Dedicated

The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing

De: Pete Davis

Narrado por: Pete Davis

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).

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.

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.

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.