One Sentence Summary
The Road to Character by David Brooks is a thought-provoking book that encourages readers to discover their inner values and achieve true greatness.
Book Genre
The Road to Character is a self-help book that examines modern society and the lack of attention given to moral and spiritual growth.
Main Topic of the Book
The main topic of The Road to Character is the importance of recognizing our true values and living a meaningful life.
Key Ideas
- Self-improvement: Brooks encourages readers to strive for personal growth and develop positive habits.
- Happiness: The author emphasizes the importance of living a life based on meaningful goals and finding joy in the journey.
- Humility: Brooks advocates for recognizing our weaknesses and flaws and working on them to become better people.
- Character: Brooks encourages readers to give more importance to inner values instead of external accomplishments.
Main Parts of the Book and Short Summary
- Part One: After introducing the book’s premise of achieving character rather than a successful career, Brooks introduces two different paths on how to reach this goal. The “resume virtues” (achievement, external success, etc…) and the “eulogy virtues” (humility, caring, understanding, etc…).
- Part Two: In this part, Brooks takes us through the lives of 10 individuals whose lives exemplify the eulogy virtues. He examines their mistakes and successes, providing an in-depth look into how character is formed.
- Part Three: Brooks provides readers with actionable steps to help them develop character. He talks about how to incorporate healthy routines and habits into ones’ life as well as how to develop relationships with others that promote character growth.
Key Takeaways
The book outlines ways for individuals to prioritize their inner values over external accomplishments, to develop a moral core, and to strive for happiness in their journey through life.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
David Brooks is an American author and political commentator. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of Chicago and was a senior editor at The Weekly Standard and a contributing editor for Newsweek and The Atlantic.
Target Audience
The Road to Character is targeted towards anyone who wants to prioritize character development and make positive changes in their lives.
Publisher and First Publication Date
The Road to Character was published by Random House on April 17, 2015.