The Road to Character by David Brooks | A Review

by Eureka Books

The Road to Character by David Brooks | A Review David Brooks’ The Road to Character examines how cultural and personal morals have altered over the last century, creating a world where virtues that were once considered poor character are now revered. However, despite this change in values, it is still possible to build a character that can rise above a focus on material possessions or personal successes…

 

This companion to The Road to Character Overview of the book Important Characters Key Takeaways and Analysis of Key Takeaways and much more!

Genres: Nonfiction

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2015

Reviews

[Sarb Randhawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book calls out how obsessed we are with looking successful while being totally empty inside. We spend all our time and energy building up our resumes, chasing money, titles, and trying to prove we are better than everyone else. But Brooks points out that we completely ignore our "eulogy virtues," which are the things people actually talk about at your funeral, like if you were honest, kind, or a dependable friend. He argues that our culture tells us to just love ourselves and promote ourselves, but doing that actually makes us selfish and weak. To get any real depth, you have to do the painful work of fighting your own flaws.

To prove his point, the book looks at the messy, difficult lives of different historical figures. They didn't start out perfect; they made huge mistakes and suffered a lot.
Building actual character means realizing you aren't the center of the universe, taking a hard look at the ugly parts of yourself, and committing to something bigger than your own career.

[Sharon Royle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of the subject and the author. I enjoy and can relate to David Brooks' political views on NPR. This was an interesting book and the points he made were illustrated by true stories of people, some famous, others not. Through their stories, we found that these people did not start out their lives being pillars of their societies, but grew to become in many cases noble people who influenced so many others. One illustration was of President Eisenhower's mother. She had a tough life raising several boys, but she was strong and was a great influence on her son, Dwight. The book features several others who also didn't start out with a strong character, but each worked their way throughout their lives to be great people. A very good and memorable read!

[Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised that I did NOT like this book. I have respect for David Brooks, both as journalist and commentator, but I gave up on this book without finishing it. Perhaps I simply didn't understand what his intent was with the long, drawn out discussions of people in the book. But to me, it was confusing when he started talking about one person, then suddenly jumped to another. Each chapter seemed excessively long, which made it difficult for me to stay with a character to fully understand. That said, I have little else to say beyond "I didn't get it".

[Dvsty Producer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something I read yearly.

Naive at times? Absolutely. Clearly written by someone privileged? Yes.

But there is much wisdom in this here book. Furthermore, it’s so fulfilling to read it year after year, to see how far I have come, and to understand what is useful in the book and what is not anymore.

[Anniepster · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a hard slog to get through but well worth it for interesting ideas and great for discussion.

[Carmen Hinkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

important for any serious thinking

[Strick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad at all

[June Hiza]

Deborah Knott

[marissa sammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The road to character is, apparently, chiefly paved by white Americans usually involved in politics. Brooks' ethnocentric approach didn't fly with me and I quit halfway through.

[Jared Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was a concise review of a great self-help book. By condensing the points into this little pamphlet I was able to learn a lot while maintaining my busy lifestyle. I really struggle to find time for reading, so these reviews are perfect for me.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much to think about. This would be an excellent book club book. we might want to focus on key chapters for our discussion.