The Road to Character
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- Create Date：2021-04-19 11:58:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Brooks
- ISBN：0141980362
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Summary
The No。 1 New York Times bestseller on the secret to leading a good life
We live in a Big Me culture: universities and businesses alike reward goal-oriented superstars and those who self-promote are most likely to thrive。 But what does this say about us？
David Brooks argues that our hunger for wealth and status is eroding our ability to create meaningful inner lives。 To show us how to live better， he looks at people whose sense of humility was fundamental to their success。 What they all understood was a simple but counterintuitive truth: in order to fulfil yourself， you must learn how to forget yourself。
We live in a Big Me culture: universities and businesses alike reward goal-oriented superstars and those who self-promote are most likely to thrive。 But what does this say about us？
David Brooks argues that our hunger for wealth and status is eroding our ability to create meaningful inner lives。 To show us how to live better， he looks at people whose sense of humility was fundamental to their success。 What they all understood was a simple but counterintuitive truth: in order to fulfil yourself， you must learn how to forget yourself。
Reviews
Kevin Kuehler
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Great book on the development of character。。。 last chapter is great！！
Benjamin Lupton
，
A book length sermon with the lack of self-awareness that one can expect from catholic moral grandstanding。 Read the first two chapters （coincidentally these are the two summary and shortest chapters） to take what you can from its schizophrenic insights and abandon the rest which are just eulogies that the author attempts to use to assert his assumptions of aggrandising martyrdom as the ultimate virtue through a vacuum devoid of any counter-thought against the fragility of his axiomatic hedging， A book length sermon with the lack of self-awareness that one can expect from catholic moral grandstanding。 Read the first two chapters （coincidentally these are the two summary and shortest chapters） to take what you can from its schizophrenic insights and abandon the rest which are just eulogies that the author attempts to use to assert his assumptions of aggrandising martyrdom as the ultimate virtue through a vacuum devoid of any counter-thought against the fragility of his axiomatic hedging， contextualising， and projection。 It's the unqualified verbiage of an uncle's self-help editorial， not that of a counter-reasoned research-paper。 Brene Brown fans will be at home。 An ideology that serves as a supportive comfort blanket， rather than a remedy， for the internally contorted， who seek a coping mechanism rather than solutions。 If your bumper stickers prize the cliches of "nobody's perfect"， "it's about the journey not the destination"， "practice makes perfect"， then this book will prize your bookshelf with the combined cliche of "we're all flawed beings on an internal and external journey， there is solidarity in that， the internal work on myself is important， as is the external work on my environment important"。Upon writing this， turns out my assessment was correct:> David Brooks is a political and cultural commentator。 He is currently a columnist for The New York Times and a commentator on PBS NewsHour。Rand's book "Philosophy"， Nietzsche's "Beyond Good & Evil"， Jung's "Modern Man in Search for a Soul" go beyond cliches， they question them， offering solutions not just coping mechanisms catered towards certain personalities。If you just want an expanse of the cultural assessment inside the introduction， Haidt's "Coddling of the American Mind" does a better job。If you just want a book on developing socially upstanding traits， Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" does a better job。 。。。more
Daniel Walton
，
A book that could better be served as an essay。 In particular， the last chapter is the only one with real content。 I find Brooks’ writing as rather tedious， making this book a struggle to get through。 The biographical sketches are overdone and carry on aimlessly。 There is little tying them together。 The final chapter sums up what the author thinks make a meaningful life， which contains some clear observations and ideas about how to rectify the emptiness of modern life。 They are not without merit A book that could better be served as an essay。 In particular， the last chapter is the only one with real content。 I find Brooks’ writing as rather tedious， making this book a struggle to get through。 The biographical sketches are overdone and carry on aimlessly。 There is little tying them together。 The final chapter sums up what the author thinks make a meaningful life， which contains some clear observations and ideas about how to rectify the emptiness of modern life。 They are not without merit; however， it is not justified by the length of the book。 Again， basically the last chapter is the only one worth the time。 。。。more
