Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this book as a way of learning about one of the less well-known Democratic contenders for POTUS in 2020, expecting a bullet-list of political goals and Buttigieg’s personal take on why, at his young age, he deserves to be president. What I found instead was a fascinating story of how a bright, clever young man put his decaying Midwestern hometown of South Bend, Indiana, on the road to recovery. Against the backdrop of a well-written story of how Buttigieg grew a city is an even more poignant story of how he grew himself, what that self entails, and details of how that self came to be. The book is not political, though, by its conclusion the author’s politics are clear. It is not a book of promises, but rather a sharing of achievements and the thinking that produced them, which inevitably reveals what Buttigieg would bring to the presidency. Finally, it is not a book of lofty ideals, but a sharing of the recognition that ideals that are worth pursuing require hard work and a willingness to labor intimately and constructively with those around you, even when those around you don’t agree with you. He is bright, insightful, and writes beautifully, skillfully turning the potentially boring in-house details of small town bureaucracy into a fascinating mosaic of growth and hope and never giving up. I feel that my purpose in buying this book was fulfilled: I know Buttigieg well enough to make in informed decision about him in 2020. More importantly, the book allowed me to get to know him as a person, a perspective too often absent in assessing fit for political office. For anyone interested in the upcoming presidential election, it is a must-read.