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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
This book was at times very helpful and provided great wisdom about life, and at others, it seemed to stretch on. There was interesting facts about many unfamiliar but incredible people but I felt a lot of the time I had to drag myself through in order to finish. The beginning was definitely the highlight
Book argues that modern society has become overly focused on "résumé virtues" like wealth and status at the expense of "eulogy virtues" like kindness and humility. He suggests we need to rebalance our priorities and cultivate deeper moral character.
Brooks outlines the lives of historical figures who exemplified strong character, including:
- Frances Perkins, Franklin Roosevelt's secretary of labor.
- Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper and advocate for the poor.
- A. Philip Randolph, prominent civil rights activist.
- Samuel Johnson, 18th century English writer.
These individuals struggled with personal flaws but ultimately built admirable character through self-discipline, service to others, and embracing their weaknesses. Brooks concludes with a "Humility Code" of 15 principles for developing character, emphasizing that:
- Humility and an accurate self-assessment are essential virtues
- Character is built gradually through small acts of self-control and caring
- Quieting one's ego allows clearer perspective
- Struggle and experience are the best teachers
The key is to focus less on external success and more on internal moral growth. By acknowledging our flaws and serving a purpose greater than ourselves, we can lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Brooks outlines the lives of historical figures who exemplified strong character, including:
- Frances Perkins, Franklin Roosevelt's secretary of labor.
- Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper and advocate for the poor.
- A. Philip Randolph, prominent civil rights activist.
- Samuel Johnson, 18th century English writer.
These individuals struggled with personal flaws but ultimately built admirable character through self-discipline, service to others, and embracing their weaknesses. Brooks concludes with a "Humility Code" of 15 principles for developing character, emphasizing that:
- Humility and an accurate self-assessment are essential virtues
- Character is built gradually through small acts of self-control and caring
- Quieting one's ego allows clearer perspective
- Struggle and experience are the best teachers
The key is to focus less on external success and more on internal moral growth. By acknowledging our flaws and serving a purpose greater than ourselves, we can lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Started out strong and kind of lost my interest by the end. He got a bit too preachy. And the people profiled varied a great deal in terms of how admirable I really thought they were. I might use the opening chapter as a reading for students. His points about "resume values" vs. "eulogy values" were quite good.
I had high, high hopes for this book. It was suggested as the monthly pick at my church. The beginning was great! But in the end, it was a collection of mini-bio's of historical Americans and the choices/sacrifices they made to live the lives they lived. I am not sure how helpful I found it, and I ended up losing interest. Maybe I'm missing something. One takeaway I got from this book was that people today, in general, are much more self-centered than we used to be. It left me kind of depressed actually.
I wanted more of a silver-lining.
I wanted more of a silver-lining.
I appreciate the approach that Brooks takes here: a series of historical figures of varying fame, each embodying a trait (love, generosity, strength, etc.) that might lead us, if we follow their examples, to a better quality of character.
What I liked:
The stories were interesting. Brooks showed how each of these people of different eras worked to improve him or herself, recognizing some character flaw within and then working vigilantly to abolish it (or, if not abolish it completely, then at least get it under control.)
What I disliked:
I wish Brooks had let the stories stand on their own; I think the message would have been stronger. The stories illustrate the point without an additional six pages of writing about each character trait without referencing the personal story he just interrupted.
Also, I often felt alienated and angry at his "asides." As an example, in the introduction Brooks mentions the book/movie "Eat, Pray, Love" and makes an aside that yes, indeed, he is the only man to ever read that book to the end. I understand that he is making a joke, but it was unnecessary and unfunny.
Overall, I appreciate the message of this book--that we should focus less on the virtues that society lauds (money, power, career status) and more on the virtues that make us good human beings (graciousness, strength, humility).
What I liked:
The stories were interesting. Brooks showed how each of these people of different eras worked to improve him or herself, recognizing some character flaw within and then working vigilantly to abolish it (or, if not abolish it completely, then at least get it under control.)
What I disliked:
I wish Brooks had let the stories stand on their own; I think the message would have been stronger. The stories illustrate the point without an additional six pages of writing about each character trait without referencing the personal story he just interrupted.
Also, I often felt alienated and angry at his "asides." As an example, in the introduction Brooks mentions the book/movie "Eat, Pray, Love" and makes an aside that yes, indeed, he is the only man to ever read that book to the end. I understand that he is making a joke, but it was unnecessary and unfunny.
Overall, I appreciate the message of this book--that we should focus less on the virtues that society lauds (money, power, career status) and more on the virtues that make us good human beings (graciousness, strength, humility).
I felt this excellent book was rich and deep, delving into the lives of people I knew of, and some I didn't. All struggled in some way with themselves and with their lives. They used their struggles to grow and become strong, yet that happened without their egos or selves, getting in the way.
A very hopeful and insightful book.
A very hopeful and insightful book.
Very interested in the first chapter but I couldn't quite enjoy the Road to Character using individual people from history as examples. it never really shined a light on character for me.
But pulled some good information out of the book and thought provoking. Will try to apply daily.
But pulled some good information out of the book and thought provoking. Will try to apply daily.
I borrowed this book from the library after hearing Sam Harris interview David Brooks on his "Waking Up" podcast. What attracted me was Brooks' idea about "resume virtues" vs. "eulogy virtues", and the importance of developing the latter (while modern society focuses on the former). His method of describing the various eulogy virtues is to provide eight biographic chapters of various people in history who he considers to embody these values. I am not sure this format worked well for me: at times I felt the bow was a little long in terms of a clear exemplar of the virtue in question. Nonetheless, the format certainly illustrated the complexity and character of people as they experienced difficult times or challenges, and there is plenty to be gained from that. His basic framework (resume vs. eulogy virtues) is also simple and something I will carry with me - professionally and personally.
3.75
Always like Brooks’ writing, although I may not always agree. Was it me or did this book feel like all the characteristics absent in someone in particular?
Always like Brooks’ writing, although I may not always agree. Was it me or did this book feel like all the characteristics absent in someone in particular?