Nick Quenga
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Good for people that like to learn through biographies。 Leaned a bit heavily into the religious side for my taste。 Excellent summary chapter at the end for distilled take-aways。
Heba
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باختصار هو عايز يقول إنه يا جماعة الإنسان مننا overrated و إنه من تواضع لله رفعه。But honestly I wouldn't have finished the book if it wasn't an audiobook。 باختصار هو عايز يقول إنه يا جماعة الإنسان مننا overrated و إنه من تواضع لله رفعه。But honestly I wouldn't have finished the book if it wasn't an audiobook。 。。。more
Jeff Skipper
，
Really enjoyed this， especially as it covered many people throughout history that exhibited growth in character。 So as a byproduct to learning about character， your read mini-biographies。 As one who loves history， it’s a win/win。 The concept of resume virtues vs eulogy virtues alone is worth getting this one。
Kelley M
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Myopic and overly simplifying of the “lack of moral character” in the US。 Fails to examine any examples of those who “lack moral character。” Attempts to draw broad generalizations about humanity and society in the US without any recognition of systemic issues or in depth personal analysis by profiling only a handful of people and asking ‘if they can work their way out of a struggling childhood - why can’t you？’
Janene
，
David Brooks， a NYT columnist that has sometimes caught my attention， identifies several individuals from history who underwent transformation to shine in admirable traits of character。 Each chapter focuses on one such person -- from civil rights activists to philosophers， military generals to pacifists -- and on one character trait they best represent。 Love， humility， respect， humanity， reticence 。。。 many others！ When it's an audio， any note-taking is a challenge。 :）In a way， it's David Brooks David Brooks， a NYT columnist that has sometimes caught my attention， identifies several individuals from history who underwent transformation to shine in admirable traits of character。 Each chapter focuses on one such person -- from civil rights activists to philosophers， military generals to pacifists -- and on one character trait they best represent。 Love， humility， respect， humanity， reticence 。。。 many others！ When it's an audio， any note-taking is a challenge。 :）In a way， it's David Brooks pointing out that society is on a decline as "The Big Me" culture and narcissism gain in momentum， and many of the most basic moral values seem to be weakening。 It's not fun to think about that trend， but like it or not， it sure feels accurate！ I learned about George Eliot， Frances Perkins （worked in Hull House with Jane Addams）， A。 Philip Randolph， Dwight D Eisenhower， many others。 :） What I liked is that he didn't pretend that these individuals walked an easy path。 The growth zone was never the comfort zone。 Listening to this was well worth the time， mostly I liked the bits of history and getting to know many interesting people。 While I'm of course not sure we can narrow the road we each walk to refined character down to these ten specific paths or examples， I enjoyed the listen as a valuable study of how this life experience or classroom can change and ennoble us in countless ways。The section on suffering really stuck out to me。 "We shoot for happiness， but we are formed by suffering。" Those most at risk when things are difficult are those who cannot see a larger picture or purpose。 Suffering forces a person to confront things that may have been suppressed， they are taken to the basement of their own soul。 "Depressive Realism" -- seeing things exactly as they are， this is a critical place in the process of suffering。 Lots of good thoughts about suffering as a learning/growth zone。 。。。more
Callie Johnson
，
I understand where these ideas are coming from and they're valid for those with higher beliefs。 But the stories are repetitive and dull， making it hard to get to the moral。 I understand where these ideas are coming from and they're valid for those with higher beliefs。 But the stories are repetitive and dull， making it hard to get to the moral。 。。。more
Darian Burns
