34 pages 1 hour read

David Brooks

The Road to Character

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2015

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Key Figures

Command Performance

The humility of Bing Crosby, who hosted this WWII victory radio broadcast that aired on D-Day, along with the other celebrities involved, forms a collective moral compass. Their beacon of humility, which exemplifies Adam II character from a bygone era, is the real-life example that Brooks places in direct contrast with an unnamed football quarterback’s victory laps. While there was certainly carousing and celebration at street level on D-Day, celebrities, politicians, and public figures did not use the victory to self-aggrandize. 

Immanuel Kant

This German philosopher, who lived from 1724-1804, influenced Age of Enlightenment moral thought and has left a lasting impact on present-day Western philosophical discourse. He pioneered the doctrine of Transcendental Idealism, in which the human mind structures and shapes all experience. Brooks’ use of the term “crooked timber” emerges from a famous Kant quote: “Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made.”

Frances Perkins

This American sociologist and workers’ rights advocate lived from 1880-1965. Born to a well-off Boston family and educated at Mount Holyoke College, Perkins spent her early days as a young society woman in New York City. It was a gathering amidst these social circles that placed her as a direct eyewitness to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which was the galvanizing event in her life.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 34 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools