
The Social Animal
The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Buy for $22.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Arthur Morey
-
By:
-
David Brooks
About this listen
With unequaled insight and brio, David Brooks, the New York Times columnist and bestselling author of Bobos in Paradise, has long explored and explained the way we live. Now, with the intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom that make his columns among the most read in the nation, Brooks turns to the building blocks of human flourishing in a multilayered, profoundly illuminating work grounded in everyday life.This is the story of how success happens. It is told through the lives of one composite American couple, Harold and Erica—how they grow, push forward, are pulled back, fail, and succeed. Distilling a vast array of information into these two vividly realized characters, Brooks illustrates a fundamental new understanding of human nature. A scientific revolution has occurred—we have learned more about the human brain in the last thirty years than we had in the previous three thousand. The unconscious mind, it turns out, is most of the mind—not a dark, vestigial place but a creative and enchanted one, where most of the brain’s work gets done. This is the realm of emotions, intuitions, biases, longings, genetic predispositions, personality traits, and social norms: the realm where character is formed and where our most important life decisions are made. The natural habitat of The Social Animal. Drawing on a wealth of current research from numerous disciplines, Brooks takes Harold and Erica from infancy to school; from the “odyssey years” that have come to define young adulthood to the high walls of poverty; from the nature of attachment, love, and commitment, to the nature of effective leadership. He reveals the deeply social aspect of our very minds and exposes the bias in modern culture that overemphasizes rationalism, individualism, and IQ. Along the way, he demolishes conventional definitions of success while looking toward a culture based on trust and humility.The Social Animal is a moving and nuanced intellectual adventure, a story of achievement and a defense of progress. Impossible to put down, it is an essential book for our time, one that will have broad social impact and will change the way we see ourselves and the world.
©2011 David Brooks (P)2011 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Road to Character
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, David Brooks
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking to some of the world's greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint.
-
-
Rich, textured stories
- By MarkM on 05-25-15
By: David Brooks
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
By: David Brooks
-
Bobos in Paradise
- The New Upper Class and How They Got There
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It used to be pretty easy to distinguish between the bourgeois world of capitalism and the bohemian counterculture. The bourgeois worked for corporations, wore gray, and went to church. The bohemians were artists and intellectuals. Bohemians championed the values of the liberated 1960s; the bourgeois were the enterprising yuppies of the 1980s.
-
-
A magazine article stretched to book length
- By Brian on 08-17-03
By: David Brooks
-
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)
- Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts
- By: Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
- Narrated by: Marsha Mercant, Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell? Backed by years of research and delivered in lively, energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception.
-
-
Excellent insights, but a little too long
- By Anand on 11-11-12
By: Carol Tavris, and others
-
The Laws of Human Nature
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Paul Michael, Robert Greene
- Length: 28 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of listeners, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding, and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.
-
-
Tempo is key! (1.25X)
- By James Hawkins on 11-12-18
By: Robert Greene
-
The Road to Character
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, David Brooks
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking to some of the world's greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint.
-
-
Rich, textured stories
- By MarkM on 05-25-15
By: David Brooks
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
By: David Brooks
-
Bobos in Paradise
- The New Upper Class and How They Got There
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It used to be pretty easy to distinguish between the bourgeois world of capitalism and the bohemian counterculture. The bourgeois worked for corporations, wore gray, and went to church. The bohemians were artists and intellectuals. Bohemians championed the values of the liberated 1960s; the bourgeois were the enterprising yuppies of the 1980s.
-
-
A magazine article stretched to book length
- By Brian on 08-17-03
By: David Brooks
-
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)
- Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts
- By: Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
- Narrated by: Marsha Mercant, Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they screw up? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell? Backed by years of research and delivered in lively, energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception.
-
-
Excellent insights, but a little too long
- By Anand on 11-11-12
By: Carol Tavris, and others
-
The Laws of Human Nature
- By: Robert Greene
- Narrated by: Paul Michael, Robert Greene
- Length: 28 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Greene is a master guide for millions of listeners, distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into essential texts for seekers of power, understanding, and mastery. Now he turns to the most important subject of all - understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense.
