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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
Ugh. I tried to get through this for a work-related book group. I just can't. This is mean to be short biographical chapers on individials who Brooks admires for their different exemplifications of having "character". The 1st chapter (his own personal intro of what he believes character is) is scribbled with my angry notes on this guys sanctimonious, loaded language that is basically an old man screaming "no one is as good as my generation". But, I read on, hoping the biographies would reedeem this book. Sadly the bios continue to be backloaded with his clearly visible personal slant and I just couldn't continue reading. Adding this one to my "abandoned" shelf.
A bit long winded. Can get the full gist from the first 50-100 pages
Interesting idea - examining what defines character, and looking at the multifaceted, sometimes very complex ways it reveals itself. I liked the very diverse set of examples Brooks chose, and appreciated that these folks were often imperfect, yet exemplary. I also enjoyed the nuanced analysis on when one is motivated internally verses externally.
My primary issue is that Brooks tends towards wordiness, and his analysis wanders. It feels like this book served to give homework more than directly teaching me. That's not bad, but it's not as strong a recommendation to read this book as I thought I'd give.
My primary issue is that Brooks tends towards wordiness, and his analysis wanders. It feels like this book served to give homework more than directly teaching me. That's not bad, but it's not as strong a recommendation to read this book as I thought I'd give.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
emotional
informative
medium-paced
I would have given this 3.5 stars if halves were an option. Okay book with vignettes stories of people with character flaws but able to achieve character qualities admirable for being a humanist.
A remarkable book.
I started with the first chapter, and the author, David Brooks, himself mentions that impatient readers should jump to the final chapter for the punch-line. I wasn't impatient, but I jumped to the end anyway as that is my habit when reading non-fiction books. First survey the field, then dive in. It was there, in the final pages, that I got a sweeping overview of the major themes in the book and what the author means regarding this thing called "character".
I was so intrigued by the last chapter, that I turned back to the beginning and read the entire thing. It was thought provoking; and told stories that were heartwarming, sad and inspiring. A few of the stories were long winded, but most were fascinating, to the point where I would often just put the book down and think about what I was reading.
To me, this is a mark of a good book, not just a page-turner, but a book that makes me stop turning pages to think!
This is why I rated the book 5 stars. The topic is intriguing and strikes at the heart of personal development - a genre I love to study - but in a way most self-help books avoid, through the use of deep stories and intricate language. You won't find any "7-steps to success" in this book, but you will come away with a feeling that any suffering, toil, heartache or loss you have faced had a purpose and your character has benefited as a result.
I started with the first chapter, and the author, David Brooks, himself mentions that impatient readers should jump to the final chapter for the punch-line. I wasn't impatient, but I jumped to the end anyway as that is my habit when reading non-fiction books. First survey the field, then dive in. It was there, in the final pages, that I got a sweeping overview of the major themes in the book and what the author means regarding this thing called "character".
I was so intrigued by the last chapter, that I turned back to the beginning and read the entire thing. It was thought provoking; and told stories that were heartwarming, sad and inspiring. A few of the stories were long winded, but most were fascinating, to the point where I would often just put the book down and think about what I was reading.
To me, this is a mark of a good book, not just a page-turner, but a book that makes me stop turning pages to think!
This is why I rated the book 5 stars. The topic is intriguing and strikes at the heart of personal development - a genre I love to study - but in a way most self-help books avoid, through the use of deep stories and intricate language. You won't find any "7-steps to success" in this book, but you will come away with a feeling that any suffering, toil, heartache or loss you have faced had a purpose and your character has benefited as a result.
informative
fast-paced
I didn’t really gain much from this book other than learning a little more about my alma mater. Nice stories with a light character analysis of several historical figures.
David Brooks is a far better writer than I knew. The book is a collection of well-written short biographies of a number of people (such as Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall, Frances Perkins, George Elliot, etc) describing the trials and tribulations they endured that allowed them to build character and achieve deserved prominence. A final chapter summarizes the biographies and describes some of the commonality of the experience of the subjects.