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I was pleasantly surprised by this book。 It was excellent。 Well written， engaging， and timely。 Brooks' primary point is that we have moved from a moral society （humble， giving， seeking fulfillment through community and helping others） to a selfish one （individualist， self-serving， guided by immediate gratification）。 He does an excellent job of laying out the transition between these two showing how the shift began in the 1960s and grew。 An excellent illustration he gave was that of George H。W。 B I was pleasantly surprised by this book。 It was excellent。 Well written， engaging， and timely。 Brooks' primary point is that we have moved from a moral society （humble， giving， seeking fulfillment through community and helping others） to a selfish one （individualist， self-serving， guided by immediate gratification）。 He does an excellent job of laying out the transition between these two showing how the shift began in the 1960s and grew。 An excellent illustration he gave was that of George H。W。 Bush （41） compared to today's political leaders。 Bush would go through his speeches and cross out an I whenever he saw one， demanding a rewriting。 He frustrated his handlers because he refused to brag about the achievement of his administration。 Many believed he lost his reelection because he refused to brag about himself。 Compare that to today's politicians。 There is a world of difference。 Another example Brooks gives higher education。 In the early 1970， 80% of students said they were seeking an education to have a more meaningful life。 The number had almost completely flipped today， where most students say they are seeking an education to have a higher income。If you want to think deeply while still enjoying your reading journey， this is the book for you。 。。。more
Omar Fernández
，
Summary reviewGreat examples of people who have developed a strong character， and have achieved integration between their beliefs and actions。 I particularly enjoyed:Montaigne and his relaxed approach to character analysis and development。 He was pretty chill about the whole thing， understanding that we have faults and that's part of life。There was a guy with a military service story that was interesting。 An example of serving an institution as something that is larger than you and everlasting。 Summary reviewGreat examples of people who have developed a strong character， and have achieved integration between their beliefs and actions。 I particularly enjoyed:Montaigne and his relaxed approach to character analysis and development。 He was pretty chill about the whole thing， understanding that we have faults and that's part of life。There was a guy with a military service story that was interesting。 An example of serving an institution as something that is larger than you and everlasting。 Marshall。The concept of working in service of the work itself， a vocation。An excerpt about that last point:No good life is possible unless it is organized around a vocation。 If you try to use your work to serve yourself， you'll find your ambitions and expectations will forever run ahead and you'll never be satisfied。 If you try to serve the community， you'll always wonder if people appreciate you enough。 But if you serve work that is intrinsically compelling and focus just on being excellent at that， you will wind up serving yourself and the community obliquely。 S vocation is not found by looking within and finding your passion。 It is found by looking without and asking what life is asking of us。 What problem is addressed by an activity you intrinsically enjoy？Kindle Notes and HighlightsYellow highlight | Location: 158They possess the self-effacing virtues of people who are inclined to be useful but don’t need to prove anything to the world: humility， restraint， reticence， temperance， respect， and soft self-discipline。Yellow highlight | Location: 288Montaigne once wrote， “We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge， but we can’t be wise with other men’s wisdom。” That’s because wisdom isn’t a body of information。 It’s the moral quality of knowing what you don’t know and figuring out a way to handle your ignorance， uncertainty， and limitation。Yellow highlight | Location: 326But we often put our loves out of order。 If someone tells you something in confidence and then you blab it as good gossip at a dinner party， you are putting your love of popularity above your love of friendship。 If you talk more at a meeting than you listen， you may be putting your ardor to outshine above learning and companionship。 We do this all the time。Yellow highlight | Location: 330from Immanuel Kant’s famous line， “Out of the crooked timber of humanity， no straight thing was ever made。”Yellow highlight | Location: 570A person does not choose a vocation。 A vocation is a calling。 People generally feel they have no choice in the matter。 Their life would be unrecognizable unless they pursued this line of activity。Yellow highlight | Location: 2，095were particularly brilliant or talented。 The average collegiate GPA for a self-made millionaire is somewhere in the low B range。 But at some crucial point in their lives， somebody told them they were too stupid to do something and they set out to prove the bastards wrong。Yellow highlight | Location: 2，493The magnanimous leader is called upon by his very nature to perform some great benefit to his people。 He holds himself to a higher standard and makes himself into a public institution。 Magnanimity can only really be expressed in public or political life。 Politics and war are the only theaters big enough， competitive enough， and consequential enough to call forth the highest sacrifices and to elicit the highest talents。 