Dedicated, Pete Davis
Dedicated, Pete Davis
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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Dedicated
The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing

Author: Pete Davis

Narrator: Pete Davis

Unabridged: 7 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/04/2021


Synopsis

A profoundly inspiring and transformative argument that purposeful commitment and civic engagement can be a powerful force in today’s age of restlessness and indecision.

Most of us have had this experience: browsing through countless options on Netflix, unable to commit to watching any given movie—and losing so much time skimming reviews and considering trailers that it’s too late to watch anything at all. In a book inspired by an idea first articulated in a viral commencement address, Pete Davis argues that this is the defining characteristic of the moment: keeping our options open. We are stuck in “Infinite Browsing Mode”—swiping through endless dating profiles without committing to a single partner, jumping from place to place searching for the next big thing, and refusing to make any decision that might close us off from an even better choice we imagine is just around the corner. This culture of restlessness and indecision, Davis argues, is causing tension in the lives of young people today: We want to keep our options open, and yet we yearn for the purpose, community, and depth that can only come from making deep commitments.

In Dedicated, Davis examines this quagmire, as well as the counterculture of committers who have made it to the other side. He shares what we can learn from the “long-haul heroes” who courageously commit themselves to particular places, professions, and causes—who relinquish the false freedom of an open future in exchange for the deep fulfillment of true dedication. Weaving together examples from history, personal stories, and applied psychology, Davis’s “insightful without being preachy…guide to commitment should be on everyone’s reading list” (Booklist, starred review).

About Pete Davis

Pete Davis is a civic advocate from Falls Church, Virginia. He works on projects aimed at deepening American democracy and solidarity. Pete is the cofounder of the Democracy Policy Network, a state policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy. In 2015, he cofounded Getaway, a company that provides simple, unplugged escapes to tiny cabins outside of major cities. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, “A Counterculture of Commitment,” has been viewed more than 30 million times.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ryan

The late sociologist Zygmunt Bauman described life in the modern world as living in “liquid modernity,” or a state of constant change and uncertainty. Having liberated ourselves from traditional social structures and hierarchies—and with the rise of technology, cheap and efficient travel, and the in......more

Goodreads review by Jon

A rare book that got me to think in a new way and provided comfort at the same time. I better understand the tension central to my own life, my generation, and maybe our time -- the tension of wanting to keep our options open, but wanting to be people that make a difference. By the end, I felt inspi......more

Goodreads review by Atri

Perhaps the most powerful one is your story: the one you tell yourself - and even better, others - about why you are committed to whatever you've decided to do. *** "All meaning accrues in duration." *** The German word for authenticity, Eigentlichkeit roughly translates to "ownedness" or "being one's o......more

Goodreads review by Grace

This was a great read, so I’ll start by saying why I’m “only” giving it three stars. If I could, I’d give it 3.5, because the concept is good and a lot of the material is interesting. But at times it felt like a survey, almost, and the structure was a little flimsy. A lot of things introduced early......more

Goodreads review by pugs

not a bad book, but felt like it could have been boiled down to a really good ted talk. recent politically-adjacent books continue to push the line of conversation right up to calling out capitalism, only to stumble at the finish line in order to ensure a pile up of npr-donating readers. a shining e......more