-
-
Tempo is key! (1.25X)
- By James Hawkins on 11-12-18
By: Robert Greene
-
Influence, New and Expanded
- The Psychology of Persuasion
- By: Robert B. Cialdini
- Narrated by: Robert B. Cialdini
- Length: 20 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the new edition of this highly acclaimed bestseller, Robert Cialdini—New York Times bestselling author of Pre-Suasion and the seminal expert in the fields of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically in business and everyday settings. You'll learn Cialdini's Universal Principles of Influence, including new research and new uses so you can become an even more skilled persuader—and just as importantly, you'll learn how to defend yourself against unethical influence attempts.
-
-
Use the Audible Speed Feature!
- By Sand on 05-30-21
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Hidden Potential
- The Science of Achieving Greater Things
- By: Adam Grant
- Narrated by: Adam Grant, Maurice Ashley, R. A. Dickey, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.
-
-
Nope
- By Anna OConnor-McClure on 10-27-23
By: Adam Grant
-
American Awakening
- Eight Principles to Restore the Soul of America
- By: John Kingston, David Brooks - foreword, Anne Snyder - foreword
- Narrated by: John Kingston
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his youth, Kingston has always carried a vision for a free and united America. With an approachable and conversational style, as well as a dash of humor, John Kingston draws on a diverse and compelling collection of wisdom—the parables of the Bible and the philosophy of Aristotle, the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, the songs of Bruce Springsteen and current studies from the best neuro and social scientists today—to remind us that there is no "them", there is only us, and we're in this together.
-
-
The most important book of 2020
- By John on 07-30-20
By: John Kingston, and others
-
Build the Life You Want
- The Art and Science of Getting Happier
- By: Arthur C. Brooks, Oprah Winfrey
- Narrated by: Arthur C. Brooks, Oprah Winfrey
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Build the Life You Want, Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey invite you to begin a journey toward greater happiness no matter how challenging your circumstances. Drawing on cutting-edge science and their years of helping people translate ideas into action, they show you how to improve your life right now instead of waiting for the outside world to change.
-
-
You already know all of this
- By Be kind on 09-13-23
By: Arthur C. Brooks, and others
-
Social Intelligence
- The New Science of Human Relationships
- By: Daniel Goleman
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In richly anecdotal detail, Goleman brings to life the field of social neuroscience that has emerged in the decade since the publication of Emotional Intelligence. He shows that, far more than we are consciously aware, our daily encounters with parents, spouses, bosses, and even strangers shape our brains and affect cells throughout our bodies. Our relationships create a setpoint for our daily moods and influence our immune response; they are crucial to achievement in students and workers; they determine whether or not some genes are expressed, for good or ill.
-
-
Don’t torture yourself
- By Steve on 08-26-07
By: Daniel Goleman
-
Outlive
- The Science and Art of Longevity
- By: Peter Attia MD, Bill Gifford - contributor
- Narrated by: Peter Attia MD
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.
-
-
Too Much Filler
- By J. Badaracco on 04-09-23
By: Peter Attia MD, and others
-
Thinking, Fast and Slow
- By: Daniel Kahneman
- Narrated by: Patrick Egan
- Length: 20 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The guru to the gurus at last shares his knowledge with the rest of us. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman's seminal studies in behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, and happiness studies have influenced numerous other authors, including Steven Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman at last offers his own, first book for the general public. It is a lucid and enlightening summary of his life's work. It will change the way you think about thinking. Two systems drive the way we think and make choices, Kahneman explains....
-
-
Difficult Listen, but Probably a Great Read
- By Mike Kircher on 01-12-12
By: Daniel Kahneman
-
Outliers
- The Story of Success
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this stunning audiobook, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers" - the best and the brightest, the most famous, and the most successful. He asks the question: What makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: That is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.
-
-
Engaging, but overrated
- By Scott T. Hards on 12-13-08
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
Predictably Irrational
- The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
- By: Dan Ariely
- Narrated by: Simon Jones
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a series of illuminating, often surprising experiments, MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely refutes the common assumption that we behave in fundamentally rational ways. Blending everyday experience with groundbreaking research, Ariely explains how expectations, emotions, social norms, and other invisible, seemingly illogical forces skew our reasoning abilities.
-
-
Good lessons, mediocre science?
- By William Stanger on 02-24-09
By: Dan Ariely
-
Quiet
- The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
- By: Susan Cain
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
-
-
Thought provoking and Uplifting.... A++++++++!!!!!
- By Theodore on 03-12-12
By: Susan Cain
-
David and Goliath
- Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the power of the underdog in Malcolm Gladwell's dazzling examination of success, motivation, and the role of adversity in shaping our lives, from the best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia. Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David's victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn't have won. Or should he have?