The man who shelters himself solely in the realms of commerce and private life is， by this definition， less consequential than one who enters the public arena。Yellow highlight | Location: 2，854Instead， change comes through relentless pressure and coercion。 That is to say， these biblical realists were not Tolstoyan， they were Gandhian。 They did not believe in merely turning the other cheek or trying to win people over with friendship and love alone。 Nonviolence furnished them with a series of tactics that allowed them to remain on permanent offense。 It allowed them to stage relentless protests， marches， sit-ins， and other actions that would force their opponents to do things against their own will。Yellow highlight | Location: 2，935They knew that dramatic change， when it is necessary， rarely comes through sweet suasion。 Social sin requires a hammering down of the door by people who are simultaneously aware that they are unworthy to be so daring。 This is a philosophy of power， a philosophy of power for people who combine extreme conviction with extreme self-skepticism。Yellow highlight | Location: 3，008She was profoundly influenced by a book titled An Inquiry Concerning the Origin of Christianity by Charles Hennell， which she bought in 1841 at the age of twenty-one。 Hennell parsed through each of the Gospels， trying to determine what could be established as fact and what was later embellishment。 He concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Jesus was divinely born， or that he had performed any miracles， or that he had been resurrected from the dead。 Hennell concluded that Jesus was a “noble minded reformer and sage， martyred by crafty priests and brutal soldiers。”7Yellow highlight | Location: 3，117People who see themselves as the center of their solar system， often get enraptured by their own terrible but also delicious suffering。 People who see themselves as a piece of a larger universe and a longer story rarely do。Yellow highlight | Location: 3，485Eliot was a meliorist。 She did not believe in big transformational change。 She believed in the slow， steady， concrete march to make each day slightly better than the last。Yellow highlight | Location: 4，740The meaning of the word “character” changes。 It is used less to describe traits like selflessness， generosity， self-sacrifice， and other qualities that sometimes make worldly success less likely。 It is instead used to describe traits like self-control， grit， resilience， and tenacity， qualities that make worldly success more likely。Yellow highlight | Location: 4，802The parental relationship is supposed to be built upon unconditional love—a gift that cannot be bought and cannot be earned。 It sits outside the logic of meritocracy and is the closest humans come to grace。 But in these cases the pressure to succeed in the Adam I world has infected a relationship that should be operating by a different logic， the moral logic of Adam II。 The result is holes in the hearts of many children across this society。Yellow highlight | Location: 4，969We are generally not capable of understanding the complex web of causes that drive events。 We are not even capable of grasping the unconscious depths of our own minds。 We should be skeptical of abstract reasoning or of trying to apply universal rules across different contexts。 But over the centuries， our ancestors built up a general bank of practical wisdom， traditions， habits， manners， moral sentiments， and practices。 The humble person thus has an acute historical consciousness。 She is the grateful inheritor of the tacit wisdom of her kind， the grammar of conduct and the store of untaught feelings that are ready for use in case of emergency， that offer practical tips on how to behave in different situations， and that encourage habits that cohere into virtues。Yellow highlight | Location: 4，976No good life is possible unless it is organized around a vocation。 If you try to use your work to serve yourself， you’ll find your ambitions and expectations will forever run ahead and you’ll never be satisfied。 If you try to serve the community， you’ll always wonder if people appreciate you enough。 But if you serve work that is intrinsically compelling and focus just on being excellent at that， you will wind up serving yourself and the community obliquely。 A vocation is not found by looking within and finding your passion。 It is found by looking without and asking what life is asking of us。 What problem is addressed by an activity you intrinsically enjoy？ 。。。more
Karen
，
This was what I thought would be a very interesting read as we like to watch David on PBS newshour but I had a hard trim sifting through some of his analysis of character traits of some of the people hehighlighted。 There were a few good takeaways but overall a little dry。
Hattie
，
