David Brooks's Blog, page 79

The Real Africa

The reaction to the Boko Haram atrocities in Nigeria is positive, yet indicative of a widespread misunderstanding of Africa.

The Streamlined Life

The data on how incoming college freshmen perceive themselves and their futures paint a subtle and sobering picture.

Love Story

One night shared by a historian and a poetess illustrates a rarely argued but powerful reason to study the great books: it expands the experience of love.

Saving the System

The United States-led international state system faces death by a thousand cuts if the American public remains disengaged.

The Piketty Phenomenon

The reaction to Thomas Piketty’s new book says more about class rivalry within the educated classes than it does about expanding opportunity.

The Leadership Emotions

Political leaders have come to rely primarily on consultants’ carefully crafted, poll-based political advice, which can obscure the moral impulses necessary for leadership.

When the Circus Descends

Right-wing talk radio hosts and left-wing interest groups are teaming up to defeat the most sensible school reform movement in a decade.

A Long Obedience

We often hear the story of Passover as a tale of liberation, but its richest core truth is one of joyful obedience.

The Moral Power of Curiosity

“Flash Boys” by Michael Lewis is mostly a book about finance and high-frequency traders. But it’s also a morality tale.

What Suffering Does

In a culture obsessed with happiness, we should remember that coming to terms with suffering is instructive to the soul.