How I Found Myself in the Midwest - by Steve Grove (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A passionate tribute to the power of moving forward by going back home, a Minnesota native son shares an urgent invitation to rediscover the grounding power of community through his story of leaving a life in Silicon Valley to return to the Midwest"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A passionate testimony to the power of moving forward by going back home, a Midwestern native shares hope in going local.

Just after turning forty, Steve Grove left Silicon Valley as a Google executive to move to his home state of Minnesota with his wife and fellow tech exec, Mary Grove, and their one-year-old twins. Gone from the Midwest for two decades, Grove returned home with fresh eyes. Yearning to put down new roots, he traded his career at Google for a position in state government with Governor Tim Walz. Far from working at a fast-paced tech company, Grove's shift to leading a large government bureaucracy brought a sequence of struggles and triumphs vividly portrayed with both humor and affection.

But this story of reinvention takes on new urgency when crisis strikes, as the coronavirus pandemic and the tragic murder of George Floyd unfolds just miles from his newfound home, thrusting Grove's work into an unexpected spotlight. Tasked with distributing billions in aid, rolling out pandemic restrictions, redeveloping neighborhoods, and navigating deep divisions in a state long proud of its exceptionalism, Grove's journey through crisis brings new insights about himself and his new community. His experiences of the political, geographic, and racial divisions in his home state yield surprising discoveries about what also binds us together.

From making new friends and building a family to reconciling with his past and exploring his faith, Grove's journey to find purpose by going local provides a roadmap for anyone looking to discover what gives meaning to their life. Along the way, Grove shares insights about a part of the country that many people ignore at their peril, and why he is optimistic about America's future. How I Found Myself in the Midwest will move and inspire you, no matter where you choose to call home.

Review Quotes

"A must-read book about finding meaning and purpose in your own backyard."--KATIE COURIC, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Going There

"Candid, surprising, compulsively readable, and full of guidance on how today's Americans can learn from and work with their fellow citizens."--JAME S FALLOWS, award-winning coauthor of Our Towns

"A deeply personal and compelling book. With great candor, Grove offers a mosaic of important moments that have shaped his remarkable journey. If you've lost hope in your state, in your nation, in your people, if you've become cynical about the future, this is a book that will restore your faith in the power of community."--WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER, New York Times bestselling author of The River We Remember

"Proving that the Midwest is no longer flyover country, Steve's journey of reinvention will resonate with anyone who's looking for concrete examples of how innovation and entrepreneurship are alive and well all across America."
--STEVE CASE, cofounder of AOL, chairman and CEO of Revolution

About the Author

Steve Grove is CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Previously, he was Minnesota's commissioner of employment and economic development. Before moving back to his home state, Grove built a career in Silicon Valley as an executive at Google and YouTube, most recently as the founding director of the Google News Lab and previously as YouTube's first head of news and politics. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College with a master's degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, Grove has written for several national publications and has served as an advisor to the White House and State Department on counterterrorism strategy. Steve and his wife Mary are the cofounders of Silicon North Stars, a nonprofit that helps underserved youth find career pathways in technology. They are the proud parents of eight-year-old twins, a yellow lab, and two farm cats.