This book is so incredibly boring I simply cannot force myself to finish it。 Hearkens back pompously to the good old days when everyone was nobler and more respectful of society above the individual， bemoaning the modern lack of moral fortitude or whatever。 Proceeds with a hagiography of Great Americans。I’m choosing not to read into the fact that my mother gave me a book called “the road to character” for Christmas。
Rodrigo Pinillos Osnayo
，
Un planteamiento interesante， que cuestiona la perspectiva de que el éxito en la vida se consigue a través del desarrollo de los talentos personales y alcanzar lo que quieres en la vida （material o no）， dejando de lado el desarrollo del carácter， la moral y otras virtudes: cuestiona el éxito individual propuesto desde la pregunta "¿qué quiero？"， y reemplazar eso （o balancearlo） preguntándose también "¿qué necesita el mundo de mí？ ¿cuál es mi lugar en el mundo？"， lo que， sin caer en excesos， no e Un planteamiento interesante， que cuestiona la perspectiva de que el éxito en la vida se consigue a través del desarrollo de los talentos personales y alcanzar lo que quieres en la vida （material o no）， dejando de lado el desarrollo del carácter， la moral y otras virtudes: cuestiona el éxito individual propuesto desde la pregunta "¿qué quiero？"， y reemplazar eso （o balancearlo） preguntándose también "¿qué necesita el mundo de mí？ ¿cuál es mi lugar en el mundo？"， lo que， sin caer en excesos， no está mal。 En una cultura de autocomplacencia y búsqueda de la aprobación de terceros， una visita a otras perspectivas no viene mal。 Los planteamientos se suceden a lo largo de capítulos biográficos sobre algunas personalidades que lucharon consigo mismos， o evidencian los rasgos que defiende el autor: Generales como Eisenhower y Marshall， la escritoria George Elliot， entre otros。 Un poco lento y reiterativo， creo que es una lectura interesante y diferente a distintos textos de auto-ayuda， que justamente （y en algún caso， justificadamente） cuestiona。 。。。more
Adam Huschka
，
The opening chapters stimulate great motivation to think about who it is we're becoming。 I love the Adam I versus Adam II lens。 The chapters get long， but if you slog through it the closing of the book brings it together。 This book is very much worth your time， just not always clear as to what he's doing。 The opening chapters stimulate great motivation to think about who it is we're becoming。 I love the Adam I versus Adam II lens。 The chapters get long， but if you slog through it the closing of the book brings it together。 This book is very much worth your time， just not always clear as to what he's doing。 。。。more
Jay
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The first book of 2021 that I am giving up mid-way。 Picked it up from the library after reading the first few pages， and also given the author's fame as a NYT columnist。 The book makes some good points initially， but soon turns into details biographies （or hagiographies） of people who in the definition of the author （or otherwise） demonstrated exceptional character， but none of these resonated with me， and also I found the writing tedious。 The first book of 2021 that I am giving up mid-way。 Picked it up from the library after reading the first few pages， and also given the author's fame as a NYT columnist。 The book makes some good points initially， but soon turns into details biographies （or hagiographies） of people who in the definition of the author （or otherwise） demonstrated exceptional character， but none of these resonated with me， and also I found the writing tedious。 。。。more
Tagnahoor
，
This was my first David Brooks book and my last。 I didn't know anything about him until the book put me on edge so much that I read up on him。 It was just a feeling， but I felt a sense of repellant hypocrisy in his retelling of these stories， maybe it was the title that gave the sense that he was telling me the road to character， when he had done nothing like anything in the book。 This was my first David Brooks book and my last。 I didn't know anything about him until the book put me on edge so much that I read up on him。 It was just a feeling， but I felt a sense of repellant hypocrisy in his retelling of these stories， maybe it was the title that gave the sense that he was telling me the road to character， when he had done nothing like anything in the book。 。。。more
Jack
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While the final 20 pages are pretty good， the rest of the book reads like a plethora of historical Wikipedia articles。
Carol Stevenson
