Andy Andrews Books in Order
Explore Andy Andrews books in order with reading guides, summaries, series overviews, and tips on where to start with his inspirational fiction and nonfiction.
Last updated: January 14, 2026
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Publication Order
26 books
Lost in the Swamp
by Andy Andrews
2024
Set in the wilderness at Christmastime, this story follows brothers Austin and Adam after a routine hunting trip leaves them stranded in a dark, unfamiliar swamp. As they search for a way out, they face fear, meet surprising guides, and discover what courage and brotherhood really mean.
Just Jones
by Andy Andrews
2020
Back in Orange Beach, Jones returns in the middle of the night, fresh from a brief stint in jail and already running an odd little shop. As pranks unsettle the town, he draws neighbors around a massive table and again uses perspective and connection to nudge lives in new directions.
The Bottom of the Pool
by Andy Andrews
2019
Using stories from business and everyday life, Andrews challenges readers to question best practices and the limits they quietly accept. By learning to think from the bottom of the pool instead of the surface, he argues you can see opportunities others miss and achieve unusual results.
The Traveler's Summit
by Andy Andrews
2018
A revised edition of David Ponder’s second adventure, this novel gathers him with a council of historical figures and charges them with finding a two word answer that could save civilization. History, suspense, and personal challenge blend into one more exploration of decisive living.
The Little Things
by Andy Andrews
2017
Challenging the idea that you should never sweat the small stuff, this book argues that tiny choices and details often decide whether you win or lose. Through stories and practical examples, Andrews shows how paying close attention can transform work, relationships, and personal goals.
The Perfect Moment
by Andy Andrews
2015
Part story, part workbook, this slender volume invites you to notice and create perfect moments in your everyday life. Andrews shows how gratitude and small shifts in attention can turn ordinary days into memories, encouraging readers to live more intentionally.
Henry Hodges Needs a Friend
by Andy Andrews
2015
Rhyming text and playful illustrations follow lonely Henry, a boy who feels like he does not fit in, as his parents take him to a pet rescue. Meeting a very unusual dog teaches him that the right friend can change how you see yourself and the world.
The Seven Decisions
by Andy Andrews
2014
Expanding on ideas from The Traveler’s Gift, this book unpacks seven decisions about responsibility, wisdom, action, faith, joy, compassion, and persistence. Real life examples and self reflection exercises help readers apply the concepts to relationships, finances, leadership, and personal growth.
The Noticer Returns
by Andy Andrews
2013
Jones resurfaces on the Alabama coast and quietly begins leading a parenting group at a historic hotel. Through stories, questions, and small experiments, he helps families rethink fear, discipline, and legacy, showing how intentional choices at home can reshape the culture around them.
Baseball, Boys, and Bad Words
by Andy Andrews
2013
Seen through eleven year old Andy’s eyes, a Little League season in a small town turns unforgettable when a mysterious new coach arrives. The mishaps and dugout conversations are laugh out loud funny, but they also reveal what kids really learn from the adults around them.
The Final Summit
by Andy Andrews
2011
An older David Ponder is summoned to a mysterious summit with notable figures from history, tasked with finding a single principle that could steer humanity away from disaster. With only a few chances to answer, he and his companions wrestle with what really saves a civilization.
How Do You Kill 11 Million People?
by Andy Andrews
2011
This brief but pointed book asks how a government can mislead millions and what happens when citizens stop insisting on truth. Using the example of Nazi Germany, Andrews urges readers to value honesty, learn from history, and stay engaged in public life.
The Kid Who Changed theWorld
by Andy Andrews
2010
Written for children, this picture book shows how a boy who loved cornfields grew up to help save countless lives from hunger. By linking his story to people who influenced him, it teaches kids that their choices today can quietly change the world tomorrow.
The Noticer
by Andy Andrews
2009
In the beach town of Orange Beach, Alabama, a drifter named Jones appears whenever people hit rock bottom, offering what he calls a little perspective. Through his quiet conversations, struggling families and business owners begin to see their lives in a different light.
The Butterfly Effect
by Andy Andrews
2009
In this illustrated gift book, Andrews traces how one farmer’s decision and a scientist’s work combined to help feed millions. The story makes a simple case that every action, no matter how small it seems, can ripple outward and matter far beyond what we see.
Return to Sawyerton Springs
by Andy Andrews
2009
More stories from the offbeat town of Sawyerton Springs, where parades go sideways, relatives say too much, and old memories refuse to fade. Andrews uses the laughter and chaos of small town life to point toward family, forgiveness, and the value of paying attention.
Mastering the Seven Decisions
by Andy Andrews
2009
Designed as an owner's manual to The Traveler’s Gift, this guide walks readers step by step through the seven decisions introduced in David Ponder’s journey. Short chapters, reflection questions, and practical exercises help you weave those principles into daily habits and long term plans.
The Heart Mender
by Andy Andrews
2005
Set on the Gulf Coast during World War II, a grieving young widow finds a wounded German sailor washed ashore and must decide whether to save him. Their unlikely connection becomes a story about forgiveness, healing, and learning to trust again after deep loss.
