The Social Animal

By David G. Brooks,

Book cover of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement

Book description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

With unequaled insight and brio, New York Times columnist David Brooks has long explored and explained the way we live. Now Brooks turns to the building blocks of human flourishing in a multilayered, profoundly illuminating work grounded in everyday life. This is the story of…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Social Animal as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I used this book in class for three semesters. The students were fans; I stopped using it only because I re-designed my classes regularly. It’s a deep dive into hundreds of social science and neuroscience research projects about how we relate to each other, how we want to engage with each other, and why. It first appeared to be an unusual pick for a class on creatively entrepreneurial growth but students agreed it made sense when reminded that most creative work is done in collaborative teams so understanding each other is of great creative benefit. Brooks uses fictional characters, a…

Want books like The Social Animal?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Social Animal.

Browse books like The Social Animal

Book cover of How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
Book cover of The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World
Book cover of Old Masters and Young Geniuses: The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,188

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in romantic love, social mobility, and presidential biography?

Romantic Love 943 books
Social Mobility 15 books