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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
A thought provoking read. It seems like when it comes to values, a pendulum swings between the self-centered values and the more community-centered values. There must be a balance, I think. Reading about these character traits which Brooks outlines kept reminding me of my grandparents. They would have completely related to many of the ideas in this book. My only criticism would be that the writing style is a tad dull. Still a worthy read, though.
I thought this book was quite interesting at the beginning, but then starting dragging and the arguments became less clear midway through. Specifically, I had a difficult time getting through the chapters on George Eliot, Augustine and to a lesser degree, Samuel Johnson.
I feel like David Brooks is trying to do the same thing as Clive James' Cultural Amnesia but he did it in much fewer pages and more cohesively. I give this five stars in protest against all the two star reviews.
inspiring
slow-paced
I am not a fan of Brooks, and while this came highly recommended, it did not make me a fan. Kind of a didactic modern ‘lives’, it made some interesting points but also stepped right over questions of privilege and intersectionality.
Brooks describes the resume characteristics and the eulogy characteristics, and says that we as a society are now too focused on the resume ones, such as status, occupation, salary/wealth, attainments. He then gives brief biographies of people who had to struggle to attain a good moral/ethical outlook. I really liked parts of this book, but got bogged down in other sections. I do agree with his basic assessment and loved his writing in part, especially the beginning and end.
I wanted to love this book because the idea is so true. There are some great parts to this book and then there are some terribly boring examples. A good thought provoking book but I struggled to finish it.
I loved this quote, " Sin is a necessary piece of our mental furniture because it reminds us that life is a moral affair....no matter how hard we strive to replace sin with nonmoral words like "mistake" or "error" or "weakness," the most essential parts of life are matters of individual responsibility and moral moral choice."
I loved this quote, " Sin is a necessary piece of our mental furniture because it reminds us that life is a moral affair....no matter how hard we strive to replace sin with nonmoral words like "mistake" or "error" or "weakness," the most essential parts of life are matters of individual responsibility and moral moral choice."
In style and content reminiscent of Plutarch's 'Lives', this was a rather dull account of a series of interesting individuals, a kind of meta-biography, with the ultimate aim of distilling the quintessence of 'character'.
DNF...I really wanted to like this book but found it hard to read. I may pick it up later and give it another shot. I have enjoyed other sociology books, but the tone in this one irritated me.
Short Review: The profiles of people of Character are interesting, but continually I was frustrated by Brooks inability to really point to what was different between those with Character then and those without character now. He keeps saying that things were not better in the past, but much of the nature of why people acted differently was related to other cultural issues that we do not want to bring back. Submission to authority and willingness to just keep your head down and plug away may be one way to built character, but it is also a way to ignore injustice around you. Repressing your feelings to the outside world may be a way to make your life look like it is better than it is, but is that fundamentally different from the 'Facebook perfect' that Brooks and others also seem to be condemning.
What was most frustrating was the overt religious discussion of the motivation of many of the characters profiled. That discussion was concerned with Grace, Sin, Mercy, Forgiveness, Love, but with almost all of the Christian theological meaning stripped out. What was left was mostly a civil religious utilitarianism. It was a communal understanding of utilitarianism, so the work you are doing may not benefit you individually but it is good for society. But it is still utilitarianism.
I am all for focusing on character, but I think character has to mean something with an intrinsic purpose. I strive after good character and work on repressing my sin, not for the purposes of repressing sin or getting what I want or earning salvation, but to become the person that God intends me to be. I overcome sin and express love to those around me, through the grace of God with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the Christian community around me not for the purpose of building character but in thankfulness to God for the mercy that he has demonstrated to me already.
It is not all bad, but it is frustrating. My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/road-to-character/
What was most frustrating was the overt religious discussion of the motivation of many of the characters profiled. That discussion was concerned with Grace, Sin, Mercy, Forgiveness, Love, but with almost all of the Christian theological meaning stripped out. What was left was mostly a civil religious utilitarianism. It was a communal understanding of utilitarianism, so the work you are doing may not benefit you individually but it is good for society. But it is still utilitarianism.
