The Second Mountain by David Brooks

The Second Mountain, The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks

The Second Mountain is a worthy read, if you can get past the cliché of a middle-aged man who experiences a life-changing epiphany on the back of a midlife crisis.  The fact that Brooks’ journey to personal fulfillment also meant divorcing his wife of twenty-seven years and, after a decent interval, marrying his research assistant, thirty years his junior, makes his reflections even tougher to swallow.

Well, let it go, as I did, because Brooks is an engaging and erudite writer. Finding a life of meaning and purpose is a noble goal at any time of life, and all stereotyping aside, Brooks genuinely grapples with the big issues.

A bit pretentious but thought provoking.

What Other Reviewers Say

Bacon on the Bookshelf:  Click here for a link to my friend Mary Raymond’s thoughtful review.

Who Wrote It

David Brooks is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times and appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press. He is the bestselling author of several books including The Road to Character; The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement; Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There.