![]() The book was of great importance in understanding the phases of life, giving me a clear direction toward the second mountain. Once I started reading the book, I had a hard time putting it down. The Road to Character traced the history of a great moral tradition-a riveting examination of morality in our time, but with The Committed Life, Brooks turns his mind to what happens when we put commitment-making at the center of life, producing one of Brooks' most personal and revolutionary books yet. The Social Animal gave us a tale of human nature. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. We have taken individualism to the extreme degree-and, in the process, we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. ![]() We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom and choice, that tells us to be true to ourselves, to march to the beat of our own drummer at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, and binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. But it's also a provocative social commentary. In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose. In The Committed Life, David Brooks looks at people-from Dostoyevsky to Holocaust survivor Etty Hillesum to African educational entrepreneur Fred Swaniker-who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity of dependence. Joy comes when we fuse them into one coherent whole, with each of these commitments fortifying and strengthening the others. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. I recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring ways to live a more meaningful life and build thriving communities.Most of us, over the course of our lives, will make four big commitments- to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Much of what Brooks conveyed regarding community building resonates with the work we facilitate at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, where our donors are living a second mountain life. He talks about “thick communities,” which have a distinct culture, and uses Atlanta’s own Morehouse College to exemplify a “thick institution that seeks to change a person’s whole identity” by engaging “the whole person: head, hands, heart and soul.” He also shares information supporting the benefits of implementing systematic strategies to find effective solutions for social concerns. He also has a lot to say about education, including the shift in universities from a broad humanistic ideal, where the purpose “was to shape the students’ souls,” to a more segmented research approach, which tends to ignore wholistic connections and character development.īrooks addresses community building too. He shares his religious background and related quests in the section on philosophy and faith, a section that provides much food for thought for those seeking to live a life of purpose. Brooks draws heavily on his own life journey as well as the stories of others to illustrate his points. ![]() This book is well researched, exquisitely written and offers many suggestions on how to live a more fulfilling life. Our book club discussion revealed the idea of life being a series of mountain ranges instead of Brooks’ narrower construct. Brooks contends that there is often a transformational season of suffering before people ascend the second mountain. ![]() In simple terms, the second mountain is focused on leading a more rewarding life by serving others. Brooks’ premise is that our lives consist of two distinct sequential phases. The Community Foundation’s summer book club selection this year was “The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life” by David Brooks. WORTH Atlanta Homeownership Collaborative.
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