David Brooks

David Brooks is the author and memoirist of this book; he is a former New York Times columnist and a current news commentator who appears regularly on the PBS NewsHour, an evening news broadcast. Brooks is writing about his personal and professional trajectory and he is sharing what he has learned along the way. First and foremost, he sees two stages in life: the first is more self-centered, while the second is other-centered. He draws from his own experiences, first as an ambitious writer and journalist and second, as an accomplished and yet unfulfilled middle-aged man.

He slowly realizes that giving of oneself through commitments is more fulfilling than achievements and accolades. Brooks observes that many young people are similar in temperament and ambition to what he was and he writes to help guide them to the later and more meaningful phase of life. His discussions...