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A review by rsr143
The Road to Character by David Brooks
5.0
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.