You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
569 reviews for:
Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future
Pete Buttigieg
4.14 AVERAGE
569 reviews for:
Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future
Pete Buttigieg
4.14 AVERAGE
I feel like I’ve been reading this book for way longer than a week, but not in a bad way. This is probably more like 4.75 stars because of the organization. I prefer chronological over thematic order in memoirs, and this is most definitely thematically organized to the point that I could not figure out where we were in time occasionally. Pete Buttigieg is the real deal, though. Eloquent and smart, he gave me solid insight into who he is as a man and as a presidential candidate even though running for President didn’t seem to be on his radar when he wrote this.
What an excellent book! Buttigieg proves himself to be an excellent storyteller, as well as a scholar and a gentleman. I was impressed by his obvious dedication to his civic duty and his compassion for people of all political persuasions. I took down several quotes while reading that will influence my political beliefs going forward. He writes, “In the struggle for equality, we do well to remember that all people want to be known as decent, respectful and kind. If our first response toward anyone who struggles to get onto the right side of history is to denounce him as a bigot, we will force him into a defensive crouch or into the arms of the extreme right.” (08:09:12) Buttigieg goes on to note that a conservative senior using the ‘wrong’ language to convey a positive message is still “on her way to acceptance and she feels good about her way of getting there. It feels better to grow on your own terms than to be painted into a corner.”(08:09:50) I think this book would be valuable to readers even if Buttigieg were not running for office. Finally, I must compliment his narration. Often author read books can be tedious and grating, but I felt Buttigieg performed like a pro. He’s got the talent for a second career in voiceover work if you ask me.
I enjoyed reading about Pete Buttigieg's life so far. He touched on his military career, a lot about being the mayor of Southbend, IN and his story of coming out and starting to date while being a mayor.
I loved this one! Refreshing and great positive message of hope and looking to the future.
One of the best aspects of reading this book was being a South Bend resident while I did so. I know *of* Mayor Pete, of course, and have even shaken hands with him before, and he is certainly an epic figure in the landscape of this city. And his book emphasizes everything that he says he believes in and acts upon, further fleshing out a young and inspiring leader who seems almost too good to be real. But he's definitely real and he's the "real deal" in my eyes, as smart, empathetic, and engaging in this book as I imagine him to be in person. His descriptions of the every-day duties of life as a city mayor make the mundane into the fascinating; he tracks his life in a stop-start way which is extremely relatable to this millennial still charting her course; and he depicts his love in a completely moving and inspiring light.
I am inspired by his words and his actions, his successes and his ability to glean lessons in his harshest failings. From being his resident to being his reader, I totally believe in Pete, his power, and his commitment to crafting a world not just for the people who like him, but for everyone.
I am inspired by his words and his actions, his successes and his ability to glean lessons in his harshest failings. From being his resident to being his reader, I totally believe in Pete, his power, and his commitment to crafting a world not just for the people who like him, but for everyone.
This actually tarnished my image of Pete which is kind of shocking. I was hoping this book would be similar to his husband's but it felt like I was listening to his resume instead of getting to know him as a person. He narrated the audiobook but it was bland and lifeless most of the time. I guess I shouldn't be shocked since he was prepping for a presidential run but it was disappointing.
I entered this book with a good deal of personal bias. I’m a political staffer who cut my teeth in Indiana politics so I was lucky to meet Mayor Pete a handful of times — as early as 2011 and as recently as 2017. I’ve never been so impressed by a political figure that I’ve met in person. He is able to make you feel like the smartest person in the room despite his clear intellect and impressive resume. So as I was reading the book, I often saw the man that I’ve already built up in my head and heart as a confident and inspirational leader. Those traits were clear in the courage he demonstrated in war, in coming out as openly gay in a conservative Indiana town, and even in performing a piano solo as mayor in front of a packed auditorium. Pete’s journey is unique and ambitious, so much so that at times it feels unrelatable and unbelievable. Nonetheless, I believe it has provided him with a unique perspective that will serve our country well, whether from the oval office or elsewhere.
Mayor Pete is my favorite candidate, and while it may not be 2020, he will be President one day.
I don't know how much of this is ghost-written but he has a good voice. I don't think he has a chance in 2020 but I hope he thinks about running again in the future.
I was really impressed with this book--I always expect these political memoirs to be sort of shallow, but this was engaging, funny, and suffused with pragmatism and decency.