-
-
The Art of (Unconventional) War
- By Cynthia on 10-04-13
By: Malcolm Gladwell
Critic reviews
"An uncommonly brilliant blend of sociology, intellect and allegory." (Kirkus)
“Authoritative, impressively learned, and vast in scope.” (Newsweek)
“As in [Bobos in Paradise] he shows genius in sketching archetypes and coining phrases. . . . In The Social Animal Mr. Brooks surveys a stunning amount of research and cleverly connects it to everyday experience.” (The Wall Street Journal)
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Road to Character
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, David Brooks
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking to some of the world's greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint.
-
-
Rich, textured stories
- By MarkM on 05-25-15
By: David Brooks
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
By: David Brooks
-
Bobos in Paradise
- The New Upper Class and How They Got There
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It used to be pretty easy to distinguish between the bourgeois world of capitalism and the bohemian counterculture. The bourgeois worked for corporations, wore gray, and went to church. The bohemians were artists and intellectuals. Bohemians championed the values of the liberated 1960s; the bourgeois were the enterprising yuppies of the 1980s.
-
-
A magazine article stretched to book length
- By Brian on 08-17-03
By: David Brooks
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
How to know a person
- Wie wir anderen wirklich begegnen und echte Verbundenheit schaffen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Rob Hackemesser
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wie gut können Sie Menschen wirklich verstehen? Der New York Times Bestseller zeigt es Ihnen! Jeden Tag begegnen wir Menschen – in Gesprächen, auf der Arbeit, in unseren Beziehungen.
By: David Brooks
-
American Awakening
- Eight Principles to Restore the Soul of America
- By: John Kingston, David Brooks - foreword, Anne Snyder - foreword
- Narrated by: John Kingston
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his youth, Kingston has always carried a vision for a free and united America. With an approachable and conversational style, as well as a dash of humor, John Kingston draws on a diverse and compelling collection of wisdom—the parables of the Bible and the philosophy of Aristotle, the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, the songs of Bruce Springsteen and current studies from the best neuro and social scientists today—to remind us that there is no "them", there is only us, and we're in this together.
-
-
The most important book of 2020
- By John on 07-30-20
By: John Kingston, and others
-
The Road to Character
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, David Brooks
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Looking to some of the world's greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint.
-
-
Rich, textured stories
- By MarkM on 05-25-15
By: David Brooks
-
The Second Mountain
- How People Move from the Prison of Self to the Joy of Commitment
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
-
-
Pursue meaning, reject hyper-individualism
- By Adam Shields on 05-07-19
By: David Brooks
-
Bobos in Paradise
- The New Upper Class and How They Got There
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It used to be pretty easy to distinguish between the bourgeois world of capitalism and the bohemian counterculture. The bourgeois worked for corporations, wore gray, and went to church. The bohemians were artists and intellectuals. Bohemians championed the values of the liberated 1960s; the bourgeois were the enterprising yuppies of the 1980s.
-
-
A magazine article stretched to book length
- By Brian on 08-17-03
By: David Brooks
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
How to know a person
- Wie wir anderen wirklich begegnen und echte Verbundenheit schaffen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: Rob Hackemesser
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wie gut können Sie Menschen wirklich verstehen? Der New York Times Bestseller zeigt es Ihnen! Jeden Tag begegnen wir Menschen – in Gesprächen, auf der Arbeit, in unseren Beziehungen.
By: David Brooks
-
American Awakening
- Eight Principles to Restore the Soul of America
- By: John Kingston, David Brooks - foreword, Anne Snyder - foreword
- Narrated by: John Kingston
- Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his youth, Kingston has always carried a vision for a free and united America. With an approachable and conversational style, as well as a dash of humor, John Kingston draws on a diverse and compelling collection of wisdom—the parables of the Bible and the philosophy of Aristotle, the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, the songs of Bruce Springsteen and current studies from the best neuro and social scientists today—to remind us that there is no "them", there is only us, and we're in this together.
-
-
The most important book of 2020
- By John on 07-30-20
By: John Kingston, and others
-
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Third Edition
- Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
- By: Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
- Narrated by: Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned social psychologists Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson take a compelling look into how the brain is wired for self-justification. When we make mistakes, we must calm the cognitive dissonance that jars our feelings of self-worth. And so we create fictions that absolve us of responsibility, restoring our belief that we are smart, moral, and right - a belief that often keeps us on a course that is dumb, immoral, and wrong. Backed by years of research and delivered in energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception.