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This book opens with the idea that we are made up of both the character of Adam 1 （exterior life） and Adam2 （interior life）。 Through examples of well known individuals Brooks highlights their achievements based upon their character。 He then takes a march through time with an emphasis on social and cultural beliefs in certain eras。 He then concludes the book by stating that more emphasis has been placed on Adam 1 and more of a balance will actually serve us better。 Individuals steeped in spiritua This book opens with the idea that we are made up of both the character of Adam 1 （exterior life） and Adam2 （interior life）。 Through examples of well known individuals Brooks highlights their achievements based upon their character。 He then takes a march through time with an emphasis on social and cultural beliefs in certain eras。 He then concludes the book by stating that more emphasis has been placed on Adam 1 and more of a balance will actually serve us better。 Individuals steeped in spirituality will likely accept his conclusions while others who simple believe in the power of self may come across some ideas to ponder。 。。。more
Karthik
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I don't know how to rate this。 While I liked the lucid writing and the very succinct accounts of various historical figures， the book was very dismissive about modern moral and ethical philosophy because it tends to focus too much on the individual。 Even though the author doesn't want to explicitly espouse realism and romanticism as a modern solution to character building， he presents them in a very positive light without any criticism。 I don't know how to rate this。 While I liked the lucid writing and the very succinct accounts of various historical figures， the book was very dismissive about modern moral and ethical philosophy because it tends to focus too much on the individual。 Even though the author doesn't want to explicitly espouse realism and romanticism as a modern solution to character building， he presents them in a very positive light without any criticism。 。。。more
Christy Staats
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I loved this book。
Juan Diego López Rodríguez
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The title is catchy and its readers are probably looking to become “better” people。 And in that definition of “better” lies the value of the book。 Better has been associated with status， wealth and fame。 The “better” you become， the wealthier， more powerful， and famous you will be。 These are “resume virtues” and all actions – in a utilitarian perspective– are aimed towards improving these “virtues。” The actions or decisions that use a utilitarian perspective， not only encompass what professions The title is catchy and its readers are probably looking to become “better” people。 And in that definition of “better” lies the value of the book。 Better has been associated with status， wealth and fame。 The “better” you become， the wealthier， more powerful， and famous you will be。 These are “resume virtues” and all actions – in a utilitarian perspective– are aimed towards improving these “virtues。” The actions or decisions that use a utilitarian perspective， not only encompass what professions and jobs one pursues; they also determine which relationships one “invests” in or who you decide to love。 This is troublesome。 We are living in an age where unconditional love is not an oxymoron。 Shouldn’t all love be unconditional， detached from materialism， without underlying interests？ That isn’t happening。 And it is all due to pursuing self-interest or “happiness” （defined in hedonistic terms）。 The aim shouldn’t be happiness， it should be holiness， says the book。I enjoyed the book。 By following stories of exemplars throughout chapters and ideas， one thinks about the values and way of living of today’s society。 The idea of finding calm and tranquility， peace with oneself， resonated with me。 And the journey and actions stand in opposite sides to those that promote the Adam I （the Big Me）， whose goals are fame， wealth and status。 Isn’t it so unauthentic， so fake， so unholy to live life to these ends？I wonder who， however， gets to have the privileged of making humility a way of living。 Embracing the flawed human could assist people who are in privileged positions， people who could use humility。 But I am afraid that this idea to promote “guilt” and “self-effacement” is encouraging that historically disenfranchised populations are even more doubtful about sharing their thoughts， about having a voice， about their value。 Positionality is important here。 Who should be humbler， who should pursue the common good， who should have constant inner moral conflicts and renounce its privileged to live a more tranquil， calm， and transcendental life to devote themselves to having an impact in the world？But the book is calming。 It makes you aware that there are other people in the world apart from you （7。5 billion）。 That pursuing the common good， devoting yourself to a greater cause that transcends your life and will not be finished during your lifetime， probably gives you more peace when you are by yourself。 Probably provides more solace， more tranquility， more joy when no one is looking。 When you are alone with your heart， body， and mind。The ending of the book summarizes the theme about “what is character” in its 15 points of the “humility code。” What is character？ Developing the criteria to determine what is right and wrong and make the right decisions a habit， a way of living。 