Grounded audiobook

I wrote the following review for the Missoulian newspaper:On the sweltering Monday evening of August 29, 2005, I was part of a crowd of several thousand other people assembled to see the band Pearl Jam play the Adams Center at the University of Montana. As my friends and I waited just outside the front entrance, a burly mountain of a man with a tight flat-top haircut pressed past us and opened the door. He smiled at me and said, “I need to get inside!”“Yeah, you do,” I said and held the door wide so he could shoulder through. When the door slammed shut behind him, my buddy said, “Who was that guy?”“That’s the guy we are here for,” I said. “That’s Jon Tester.”Though he’s certainly forgotten our brief interaction, the tale of that Pearl Jam show in Missoula and how it came to be is just one of many stories U.S. Senator Jon Tester relates in his new book, Grounded: A Senator’s Lessons On Winning Back Rural America. The Pearl Jam concert was a fundraiser for his first campaign in pursuit of joining the “most exclusive club in the world,” the United States Senate. Tester won that race, defeating incumbent Conrad Burns in a tightly-contested election in 2006. That election, and many events to follow, are key moments that turned a relatively unknown politician from a sparsely-populated region of a sparsely-populated state into one of the most recognizable personalities in the modern politics of the United States of America. A staunch and outspoken supporter of rural, working class people and veterans, Tester weathered, in his last campaign for re-election in 2018, a full court press by the 45th President of the United States to see him defeated. Grounded opens with that particular story, and in its telling I felt the smug satisfaction of how those events played out all over again.There are two things I appreciate immediately about Tester’s book. First, for something it’s not: another tell-all book about the current President of the United States of a type currently dominating the world of political nonfiction. It seems every few weeks another muckraking book about how awful 45 is is breathlessly unleashed on the world and people gobble it up. This is tedious and off-putting, frankly, and the sooner these books and their ilk fade from memory the better. The point here is that if you haven’t figured out yet that the guy in the oval office is a pathological liar and a narcissist out only for himself, you’re never going to. The second thing about Tester’s book, and most important, is that Grounded is actually good! Tester is an affable guy and relates a good story, whether it is the incident with the meat grinder that cost him several fingers as a child, or his experiences as a referee for small town high school basketball. The man has always seemed to me to be a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy. Since that first brief encounter with him at his big benefit show I’ve crossed paths with the senator many times over the years, in both sanctioned events and informal encounters, and he has always been friendly and generous with his time. That attitude comes through in his book, and if his stories lean a little, “Ah, shucks….” folksy it’s because that is who he is.Biased as I am—Jon Tester is the first political candidate I ever actively participated in support of via campaign donations, attending fundraisers, etc.—I did not expect to like the book much. Yes, Tester spends quite a few pages relaying his political achievements but it doesn’t read like the chest thumping one comes to expect from this type of book. The way the book is broken up his stories overlap with stories from his youth; for example, anecdotes where his father makes the young man troubleshoot farm problems on his own (a farm Tester takes over while still in his 20s), that later serve him well in politics. These little gems help forge a larger picture of the senator, and I found myself liking him even more.A nod must be made to co-author Aaron Murphy for the book’s readability. Murphy served as Tester’s press secretary and communications director from 2006-2013, and as his Chief of Staff from 2017-2019. Whatever role Murphy played in getting Tester’s memoir onto the page—and I suspect it was a significant one—he did so tastefully and with a light touch. This is Tester’s voice we are hearing here. Grounded is a quick, interesting read. Tester’s political commentary on politics, from as inside as one can get, pulls no punches. I respect the honesty. Readers will come away with not just a fresh perspective on one of our country’s more notable public servants, but also, hopefully, inspired.

Wow! Highly Recommend For Everyone!Not since Michelle Obama's "Becoming", have I enjoyed another book as Jon Tester's "Grounded." We have to make America great again by ridding of Trump and his enablers and bring back trust, integrity, equality, decency and transparency back to this great nation of ours if we are to survive and thrive in the future. Enough damage has been done and now it's time to heal our America! We have hope as long as we have decent politicians who took an oath to uphold our Constitution and keep that oath as Jon Tester has done!

There are many reasons that this is much better than other political memoirs. One is that he is different than other political figures. He continues to farm even after being elected to the United States Senate; he goes home every weekend, wakes up early , does all the grunt work with his wife in all types of weather, and does not have independent wealth or large farm income to tide him through. But when he writes of the hard work and challenges, he is not preachy, but he writes as he is lucky because he clearly loves the land and his work.Another is his candor about times he was wrong. Other memoirs have confessions but they come off as obligatory with more justifying and defending than admission of being wrong. Not Tester. His recounting of voting as a school board member to suspend a male high school student is frank. He concludes he was wrong, acknowledges that the school board was essentially forced to do the right thing and reinstate the student, writes with sympathy about the student and his supporters and explains why he voted as he did without trying to minimize his current belief he made a mistake.It is also refreshing to read about a political figure who can't be pigeonholed in this time of such polarization. Tester writes with anger as he recounts negative experiences with bureaucratic regulators with no common sense, no business experience. However, Tester does not have a knee jerk reaction by wanting to get rid of regulations, he simply advocates for common sense enforcement of them.He discusses his political campaigns with the same candor. In his first campaign, in 2006, he ran against the Washington DC establishment pick for the Democratic primary, continuing to run even after criticized for endangering the chances of Democrats picking up the seat. He continued to be at odds with the establishment even after winning the primary, he describes Charles Schumer calling him upset about Tester's debate where he supported repeal for the Patriot Act. Tester recalls telling Schumer that he knew Montana politics better than Schumer did(and for Tester, it was not just a political strategy, he explains why he believes that the Patriot Act was bad). As I read Tester's description of the exchange I realized that Tester didn't really care if Schumer reads the unflattering descriptions and how he would react.Tester ends the book with advice on how Democrats can appeal to rural voters in red states. His advice is instructive, something that Democrats and Republicans alike could learn from.Simply, a great book.

