Dedicated

The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing

By: Pete Davis

Narrated by: Pete Davis

Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

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).

©2021 Pete Davis. All rights reserved. “The Abnormal Is Not Courage” from COLLECTED POEMS by Jack Gilbert, ©2012 Jack Gilbert. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thoughtful, engrossing, persuasive

This is a fantastic book. As someone who can spend an evening trying to decide what to watch on Netflix or Prime or HBO or Hulu or PBS, and end up watching nothing, I totally related to the book's premise: all the freedom of choice can be overwhelming, in many areas of life. I listened to this book while gardening and painting a room (having spent too many hours trying to decide on paint colors and then changing my mind after the first coat) and was totally absorbed in it. I've thought about its points several times since finishing the book a couple of months ago.
The narration is good--it's earnest, unique, and well-paced. Much better than generic narrators who sound like television announcers or robots. This book is from the heart and the narration reflects this. I hope it gets the public attention that it deserves.

Must read for millennials

We’ve been lied to. We’ve been taught an individual life experiences of sex, travel, moving, upward career trajectory, dabbling in hobbies would help us find satisfaction. But the hits don’t last. This book gives another perspective in committing to something or some people, and hanging on for the long haul.

Pete David doesn’t gives us much to do’s but masterfully makes an argument for living a counter culture of commitment.

The disagreement I have is that you can have this dedication to anything. Well yes, but does it matter in the end if you dedicate your life to critiquing movies vs tackling systemic injustice? It does… dedicate yourself to something meaningful and worthwhile.

The book I didn't know I needed

I haven’t read any of Pete Davis’ books, so I didn’t know what to expect from this one, but it was fantastic. We’re all flooded with choices and options more than ever, which makes it difficult for us to stick to one thing. We’re afraid to commit to one thing because we want to leave our options open, and FOMO is definitely a problem I struggle with, and I know many others do as well. Pete Davis presents a compelling argument for why we need to stay dedicated to relationships, projects, jobs, interests, and much more. Without even realizing it, this book was something I needed in my life because I have 1,000 ideas a day and often jump from one to another. I took a bit longer to read this book than others because I really wanted to savor the lessons from it and implement some of the ideas into the different projects that I’m currently working on. This was an excellent book, and now I look forward to checking out the other books that Pete has written.

Gives language and vision to these times

Gives language to describe these times. And hope and vision for what we can become.

Great Writer, Terrible Narrator

Overall, a decent book with a worthwhile message and thought-provoking anecdotes, but Davis' voice constantly cracks and was a bit unbearable to listen to at times. His voice makes his text less powerful. However, the writing, despite how its read aloud, is expertly crafted and gets his points across with eloquence.

good points but leave the narration to the pros

very interesting thesis about the value of commitment. many good examples about the value of going deep and over the Long haul. everywhere we go we see people just skimming the tops of the waves. the book could have been shorter it's a little preachy but there's good content

Interesting, but repetitive...

The overall theme of the book is interesting, but about 75% through it seemed I had heard the same thing over and over again with similar examples across similar-themed organizations. It would have been more insightful if the author had found examples in organizations that were more varied in their purpose, theme, or political leaning. The book is 7.5 hours and I feel like 3-4 of those hours could have been trimmed out from the current content and the listener would essentially absorb the same message as the full-length book. Nevertheless, I think it had a solid beginning and I believe the last hour was interesting enough so that it was worth the wait.

Leave the narration to actors please!!

When are authors going to learn to let the experts narrate their books!! I have yet to listen to a single instance of this that is bearable! This book is no exception. It makes the content - which had potential - impossible to listen to. This guy sounds like a high school student who’s voice hasn’t quite changed yet. It cracks all the time and has no power what so ever.

Almost too difficult to listen to

Pete Davis' voice cracks almost every other word. It is very annoying. I listen at 1.3x and it is very annoying. I tried it at 1x and it is even worse.

Inspiring and thought-provoking

This thought provoking treatise makes the case for making long-term commitments to the people, communities, organizations, and causes that we care about, instead of rootlessly flitting from thing to thing and calling that unmoored transaction-based life "freedom." Several parts of the book are also written very poetically in a way that made me fondly remember Obama's inspiring speeches. I saved a lot of bookmarks and clips! And though I know some reviews didn't appreciate the narration, I have to say that I loved it. It was very endearing to hear Pete's emotion coming through and yes even his voice cracking here and there... it felt real and alive, and so much better than the monotonous robotic tone that a lot of professional audiobook narrators have. This would make a great book for a book club whose members want to think about the ways that they're showing up in their communities currently and for the long haul.