By executing the right actions， the desires and dispositions turn into the right things。 It’s the constant， habitual process， of introspection and deciding better。 It’s about taking ownership about decisions and outcomes。 About being aware of human nature， its impulses， and use self-control against selfishness， indifference， pride。 It’s constantly thinking about our own’s self-view and be at peace with it， attaining self-respect。 It’s feeling complete， comfortable with what you are and will leave behind if death comes upon at any hour。 To elevate the importance of self-view， dethroning how others view you。 It’s looking inward for all the emotions， motivations， and forces that you can explore inside。 About understanding the holes that seem to be unfilled and be at peace with them。 The output is a way of life: grateful， humble， deep， righteous。 A life of gradual improvement， of being better every day。After this book， I believe one will think about the greater purpose at work， every day。 In all professions， ways of life， or industries there is a way to be driven by purpose。 There is a way to be holly wherever you are or whatever you do。Attributes or virtues associated with character （usually long-term）:Honesty， gratitude， earnestness， love， consideration， discipline， self-control， sharing， altruism， friendship， caring， dependable， self-mastery， compassion， acceptance， self-effacement – reticence， modesty， obedience， maturity， courage， kindness， fortitudeVices （usually short-term）:Selfishness， overconfidence， narcissism， egocentrism， impulsivity， stubbornness， closemindedness， prejudice， insecurity， cruelty， greed， self-deception， narrowmindedness， self-deception， lust， fear， vanity， gluttony， pride 。。。more
Carol
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Yeah， but would you ring them up with a personal problem？Guess I just wasn’t in the mood。 Ordinarily I like Brooks very much， but it occurred to me as I read that I wouldn’t really choose any of these people for a personal friend， or even as a mentor。 Maybe likeability and admirability don’t have to overlap for some people。
Gloria
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I am not sure what this book is about。 I enjoyed the stories， though the author， in an attempt to force his point home， becomes so preachy。 It may have gone over my head because all these people are strangers to me so I fail to be awed by their stories。 Its geared to a UK or US audience。 2。5 from me。 It was unnecessarily long
Kdcontorno
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♥️One of the things I most like about David’s books， is that I can hear him reading or saying all the words as I read。 It gives a whole new feeling to the reading！！ Thank you much David！
Wesley C。
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I really wanted to like this book and was very much looking forward to finally reading it。 Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations。 While I agree with many of the authors overarching ideas， arguments and views he didnt present them in a way that I felt was very well formulated。 The book as a whole felt disjointed and not very cohesive。 Part culture commentary， part self help the author tries to weave in philosophy， history， christian evangelism， and a myriad of other ideas and the ma I really wanted to like this book and was very much looking forward to finally reading it。 Unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations。 While I agree with many of the authors overarching ideas， arguments and views he didnt present them in a way that I felt was very well formulated。 The book as a whole felt disjointed and not very cohesive。 Part culture commentary， part self help the author tries to weave in philosophy， history， christian evangelism， and a myriad of other ideas and the main focused gets lost。 At many times it felt like the point wasn't really about character or the people and the author just wanted to stand on a soap box and preach his different ideas。 At the end it felt like a bunch of interesting individual case studies slapped between the other crapping on modern culture。I also found the book pretty frustrating as it continually castigates present culture and the shift to a "me" focused mentality and the idea that people are too focused on themselves while simultaneously using case studies of people who were intensely self-reflective and self-focused as a better way and examples of building character？ This in a self help-ish book that is meant to， ironically， get the reader to think about and improve their own character。 I did find the individual case studies interesting and the last chapter made an attempted to string the others ideas together but it just fell flat。 Not sure I would recommend。 。。。more
Lindsay Smith-Munoz
