Penguin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of The Road to Character by David Brooks, read by Arthur Morey and David Brooks.
Number one New York Times best seller
In The Road to Character, David Brooks, best-selling author of The Social Animal and New York Times columnist, explains why selflessness leads to greater success.
We all possess two natures. One focuses on external success: wealth, fame, status and a great career. The other aims for internal goodness, driven by a spiritual urge not only to do good but to be good – honest, loving and steadfast. The inner self doesn’t seek happiness superficially defined; it seeks emotional commitments without counting the cost and a deeper moral joy. Individuals and societies thrive when a general balance is struck between these two imperatives, but we live in a culture that encourages us to think about the external side of our nature rather than the inner self. We hanker for praise instead of following our hearts, and we self-promote rather than confront our weaknesses.
In this urgent and eye-opening audiobook, David Brooks asks us to confront the meaning of true fulfilment. A famous columnist for The New York Times and a best-selling author, Brooks found himself living in a shallow mode. For years he remained focused on getting ahead and reaping the rewards for his efforts, placing his career before his character.
Finding himself at a crossroads, Brooks sought out men and women who embodied the moral courage he longed to experience. Citing an array of history’s greatest thinkers and leaders – from St. Augustine and George Eliot to Dwight Eisenhower and Samuel Johnson – he traces how they were able to face their weaknesses and transcend their flaws. Each one of them chose to embrace one simple but counterintuitive truth: in order to fulfil yourself, you must learn how to forget yourself.
An elegant interweaving of politics, spirituality and psychology, The Road to Character proves that it is how we want to be remembered – and not what we put on our CVs – that truly matters.
Interesting but not compelling I have opted for a “3” rating, which may be a little harsh for this well-written book, but that’s because I found myself vacillating between enjoying parts of this book while disliking others. The book opens well with an interesting comparison of resume virtues vs eulogy virtues. Resume virtues are the accomplishments and skills we put on our resumes; eulogy virtues are the characteristics that are at the core of your being. Brooks then describes this contrast as Adam I vs Adam II…
How character is forged over a lifetime As I read this book I kept thinking of my 84 year old grandfather. I kind of felt like he was sitting at the table talking to me about the way things used to be. These types of conversations are not a bad thing at all and most of the time they seem comforting. As I read this book I kept reflecting upon my own life and where I stacked up in comparison towards humble or the center of attention seeker. What kept the book interesting was the part history lesson part character lesson based upon the…
Brave attempt to discover what is meaningful in life. I have read David Brooks’ column in my local paper for many years and have watched him on Meet the Press. He is a thoughtful and intelligent man. His new book, The Road to Character, is a brave, if not always successful, attempt to discover what is important and meaningful in a life well lived.Â