I am all for focusing on character, but I think character has to mean something with an intrinsic purpose. I strive after good character and work on repressing my sin, not for the purposes of repressing sin or getting what I want or earning salvation, but to become the person that God intends me to be. I overcome sin and express love to those around me, through the grace of God with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the Christian community around me not for the purpose of building character but in thankfulness to God for the mercy that he has demonstrated to me already.
It is not all bad, but it is frustrating. My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/road-to-character/
I spotted David Brooks' latest non-fiction book, The Road to Character, while I was browsing new books available on NetGalley. It looked like something that I might enjoy and perhaps even find to be inspirational. Thank you to Random House for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT - In The Road to Character, New York Times Columnist David Brooks profiles a range of people spanning several eras that he considers to have a strong sense of character. These are mostly very flawed people, who experienced a bumpy road on their way to developing admirable characteristics. Brooks examines how society's definition of morals and strong character has shifted dramatically over generations. He ends his book with a look at our current society and how technology has shaped our idea of self and character.
LIKE- I was most drawn to Brooks observations of current trends, which comprises a small portion of The Road to Character. I found a few of his character profiles to be fascinating, especially Francis Perkins, an middle-class woman who fought for worker's rights. Brooks sprinkles his book with interesting information involving well known historical figures and ordinary citizens, who are made extraordinary through their depth of character. I enjoyed these glimpses and tidbits.
DISLIKE - The Road to Character was a chore to read. I had to bribe myself to finish it... "Ten more pages and you can make a latte or read something else." The pacing was sluggish. Although Brooks picked some great lives to profile, I'm not sure that I always agreed with his idea of "character". There was a "not so subtle" undercurrent of religion and faith as being a huge factor in character, yet he backpedals at the end of the book, with a mention of religion not being a prerequisite for good character. I agree that religion isn't a must, yet his examples pushed the idea of religion.
Although interesting, I found a majority of the lives that he profiled to be archaic, with lives and values being so vastly different from modern times, that the comparisons rang hallow. I liked how he showed shifts throughout the eras, but I wish that the primary focus had been modern and thus, have current relevance. I anticipated that this book would leave me with thoughts on how to change my own life and shape my own character in modern times, but it didn't. It was a disappointment.
RECOMMEND - No. The Road to Character was a dull read and not as relevant or thought provoking as it should have been.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT - In The Road to Character, New York Times Columnist David Brooks profiles a range of people spanning several eras that he considers to have a strong sense of character. These are mostly very flawed people, who experienced a bumpy road on their way to developing admirable characteristics. Brooks examines how society's definition of morals and strong character has shifted dramatically over generations. He ends his book with a look at our current society and how technology has shaped our idea of self and character.
LIKE- I was most drawn to Brooks observations of current trends, which comprises a small portion of The Road to Character. I found a few of his character profiles to be fascinating, especially Francis Perkins, an middle-class woman who fought for worker's rights. Brooks sprinkles his book with interesting information involving well known historical figures and ordinary citizens, who are made extraordinary through their depth of character. I enjoyed these glimpses and tidbits.
DISLIKE - The Road to Character was a chore to read. I had to bribe myself to finish it... "Ten more pages and you can make a latte or read something else." The pacing was sluggish. Although Brooks picked some great lives to profile, I'm not sure that I always agreed with his idea of "character". There was a "not so subtle" undercurrent of religion and faith as being a huge factor in character, yet he backpedals at the end of the book, with a mention of religion not being a prerequisite for good character. I agree that religion isn't a must, yet his examples pushed the idea of religion.
Although interesting, I found a majority of the lives that he profiled to be archaic, with lives and values being so vastly different from modern times, that the comparisons rang hallow. I liked how he showed shifts throughout the eras, but I wish that the primary focus had been modern and thus, have current relevance. I anticipated that this book would leave me with thoughts on how to change my own life and shape my own character in modern times, but it didn't. It was a disappointment.
RECOMMEND - No. The Road to Character was a dull read and not as relevant or thought provoking as it should have been.
Like my review? Check out my blog!