The Second Mountain

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2019

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Before You Read

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction and Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-8

Part 2, Chapters 9-13

Part 3, Chapters 14-18

Part 4, Chapters 19-22

Part 5, Chapters 23-25

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

What is the second mountain? Explain it in relation to the first mountain. Do you think this extended metaphor works? What do you agree and disagree with about Brooks’s framing of fundamental moral problems in modern Western society? Why?

What are the two American moral ecologies that Brooks outlines in Chapter 1? What is the fundamental difference between them? Brooks thinks there’s a problem with both. What are those problems? How does he think the country should progress?

Brooks believes there is a loneliness crisis in the United States. He thinks this is connected to a crisis of purpose and meaning and a culture of hyper-individualism. Do you agree? Why or why not?