There are a couple of reviews stating that they didn’t need the Montana history lesson, but they fail to realize our unique history in reining in corrupt political practices has caused us to have a unique view on politics. We have no tolerance for the decadent lifestyle many in Congress take for granted, because we have to work, and work hard to make ends meet. They also fail to realize that the stories he tells, and the history he shares, are the guide Democrats need to win back rural America. What the Senator is trying to say to all those bigwigs in Washington is that rural America needs to hear that they’re going to crack down on the actual bad guys on Wall Street and leave the little guy alone. We don’t need people in suits to tell us that they know better than us when they’ve never even experienced a winter on the Hi-Line. Come and meet us face-to-face. Don’t write us off just because we don’t have the money to compete with corporate lobbyists. I sincerely hope that Senator Tester will be able to serve us for as long as he is able and willing, because he’s one of the good ones.

This is a rare political memoir that is interesting simply because of who Jon Tester is: a 7-fingered farmer from rural America representing one of the reddest states in the country as a Democratic US Senator. His missing three fingers come from a meat grinder accident when he was butchering beef as a child. Those of us from rural America will relate to his depictions of growing up and being around farmers and rural life. I found myself especially enjoying his description of a stray one-eared dog that wandered on to his farm and how he segues that story into a blistering critique of contemporary pet culture. That perspective is just one example of seeing values and thoughts articulated by a voice that is seldom heard in mainstream politics. His prose radiates humility and authenticity and mostly avoids cringeworthy rah-rah party writing that too often befalls works in this genre.

Having grown up in a remote rural county in California, dominated by alfalfa fields and cattle ranches, I'm always interested to see what other people suggest as solutions to the issues faced by rural Americans. This is one of the more genuine examinations that I've read, and is readable to boot! Mostly it's a memoir, but is set in context in a way that allows the reader to get a feel for rural values. It's a positive view which in some ways is problematic as then you wonder, "why did anyone vote for Trump?" Tester has some answers, but not many. Jon Tester is the unusual Democrat as he is pro-gun, yet also in favor of common-sense rules around gun ownership. If you're really interested in his bottom-line recommendations for winning rural votes, read the last two chapters of the book.

It is probably rare to call a memoir a page-turner. For me, this book is! Partly, it is Jon's engaging and down-to-earth storytelling and partly it is because I see elements of my own life in his descriptions of rural issues. If you're looking for Christmas gift ideas-I recommend this book!I loved reading the behind-the-scenes descriptions of political contests and recent events. I think it says a lot about his character that there are many times where he was pulled into developing drama, did not linger in it, and got back to work for our state and country.This man's leadership in Washington is what rain is to soil - fresh, clean and energy-giving. Thank God.

I bought this book because I am intrigued by Tester’s success as a Dem in a rock solid red state. I’m troubled by the rural/urban divide. I was raised rural, but have been urban most of my adult life. I hoped for some insight into how we might heal the divide. The answer: it comes down to the values and integrity of the individuals themselves. But there are some things the parties can do, and Tester offers advice to both. Here’s hoping more like Jon go into politics, and that some of his advice is taken to heart, starting with reversal of Citizens United.

Wow, here’s a political book and its NOT about Trump. Tester, a Democratic senator from the conservative state of Montana. After reading this book, Tester’s down-to-earth style, I’d love to have him come to dinner and share more, although he can leave that story out about childhood encounter with a meat grinder in which he lost several fingers, doesn’t need to be retold. His former press secretary is the co-author and has made Tester voice come through clearly. Its not a long book, but shares so much about why this Montanan is a valued senator who understands the rural lifestyle.

I learned so much about being a senator and the different values that they hold, how they function in their position, and the dynamics between senators and other leaders. it was very interesting to read about Jon's experiences and opinions on things. I will say that it was a little long and could have been shorter while still getting the same message out there. it provided useful insight into the government and was overall illuminating.

Sadly I had not heard of Jon Tester, but I saw the reviews and thought it could be an interesting book. I had read the story of other senators, and am now adding Jon from Montana. THis also gave me a little perspective on Montana politics. Jon advocates for veterans and made great strides in that area as a democrat under the Trump administration. It definetely sounded like he made his votes in the senate based on knowledge and not along party lines.

I read this book after hearing Jon talk on Al Franken’s podcast. I decided it was a different genre and and perspective to hear from a real farmer and person living in rural America. Glad I read it. Not sure I agree with 100% of his rural points but at least a high percentage of them. He is pragmatic, appreciative, and honest. Jon would be a person I’d like to hang out and have a casual conversation with.

Honestly one of the better political memoirs I’ve read. I’ve been a fan of Jon Tester since I learned about him after moving to Montana for college. His insight into his political campaigns and life are interesting, and his commitment to his principles is clear. I also love that he calls Don Jr “greasy haired” multiple times. His recounting of the 2018 election brought me back to my voting experience that day.

I loved this book. An easy read by a down to earth farmer/politician. I’m thankful I was introduced to Senator Tester by watching CSPAN and the committee hearings for Mayor Pete’s nomination as Secretary of Transportation. I caught a snippet of Sen. Tester praising, now Secretary Buttigieg, for his honesty and grasp of the issues. I said this is a Senator I need to find out more about. Along comes Grounded. I recommend this book to all my friends, Dems or Reps.