Pete Buttigieg Book order (chronological)

Pete Buttigieg demonstrates how a breakdown of trust has been central to our nation's current predicament-and how our future depends on finding ways to restore confidence in the American project, and in each other.

In this insightful work, Pete Buttigieg emphasizes the critical role of trust in addressing the unique challenges of the coming decades. He argues that trust is foundational to American democracy, yet it has been eroded by a century marked by terrorism, financial crises, populism, systemic racism, and a global pandemic. Buttigieg highlights the urgent need for Americans to collaborate in confronting the monumental issues of our time. Through a blend of history, political philosophy, and personal anecdotes, he examines the connection between social trust and prosperity. He identifies a threefold crisis of trust: in our institutions, in one another, and in the American project itself. This pervasive distrust has destabilized society, leading to resentment toward the very government that is essential for solutions. The rise of the internet and partisan media has further fragmented shared realities, diminishing confidence in experts and exacerbating the challenges of the pandemic. Buttigieg asserts that our ability to tackle pressing issues—such as racial and economic justice, pandemic resilience, and climate action—depends on our capacity to cultivate and restore trust. He issues an urgent call for an "American way of trust" at this polarized moment, aiming to inspire a movement that can redefine our collective future.

In his role as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg has emerged as a transformative political figure, tackling challenges in a city once labeled as "dying." His hands-on approach includes engaging with residents in community spaces, revitalizing abandoned properties, addressing gun violence, and fostering economic growth by attracting high-tech industries. Buttigieg's journey from a successful business career to public service showcases his commitment to urban reinvention and innovative leadership in the industrial Midwest.

A mayor's inspirational story of a Midwest city that has become a blueprint for American renewal. Once called "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of," Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-seven-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has emerged as one of America's most visionary politicians. With soaring prose celebrating a resurgent Midwest, the narrative details the transformation of a "dying city" into a model of urban reinvention. Elected at twenty-nine as the nation's youngest mayor, Buttigieg recognized that "great cities, and even great nations, are built through attention to the everyday." The challenges were daunting, from confronting gun violence and renaming a street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. to attracting tech companies to a city previously appealing only to junk bond scavengers. His audacious campaign to reclaim 1,000 abandoned houses in 1,000 days exemplified his commitment. While serving as a Navy officer in Afghanistan, Buttigieg faced personal challenges, coming out in a South Bend Tribune editorial just before being reelected with 78 percent of the vote. He also found love with Chasten Glezman, a middle-school teacher. Amid Washington's scandals, this narrative, rich in humor and grace, challenges perceptions of the typical American politician, offering a new vision for a revitalized Rust Belt city.