A review by creech
The Road to Character by David Brooks

2.0

Disappointed in this book. Good stories and a helpful reflection on what different people thought character was and how they developed it. But this book is missing the wisdom of Shermer’s the Moral Arc and Harris’ The Moral Landscape, the clearer view of Pinker’s Enlightenment Now or Taleb’s Skin in the Game. It goes for the blue duty and cold dust-bowl Puritan morality, and lacks the refreshing real-life character developed by the much more helpful Brene Brown. The book isn’t set up to simply teach you the what or how if character, but the stories don’t help as much as it seems they should. I’m fascinated with Character and character formation and I didn’t get the meat I expected. Maybe when I re-read this to pull quotes and break down more of why I think his thoughts are murky I’ll rethink my position but I won’t be recommending this one.