epigraph made me laugh because it sounded just like my parents:
"Well, you're not going to sit inside all summer." –His mother
And
"Of course it's not fun. Why do you think they call it work? If it were fun, they'd call it play." –His father

In between all the funny stories, there is so much life advice about kindness, compassion, and living a life that is grounded in caring for others. Apparently with the right way of looking at things, there are spiritual lessons in bussing tables and hauling golf clubs and making movie theater popcorn. That is what makes this book so special because it might just help you find the spiritual lessons in your own jobs.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoirs often begin in childhood, but it's often a launching pad to be pushed or escaped from. We marvel at an origin - humble, destitute, languorous, dramatic  - knowing the early arc imparts so much to who we are. It offers us the questions of our lives. What is meaningful? How best to live it? Who can I become? Who can i forgive?

Of course it does matter that Martin is more than a great storyteller of childhood. He is a leading ambassador of the Catholic Church, a revered Jesuit Priest,  a prominent advocate for LBGTQ rights, and an occasional guest  on Stephen Colbert's show. It's an interesting choice to frame his narrative on work experiences. It fits his personality well - we see the ease and comfort he finds in organizational structure like school and religious orders. In a deeper way though it confronts the general notion that the sacred and the profane are separate. The lessons we learn on sunday mornings can follow us outside the church. Religious living can be a way of being instead of a punch card.

Maybe it takes the kodak realism of a writer like the venerable Reverend James Martin to breathe life into a Pennsylvanian 1970s coming of age story. These are stories that are joyful and warm.   The gentle brush of sensory detail makes the vocation stories vivid and compelling.  We can imagine the lactic messes at the Ice Cream Inn, and having to clean up a cigarette-butted ice cream mess. We can imagine the paper route and having to sail pass a yappy in pursuit. We can imagine a first job after college, working in HR, and seeing the pressures of managers to restructure in a globally competitive firm.  The job experiences have a cumulative role of poking and prodding Martin into asking the hard questions about meaningful vocation.

This isn't a prechy or bromide filled writing - it's grounded, and the seeking for meaning is generally before Martin became a Christian. He shares stories of shame and embarrassment. Like most young men, he was swept up in the pursuit of stimulation and ambition. Fortunately that is not where the story ends. There is grace and the awareness that these experiences in work or relationships give us the possibility to change. As the revered Jesuit monk Thomas Merton once said, "The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image".  

Just as Thomas Merton inspired Martin to join the Jesuit order, I would imagine this book will give many people a reason to reflect on their work habits and technology habits, and wonder if there is a deeper purpose to connect to. The thirst for moral leadership and community is strong, and leaders like Martin and Pope Leo are pulling on the deep reservoirs of a faith tradition to meet the moment with clarity and humanity. There's a place for career tracks, certifications, ambitions to excel and Dr. Seuss books, but all our work serves a greater purpose in shaping who we become.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the spirit of my Jesuit education, I will be supportive but also not inflate the grade, first by saying that Father James Martin has been an important part of present-day Catholicism, a steadfast voice and conscience for living true gospel values of love and acceptance and clarity, in an era where Christian morality has been so clouded and manipulated by cruelty and politics. He's doing good work.

This memoir, however, needed significantly more work -- even though it is published under Harper's soft-focus imprint of spiritual and inspirational material. If warmth is the only goal here, then I should have hesitated and browsed more closely before buying the book and diving in. I do like the organizing principle: By examining one's earliest labors as a teen and young adult in summer jobs, one can find a sense of becoming, of learning what work means and what it brings us, besides money. Not enough is said these days about the concept of work ethic, yet we certainly bemoan it when we perceive a lack of it in others. In Father Martin's case, jobs are what lead him to his vocation.

Good and honest memoirs by today's priests are, as far as I know, pretty rare, and there's a reason for that. Priests are not called to the spotlight, which runs counter to their mission. In chapter one, Father Martin lets the reader know the boundaries of his willingness to share everything -- his pre-priesthood experiences with love and relationships, for example. He's not going there. And that's okay, and certainly adheres to the purpose and meaning of a vow of celibacy, which is not only about sex. It's nevertheless okay for a reader to wish he had.

My other mark on this book is that, although it is loaded with memories, none of them are very insightful -- indeed, many of them are the sort of surface details that are nothing new in a world already soaked in 20th-century nostalgia: If a radio is on, it is playing "Afternoon Delight." If we're in his childhood home, the kitchen appliances are all avocado green and muted gold. If there is carpet, it is shag that needs be vacuumed and raked. AI could and does come up with videos of such ephemera, such that it has become meaningless.

Things pick up some in the college years, and then fade off as Father Martin leaves a corporate job in the late 1980s and finds his way to the Jesuits. The book feels like an okay first draft that still needs to be pared down and more sharply reflective. Work harder?

[Jquick99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t know who the author was when I got the audiobook from the library. I was enjoying chapter 1 so much that I decided to Google to see who the author is. But then I didn’t believe what I found, so I googled it again, and still didn’t believe it, and so then I decided to Google whatever this SJ is after his name, and I realize that this book that I am thoroughly enjoying the very beginning of, is written and read by … a priest.

I am the same age as the author and really enjoyed going down memory lane. I’m surprised at all that he can remember. How in the world can he remember all these details? Even things like the board game Mystery Date (which I had), that I had completely forgotten about. And then he mentions the tv commercial, which I really forgot about until of course he jogged my memory.

This book is full of wonderful life lessons that many younger people should read and fully take in, but I wonder how to get the target audience to actually read or listen to a book that they should be reading or listening to.

Towards the end of the book, I found it very, very interesting that decades ago I too worked at a company that had followed Jack Welch’s management style where we worked long long hours (over 12 hours a day, and the weekends), we were ranked (1 to 5 versus GE’s 1 to 4), and the bottom 10% were fired every 6 months. But the thought of becoming a priest never entered my mind (instead, I did the opposite, and saved every penny and retired early).

I am ignorant regarding all things religion. The author mentions Jesuit a lot throughout the book, and didn’t understand until very late in the book that it’s a sect-ish part of Catholicism. I stopped listening about the last 45 minutes because he was talking about him becoming a priest and although I have zero interest in that topic, I found that I really liked the author and if I ever wanted to talk to a priest, I would hunt him down.

Oh, and I want to visit Plymouth Meeting, which I had never heard of before.