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There is so much in this books that is worth thinking about， and the short mini-biographies throughout make it fascinating to read。 The chapter about the civil rights movement leaders， and the small section about modern parenting alone make it worthwhile。 At a time in my life when I realized I really didn't want to "climb the ladder" at work， this book helped me to see all the possibilities and worth for life that lay outside of that framework。 There is so much in this books that is worth thinking about， and the short mini-biographies throughout make it fascinating to read。 The chapter about the civil rights movement leaders， and the small section about modern parenting alone make it worthwhile。 At a time in my life when I realized I really didn't want to "climb the ladder" at work， this book helped me to see all the possibilities and worth for life that lay outside of that framework。 。。。more
Alena
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Overal I quite enjoyed this book and could have given it 5 stars。 Except for not so subtle religion angle in last chapters of the book。It is not your everyday self help book。 You've got different stories of different people trying to persevere。 Different circumstances， challenges， good and bad decisions。But when the author is trying to tie al the stories in one collective。 It is when you get religious factor。 By the words of autor it's one thing that is going to make you humble， grateful and bet Overal I quite enjoyed this book and could have given it 5 stars。 Except for not so subtle religion angle in last chapters of the book。It is not your everyday self help book。 You've got different stories of different people trying to persevere。 Different circumstances， challenges， good and bad decisions。But when the author is trying to tie al the stories in one collective。 It is when you get religious factor。 By the words of autor it's one thing that is going to make you humble， grateful and beter human being because in your darkest hour you feel humble， down and eventually accepted for who you are just because you exist。It's like it would be simpler if you had god on your side。 What I liked though is the idea that to create resilience you have to fight your inner demons on daily basis，your whole life。 It's human nature。 You have to listen to yourself and accept consequences of your choices。 The power lies not only in winning your inner battles but to do it all other again if you fail。And than you get this religion angle for all examples of inner silent or not so silent battles mentioned in this book。 It felt alien and weird。And if you're reading my review thinking way than would I give this book 4 stars， wel I learned a lot about lives of famous historical figures。 It really fascinated me。 Not all characters but most of them。 This book feels like a grand invitation to dug deeper in lives of this people I'd you really felt the 'struggle' connection of out most respect for their inner resilience。 。。。more
Dan Mantena
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my rating - overall Score: 0。36/5。0- quality of writing （3/5）- quality of the content （3/5）- impact on my perspective （2/5）- personal resonance （1/5）- rereading potential （0/5）The book tries to explore how changing societal conditions transformed American social values from community-oriented to individual-oriented。 He provides examples of inspirational figures from the early 20th century that made a name for themselves by choosing to defer their inner desires for the sake of the public insulati my rating - overall Score: 0。36/5。0- quality of writing （3/5）- quality of the content （3/5）- impact on my perspective （2/5）- personal resonance （1/5）- rereading potential （0/5）The book tries to explore how changing societal conditions transformed American social values from community-oriented to individual-oriented。 He provides examples of inspirational figures from the early 20th century that made a name for themselves by choosing to defer their inner desires for the sake of the public insulations and their greater community。 His book's thesis aims to pick up some of the valuable habits of mind used by early 20th century American great into our life to build character。 The argument was not very convincing because his examples of significant figures were mostly driven by Christian values to be self-critical and lead miserable and self-improvement focused inner lives。The author is also not very concise in his explanation， which made the reading unbearable for me at times。 I realized I started resenting the book around the half way mark， and I should have stopped there， but I ended up finishing it， lol。 。。。more
ADZ
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Thoughtful rumination + contemplative examination of morality and cultivating an inner life through the stories of various historical figures， religious and secular
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Road to Character
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Road to Character&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Road to Character&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0