Socks for Christmas
by Andy Andrews
2005
This true Christmas tale follows a ten year old boy who thinks he is having a perfect holiday until a plain pair of socks shows up under the tree. Through one simple gift, he discovers gratitude and a deeper meaning of Christmas.
The Lost Choice
by Andy Andrews
2004
When a family discovers a mysterious bronze fragment covered in ancient writing, their search for answers links them to world changing figures from history. As they trace the relic’s path, they uncover how a handful of deliberate choices can shape generations.
The Traveler's Gift
by Andy Andrews
2002
After losing his job and nearly everything else, businessman David Ponder is flung through time to meet seven historical figures who each share one crucial decision. Their lessons on responsibility, courage, and persistence give him a chance to rewrite his future.
Never Give Up and Go For It!
by Andy Andrews
2002
Short, accessible profiles and letters from American heroes introduce kids to real people who faced hardship and kept going. Soldiers, explorers, and other leaders share simple encouragement so young readers see how courage, character, and hard work can shape a life.
Never Give Up and Go For It!
by Andy Andrews
2002
Focused on entertainers and public figures, this volume shares upbeat letters from well known names about dreams, setbacks, and staying grounded. The stories are written for kids, encouraging them to believe big, work hard, and never quit when life feels difficult.
Never Give Up and Go For It!
by Andy Andrews
2002
Here, everyday men and women who have overcome serious obstacles write directly to young readers. Their short letters and stories highlight perseverance, faith, and determination, showing that you do not have to be famous to inspire others or to change your own future.
Never Give Up and Go For It!
by Andy Andrews
2002
Featuring athletes from different sports, this collection uses real life stories and letters to show how practice, discipline, and teamwork pay off. Kids hear about losses as well as victories, and are encouraged to keep going even when the score is against them.
Tales from Sawyerton Springs
by Andy Andrews
1995
Collection of linked stories set in the small town of Sawyerton Springs, told with front porch humor and a touch of nostalgia. Childhood scrapes, church suppers, and oddball neighbors become gentle reminders that ordinary days can hold surprising wisdom and grace.
Where should I start?
If you want his core time travel stories: The Traveler's Gift → The Final Summit → The Traveler's Summit.
If you prefer character driven inspiration: The Noticer → The Noticer Returns → Just Jones.
If small town humor sounds fun: Tales from Sawyerton Springs → Return to Sawyerton Springs → Baseball, Boys, and Bad Words.
If you like concise life principles: The Butterfly Effect → How Do You Kill 11 Million People? → The Little Things → The Bottom of the Pool.
If you are reading with kids: The Kid Who Changed the World → Henry Hodges Needs a Friend → Socks for Christmas.
Author bio
Andy Andrews is an American author and speaker known for blending story, history, and practical life lessons in a way that feels more like a conversation than a lecture. He writes both fiction and nonfiction, but almost everything he does is about perspective.
He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1959 and grew up in the town of Dothan, where music and church life shaped much of his childhood. His father served as a minister of music, and his mother played piano and led children’s choirs.(en.wikipedia.org)
Everything changed when he was nineteen.
That year, his mother died of cancer and his father was killed in a car accident, leaving him suddenly on his own. Grief and a string of bad choices eventually left him homeless on the Alabama Gulf Coast, sleeping under a pier or in borrowed spaces while he tried to figure out his next step.(en.wikipedia.org)
In that season he started living at the library, working his way through more than two hundred biographies of people who had overcome huge obstacles. As he read, he began to notice seven recurring decisions about responsibility, wisdom, action, certainty, happiness, compassion, and persistence. Those ideas became the backbone of his time-travel novel The Traveler’s Gift, which later landed on bestseller lists and was spotlighted by a national morning show.(en.wikipedia.org)
Since then, Andrews has written a shelf of books that all circle similar questions: why do some people rebound from hardship while others stay stuck, and how much does one life really matter. In The Lost Choice he follows a mysterious bronze relic that touches figures across history, while The Heart Mender uses a World War II love story on the Gulf Coast to explore forgiveness. Nonfiction works like How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, The Little Things, and The Bottom of the Pool tackle truth, leadership, and thinking differently in plain, pointed language.
Again and again, his stories return to perspective, personal responsibility, and the quiet power of everyday choices.
Alongside his writing, Andrews built an unusual speaking and consulting career. He moved from stand up comedy into keynotes and long term coaching for businesses, sports teams, and military leaders, eventually founding Creating Measurable Results and launching projects like Wisdom Harbour and his podcast, The Professional Noticer. He is also known for a live streaming show called The Blue Plate Special, where he riffs on current questions and old stories for an online audience.(andyandrews.com)
He has spoken at the request of four United States presidents and to units across the armed forces, but he still roots his work in very local places like Orange Beach and the fictional town of Sawyerton Springs. Picture books such as The Kid Who Changed the World and Henry Hodges Needs a Friend carry the same themes to younger readers, showing kids that small acts and lonely seasons can matter more than they imagine. Andrews lives in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his wife, Polly, and their two sons, continuing to write, teach, and look for new ways to help people see their lives a little more clearly.(yellowhammernews.com)
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