The Road to Character (2015) Book Review: On Résumé Virtues, Eulogy Virtues, and the Making of Character
My boss asked me to read this book, and so I faithfully did. This is my reflection on it.
In The Road to Character, author David Brooks offers reflections on what it means to live a meaningful life. The book challenges the tendency to focus on achievement, recognition, and success. Brooks argues that while accomplishments do matter, the deeper purpose of life should be the cultivation of character.
At the heart of this book is Brooks’s distinction between “résumé virtues” and “eulogy virtues.”
Résumé virtues are skills, achievements, and successes that appear on a résumé. They include professional accomplishments, awards, titles, and public recognition.
Eulogy virtues, by contrast, are qualities people remember when a life is over. These include kindness, integrity, courage, humility, and the ability to place others before oneself.
Broadly speaking, Brooks’s central argument could be summarised as: while modern culture celebrates résumé virtues far more than eulogy virtues, the latter ultimately define a person’s moral legacy.
Overview of the book
Brooks explores this idea through a series of historical portraits, examining individuals who struggled with personal weaknesses, learned through hardship, and gradually built deeper character. The figures in the book are not presented as flawless heroes. Instead, Brooks focuses on how their struggles, failures, and internal conflicts shaped their moral development.
Rather than offering a simple self-help formula, the book unfolds as a series of reflective biographies. Each chapter looks closely at a historical figure and asks how that person developed the qualities that would later define them.
In my view, among the most compelling examples are George C. Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose lives illustrate how discipline, humility, and quiet service can shape both personal character and national history. Of course, this does not mean that the other examples within were not heroes in their own ways.
What works best
George C. Marshall, who served as US Army Chief of Staff during the Second World War and later as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, stands out in Brooks’s account as a model of disciplined leadership.
Marshall was known for his extraordinary sense of duty and his refusal to seek personal recognition.
During the war, he played a central role in organizing and coordinating the Allied military effort, helping to build the American army into a global force.
After the war, he helped design the Marshall Plan, the ambitious program that supported Europe’s recovery and reconstruction.
What makes Marshall particularly interesting in the context of Brooks’s argument is how clearly he embodied what Brooks calls eulogy virtues. Marshall avoided self-promotion, focused on institutional strength rather than personal glory, and consistently placed the broader mission above his own reputation. His leadership style reflected restraint, humility, and a deep commitment to service.
As an aside, in a famous incident, he was also willing to stand up to General Pershing at the potential cost of his career, but survived (miraculously). Speaking so directly to the commanding general could easily have ended Marshall’s career. Instead, Pershing respected Marshall’s honesty and professionalism. Rather than punishing him, Pershing took note of his ability and later supported his advancement. The episode became a well known illustration of Marshall’s quiet courage and integrity.
Dwight D. Eisenhower provides a complementary example. Eisenhower rose from relatively modest beginnings to become Supreme Allied Commander during the Second World War, coordinating the massive Allied coalition and overseeing the D Day invasion of Normandy in 1944. He later served two terms as President of the United States.
Brooks emphasizes Eisenhower’s emotional discipline and diplomatic skill. Eisenhower had to manage powerful personalities among Allied leaders, including Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and senior American generals. His success depended less on personal flamboyance and more on patience, balance, and the ability to keep the coalition united.
Like Marshall, Eisenhower demonstrates the importance of eulogy virtues. His leadership required humility, self control, and a willingness to subordinate personal ego to the larger mission. Brooks uses these examples to show that the most effective leaders often develop character quietly through responsibility and restraint.
Conclusion and recommendation
The Road to Character invites readers to reflect on the difference between building an impressive résumé and building a meaningful life. By contrasting résumé virtues with eulogy virtues, Brooks highlights how easily modern culture can drift toward outward success while neglecting deeper moral development.
The examples of Marshall and Eisenhower are particularly powerful because they show how character is forged through service, discipline, and humility. Their lives demonstrate that leadership is not only about competence or achievement, but also about integrity and responsibility.
For readers interested in leadership, history, and personal reflection, The Road to Character offers thoughtful insights and memorable historical portraits. As I like reading about history, including biographies, I think this is a good book that encourages readers to think carefully about what ultimately matters in a life well lived.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
(All views are my own personal thoughts and reflections on movies and books that I read, on my blog Left Hand Column: Book and Film Reviews.)
Comments
Post a Comment