The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life

The New York Times columnist David Brooks has written a personal story of his own mid-life journey to enlightenment. The book addresses the four big commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: family and spouse, vocation, philosophy or faith, and community.

Beyond the personal growth value of the book, nonprofits will find value in Part V on community. This section highlights community building, the power of communal storytelling that links people together. Brooks makes his case through the metaphor of two mountains — and for nonprofits, the second one is where the donor base lives.#wwmediaclub

“The first mountain is the individualist worldview, which puts desires of the ego at the center.”

“The second mountain is what you might call the realtionist worldview, which puts down relation, commitment, and the desires of the heart and soul at the center… when your life is defined by fervent commitments, you are on the second mountain.”