-
-
If you're a liberal hater - this book's for you
- By MRN on 11-13-20
By: Carol Tavris, and others
-
How to Create a Mind
- The Secret of Human Thought Revealed
- By: Ray Kurzweil
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In How to Create a Mind, Ray Kurzweil presents a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilization: reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines. Kurzweil discusses how the brain functions, how the mind emerges, brain-computer interfaces, and the implications of vastly increasing the powers of our intelligence to address the world’s problems.
-
-
not useful
- By Michael N. on 11-17-22
By: Ray Kurzweil
-
Weathering
- The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society
- By: Dr. Arline T. Geronimus
- Narrated by: Alma Cuervo
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Arline T. Geronimus coined the term “weathering” to describe the effects of systemic oppression—including racism and classism—on the body. In Weathering, based on more than 30 years of research, she argues that health and aging have more to do with how society treats us than how well we take care of ourselves. She explains what happens to human bodies as they attempt to withstand and overcome the challenges and insults that society leverages at them, and details how this process ravages their health. And she proposes solutions.
-
-
So glad I listened to this
- By Danielle on 02-06-24
-
Drive
- The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
- By: Daniel H. Pink
- Narrated by: Daniel H. Pink
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money - the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, at school, and at home - is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
-
-
Not as good as A Whole New Mind
- By Michael O'Donnell on 04-30-10
By: Daniel H. Pink
-
Personality Isn't Permanent
- Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story
- By: Benjamin Hardy
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Psychologist and best-selling author Benjamin Hardy, PhD, debunks the pervasive myths about personality that prevent us from learning - and provides bold strategies for personal transformation.
-
-
Wow! One of my top choices in the self help category
- By Amazon Customer on 07-29-20
By: Benjamin Hardy
-
Humankind
- A Hopeful History
- By: Rutger Bregman, Erica Moore, Elizabeth Manton
- Narrated by: Rutger Bregman, Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If there is one belief that has united the left and the right, psychologists and philosophers, ancient thinkers and modern ones, it is the tacit assumption that humans are bad. It's a notion that drives newspaper headlines and guides the laws that shape our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Pinker, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed primarily by self-interest.
-
-
He’s correct but he misrepresented the data
- By Andrea Allen on 02-09-21
By: Rutger Bregman, and others
-
Social Intelligence
- The New Science of Human Relationships
- By: Daniel Goleman
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In richly anecdotal detail, Goleman brings to life the field of social neuroscience that has emerged in the decade since the publication of Emotional Intelligence. He shows that, far more than we are consciously aware, our daily encounters with parents, spouses, bosses, and even strangers shape our brains and affect cells throughout our bodies. Our relationships create a setpoint for our daily moods and influence our immune response; they are crucial to achievement in students and workers; they determine whether or not some genes are expressed, for good or ill.
-
-
Don’t torture yourself
- By Steve on 08-26-07
By: Daniel Goleman
-
On Becoming a Person
- A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy
- By: Carl R. Rogers, Peter D. Kramer MD - introduction
- Narrated by: Joe Hempel
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The late Carl Rogers, founder of the humanistic psychology movement, revolutionized psychotherapy with his concept of "client-centered therapy." His influence has spanned decades, but that influence has become so much a part of mainstream psychology that the ingenious nature of his work has almost been forgotten. With a new introduction by Peter Kramer, this landmark book is a classic in its field and a must-listen for anyone interested in clinical psychology or personal growth.
-
-
An introduction to the core humanistic issues
- By Amazon Customer on 04-08-18
By: Carl R. Rogers, and others
-
Life 3.0
- Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
- By: Max Tegmark
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How will artificial intelligence affect crime, war, justice, jobs, society, and our very sense of being human? The rise of AI has the potential to transform our future more than any other technology - and there's nobody better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark, an MIT professor who's helped mainstream research on how to keep AI beneficial.
-
-
Irritating
- By Thomas Cotter on 10-25-17
By: Max Tegmark
-
The Righteous Mind
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- By: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition - the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right.
-
-
Why Good People Are Divided - Good for whom?
- By K. Cunningham on 09-21-12
By: Jonathan Haidt
-
From Strength to Strength
- Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life
- By: Arthur C. Brooks
- Narrated by: Arthur C. Brooks
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the height of his career at the age of 50, Arthur Brooks embarked on a seven-year journey to discover how to transform his future from one of disappointment over waning abilities into an opportunity for progress. From Strength to Strength is the result, a practical roadmap for the rest of your life. Drawing on social science, philosophy, biography, theology, and eastern wisdom, as well as dozens of interviews with everyday men and women, Brooks shows us that true life success is well within our reach.
