David Brooks

One of our leading writers and commentators, David Brooks possesses a curiosity and incisiveness that extend well beyond the boundaries of politics and the economy: he has become a keen observer of how Americans live their lives. Best known for his regular column in the New York Times and his weekly appearances on NPR's All Things Considered and the PBS NewsHour, Brooks is also a prolific author. In his 2011 book The Social Animal, he considers how we humans build relationships and connect to big ideas. He weaves together research from neuroscience, behavioral economics, philosophy, and psychology to illuminate the largely unconscious realm of emotions, intuitions, biases, genetic predispositions, and social norms, and how our life choices emerge from a web of human relationships and interdependence.