{"product_id":"the-second-mountain-david-brooks-9780812993264","title":"The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life","description":"\u003cb\u003e#1 \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER - Everybody tells you to live for a cause larger than yourself, but how exactly do you do it? The author of \u003ci\u003eThe Road to Character\u003c\/i\u003e explores what it takes to lead a meaningful life in a self-centered world.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Deeply moving, frequently eloquent and extraordinarily incisive.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Every so often, you meet people who radiate joy--who seem to know why they were put on this earth, who glow with a kind of inner light. Life, for these people, has often followed what we might think of as a two-mountain shape. They get out of school, they start a career, and they begin climbing the mountain they thought they were meant to climb. Their goals on this first mountain are the ones our culture endorses: to be a success, to make your mark, to experience personal happiness. But when they get to the top of that mountain, something happens. They look around and find the view . . . unsatisfying. They realize: This wasn't my mountain after all. There's another, bigger mountain out there that is actually \u003ci\u003emy\u003c\/i\u003e mountain. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e And so they embark on a new journey. On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. They embrace a life of interdependence, not independence. They surrender to a life of commitment. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eThe Second Mountain, \u003c\/i\u003eDavid Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. But it's also a provocative social commentary. We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom, that tells us to be true to ourselves, at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. We have taken individualism to the extreme--and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. In \u003ci\u003eThe Second Mountain, \u003c\/i\u003e Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e David Brooks\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0812993268\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780812993264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Random House\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/16\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.40w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal Prepub Alert\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/15\/2018 pg. 63\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/15\/2018 pg. 63\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/08\/2019","brand":"David Brooks","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44049319559423,"sku":"9780812993264","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_8ea5974c-fbd0-4971-bafa-21abc2206e29.jpg?v=1685000900","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-second-mountain-david-brooks-9780812993264","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}