Skip to main content
book cover for Impatience Is a Virtue

Impatience Is a Virtue

A Life Where the Buck Stops

You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now

Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app


1

To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.

2

Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.

Pub Date Sep 15 2026 | Archive Date Jul 21 2026

Globe Pequot | Lyons Press


Talking about this book? Use #ImpatienceIsaVirtue #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Shortly after he was named President of Purdue University, Mitch Daniels was asked by the journalist Jonathan Alter if it bothered him that he could have been president of the United States instead. It bothered those who thought then and still do today that Indiana’s chief executive should have been America’s. Daniels, though, was off to the next chapter in one of America’s most remarkable lives.

From the White House to the boardroom of Eli Lilly and Company to Indiana’s Governor’s Office to the presidency of Purdue, Daniels has brought transformative change to America’s public, private and non-profit sectors. In Impatience Is a Virtue he shares how.

Along the way, Daniels reflects on an incredible American story, how the Harley-Davidson riding grandson of a Syrian immigrant became one of the nation’s most admired leaders. It is also a vivid first-hand account of the last half-century of the nation, from the Reagan Revolution to 9/11, to the political upheavals of the 2010s, to the COVID pandemic to the fight for free expression and thought across our college campuses.

Impatience Is a Virtue is the story of Daniels' many lives, told with humility and humor. For the first time, he shares the lessons that led to success in every part of the American economy. At a moment when citizens’ faith in institutions declines and cynicism about their leaders grows, Mitch Daniels’ example matters more than ever.

Shortly after he was named President of Purdue University, Mitch Daniels was asked by the journalist Jonathan Alter if it bothered him that he could have been president of the United States instead...


Advance Praise

“I know leadership when I see it, and I got to watch it closeup for more than a decade in Indiana. He’s still ‘My Gov Mitch’ in my book.”

~ Peyton Manning

“Always listen to Mitch Daniels. He has filtered a lifetime of executive experience, action and decisions through a uniquely clear and discerning mind, and produced a book that helps us understand the moment in which we are living and what we can do to make it better. This book is the answer to the question continually asked by those in national politics the past thirty years: What does Mitch say?”

~ Peggy Noonan

“With his wise and successful service both in business and in government, Mitch Daniels is the perfect person to offer these lessons on how we Americans can restore our unity and civility while remaining a prosperous and free society.”

~ Walter Isaacson

“This book is a sorely needed gift to Americans and the leaders who must restore faith in the institutions which have made our nation great. No one comes close to Mitch when it comes to reforming, revitalizing, and restoring trust in so many institutions, often during crises, in sectors ranging from state, local and federal government, the corporate world, education and think tanks. Mitch’s leadership as Indiana Governor and President of Purdue are extraordinary models of reform to be emulated.”

~ Henry Paulson

“Mitch Daniels has brought uncommon range and practical wisdom to every chapter of his career, with a track record of results. His insights on leadership and institutional change—shaped in part during his time at Lilly and across his work in public service and higher education—are timely and actionable.”

~ Dave Ricks

“Mitch Daniels is one of the most impressive leaders I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Across business, government, and higher education, he has repeatedly shown exceptional results. The lessons of his success are ones every leader should study, to bring greater trust and effectiveness to more of our institutions.”

~ Joe Lonsdale

“Mitch Daniels is a rare leader who has found success across business, government, and higher education. His breadth of experience offers valuable perspective for anyone thinking about what leadership demands in challenging times. His ideas merit serious engagement—whether one shares all his views or not—as they reflect thoughtful consideration of complex problems and a track record of implementation across diverse institutions.”

~ Sian Leah Beilock, President, Dartmouth College

“In this masterfully engrossing memoir, Mitch Daniels shows us first what he had successfully done for the Federal government and for Indiana in maximizing outcomes relative to costs. He then shows us that by introducing market-inspired financial discipline as President of Purdue University, higher education can become much more affordable without diminishing quality. Both governmental and university leaders should run, not walk, to get this book. They would do well to follow his sterling example as they face unprecedented fiscal challenges in coming years.”

~ Richard Vedder, author of Let Colleges Fail: The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education

“In these divisive times, Mitch Daniels’ career is the story of leadership and service that every American needs to hear. Impatience Is a Virtue will inspire a new generation of leaders and reignite our faith in America.”

~ Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Now more than ever Americans should listen to the advice of a man who has seen and done it all but has never surrendered to those who object to conservative leaders with good sense, humility, humor, and a steadfast determination to improve our lives.”

~ Bob Kerrey

“Of America’s finest leaders in business, government, and academia, I can think of only one who has excelled in all three: Mitch Daniels. His wonderful memoir explains how that happened through a fast-moving river of stories—all related with bracing candor, endearing humility, and unsparing wit. Savor this book; it’s packed with wisdom and uplifting reminders of the best that America can be.”

~ Joshua Bolten, CEO, Business Roundtable and former White House Chief of Staff

“An American primer that belongs on the shelf with Benjamin Franklin."

~ Amity Shlaes

“Whether in local, state or the federal government, business, or higher education, Mitch Daniels had led with conviction, common sense, and excellence. In all he’s done, he’s been guided by principle and deep love of country, especially his beloved Indiana. He’s a national treasure. America is better for his years in service and today needs more like him.”

~ Karl Rove

“Mitch Daniels has spent a lifetime doing the hard work of making institutions perform better. In Impatience Is a Virtue, he pairs an extraordinary American story with clear-eyed leadership lessons our country needs to move faster and govern smarter.”

~ Steve Case

“Mitch Daniels gets an angle on a problem, from Covid, to tuition, to government—to everything about work and life—that is different than all the other ways and then it magically always turns out right. The University of Purdue is one of his many masterpieces. I have been there at Mitch Daniels Business School on Mitch Daniels Boulevard—the State of Indiana itself is a Governor Daniels’ masterpiece. Imagine if all states and universities, wait, imagine if our whole country was run by this book.”

~ Jim Clifton

“Mitch Daniels, after an immensely successful career in the private sector and government, joined Purdue University as President. He made a truly unheard-of pledge which was that Purdue University would improve quality while reducing cost. That sent a shock wave through higher education, but what was even more compelling was that he met and exceeded that promise. Higher education has benefitted greatly from Mitch Daniels proving that one can change the arc of higher education institutions with courageous leadership.”

~ Gordon Gee

“Mitch Daniels is a man who makes things—good things—happen. As a governor, he massively improved efficiency while also enhancing accountability. As a university president he raised standards of intellectual excellence and integrity while controlling costs. Perhaps even more impressively, he accomplished these things and more while setting an example of personal rectitude. He is a blessing to our nation.”

~ Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

“I know leadership when I see it, and I got to watch it closeup for more than a decade in Indiana. He’s still ‘My Gov Mitch’ in my book.”

~ Peyton Manning

“Always listen to Mitch Daniels. He has...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781493096121
PRICE $39.95 (USD)
PAGES 568

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Reader (PDF)
NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)