-
-
A self-help book for overeducated overachievers
- By 11104 on 02-23-22
By: Arthur C. Brooks
-
The Talent Code
- Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
- By: Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: John Farrell
- Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds - from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York - Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything.
-
-
Okay read. Won’t read a second time
- By Chad J Guidry on 08-18-20
By: Daniel Coyle
Brooks has long been a favorite NYT Columnist, sharing a coherent and consistent world view without being either doctrinaire or an us-versus-them blowhard like Limbaugh on the right or Krugman on the left. This book follows two fictional characters, Harold and Erica, from birth, childhood, careers, marriage, retirement, and death, revealing how social connection (or lack thereof) drives most humanistic endeavors. This insight would not be so groundbreaking, but revealing the how and the why through the prism of the beautiful Harold and Erica love story is where Brooks excels.
As if all of this were not enough, the humor propels this book from being just "Really Good" to being "One for the Ages". A sampling:
"He’s just back from China and stopping by for a corporate board meeting on his way to a five-hundred-mile bike-a-thon to support the fight against lactose intolerance. He is asexually handsome, with a little less body fat than Michelangelo’s David. As he crosses his legs, you observe that they are immeasurably long and slender. He doesn’t really have thighs. Each leg is just one elegant calf on top of another. His voice is so calm and measured that he makes Barack Obama sound like Sam Kinison. He met his wife at the Clinton Global Initiative, where they happened to be wearing the same Doctors Without Borders support bracelets"
Buy this book! You will be immeasurably enriched.
So Insightful I Was Moved To Tears
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Where does The Social Animal rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Some excellent material gathering on the essential truths about people and human behavior. Possibly overlooked, but one element of human behavior is that listening commuters tend to nod off to a soporific voice. I can only hope all the good stuff in the book went straight to my unconscious while waiting for the lights to turn green.A Sleep Inducing Awakening to Human Behavior
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you love best about The Social Animal?
After spending too much time with crappy modern fiction of recent, the kind of book that leaves your desire for insight hanging out the window like a dog’s tongue on a hot day, I turned to David Brooks’ “The Social Animal.” Brooks follows a fictional couple from birth through life’s completed journey turning to an encyclopedic reservoir of resources to explain and enlighten the how and why we get there. The breadth of his source material is stunning from ancient texts of philosophy and theology to the most modern resources of neuroimaging and brain study. It leaves me wondering how he ever completes his day job. This is a book where every sentence is worth it. Not only does he write with the crisp precision of a surgeon, but he can step on the gas and make you laugh, winch, weep, wonder and pause as those tiny hammers in your head go clink, clink, clink with a new vision or the profound recognition that what you barely knew you now know and understand why. I hate books with promise but no payoff. This book has promise and payoff. I will not spoil this but let me end with this: in a book that is primarily discoursive and intellectual, when the journey ended, tears were streaming down my face. The final line is the point of the spear. Don’t go there first. Let him lead you there so the puncture is that much sweeter. Highly recommended. I may just start over and hear it again.Have you listened to any of Arthur Morey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes and he is outstanding.If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
David Brooks" "The Social Animal"
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fascinating
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What did you like best about The Social Animal? What did you like least?
The book tells the story of a couple throughout their lives, from birth to death. I liked being able to follow their lives throughout the book. But based on the title and description of the book, I thought this would be more of a book on dealing with social situations and how people interact with each other. In reality its a book of how two people with different backgrounds navigated through life and it appeared they were only marginally happy with how life turned out. This book is full of interesting tidbits, facts and figures about how people think, but not much is practical application. To me, this was a book of interesting trivia. I liked it overall, but wish I hadn't spent over 16 hours listening to it for what I was able to get out of it. This is the reason for the 3 stars.Not what I was expecting
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Informative
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Will Turn Your World Upside Down
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amazing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Where does The Social Animal rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
VERY high. It was a compelling combination of social behaviour explanation in the format of a novel. I found it both informative and entertaining and did not want it to end.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I burst out lauging in many occasions, smiled in even more and must say cried also.Any additional comments?
Strongly recommended if you are interested in what makes human's tick.I loved this book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Gripping, touching, and informative
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.