David Brooks

Early Life and Education

David Brooks was born in Toronto, Ontario, on August 11, 1961, while his father was completing a doctorate at the University of Toronto. His family soon moved to New York City, where he spent his early childhood in Stuyvesant Town housing. Both of his parents were academics, with his father teaching English literature at New York University and his mother studying 19th century British history at Columbia University. Brooks was raised in a Jewish household but rarely attended synagogue as an adult. He attended the Grace Church School, an Episcopal primary school in Manhattan's East Village, before his family relocated to the affluent Main Line suburbs of Philadelphia when he was 12.

At Radnor High School, Brooks competed on the debate team alongside future actor Tom F. Wilson. He graduated in 1979 and enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. His senior thesis focused on popular science writer Robert Ardrey. As an undergraduate, Brooks wrote satirical pieces for campus publications, including a spoof of conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr.'s lifestyle. When Buckley visited the university, he asked if Brooks was in the audience and, recalling the piece, offered him a job, which marked the beginning of Brooks's career in journalism.

Early Career and Rise in Journalism

He has said this experience covering crime had a conservatizing influence on him. In 1984, he accepted the internship offer from William F. Buckley at the National Review in New York. The position exposed him to an affluent intellectual and social circle, including yachting trips and dinners with prominent figures. Brooks, who is Jewish, later reflected that Buckley might have considered him as a potential successor if not for his religion.

Following his internship, Brooks spent time at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford University and wrote film reviews for The Washington Times. In 1986, he was hired by The Wall Street Journal, where he first worked as an editor for the book review section and occasionally as a film critic. From 1990 to 1994, the Journal posted him as an op ed columnist to Brussels, where he covered European affairs, Russia, the Middle East, and South Africa. Upon returning to the United States, he joined the newly launched neo conservative magazine The Weekly Standard in 1994 as a senior editor. Two years later, he edited an anthology of conservative writing titled Backward and Upward: The New Conservative Writing.

Columnist and Author

David Brooks's career as a prominent columnist began in 2003 when New York Times editorial page editor Gail Collins invited him to lunch. Collins was seeking a conservative writer who could engage liberal readers without alienating them, stating she wanted someone who would not make readers shriek and throw the paper out the window. Brooks started his column that September, though he found the initial public reception difficult, describing the first six months as miserable and noting he had never been hated on a mass scale before. His tenure at the Times lasted 22 years, establishing him as one of the paper's most recognizable opinion voices. Alongside his column, he became a regular political commentator on the PBS NewsHour starting in 2001.

Brooks is also a prolific author of non fiction books. His first major work, Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There, was published in 2000 and became a bestseller. It argued that a new managerial class had fused 1960s liberal idealism with 1980s self interest. It was followed by On Paradise Drive in 2004. His later books, including The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement (2011) and The Road to Character (2015), explore social psychology, ethics, and human behaviour. These works often blend reporting with insights from neuroscience, sociology, and philosophy. The Social Animal was excerpted in The New Yorker and reached number three on the Publishers Weekly non fiction bestseller list in 2011. In 2026, Brooks left The New York Times and joined The Atlantic as a staff writer, where he also launched a weekly video podcast.

Political Views and Evolution

David Brooks's political ideology has been variously described as centrist, moderate conservative, and conservative. In recent years, he has positioned himself closer to the political centre, writing in 2021 that he placed himself on the rightward edge of the leftward tendency within the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. By 2024, he stated he found himself rooting for the Democrats about 70 percent of the time and was almost all the way to joining the party. Ottawa Citizen commentator David Warren has identified him as one of those Republicans who want to engage with the liberal agenda.

Brooks's views have evolved from his younger years. As a university student, he considered himself a democratic socialist but recounts a televised debate with free market economist Milton Friedman as a turning point. On specific issues, he initially supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq but later called the decision a clear misjudgment, attributing it to faulty intelligence rather than conspiracy. He has been a long time admirer of John McCain but criticized his 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin, calling her a cancer on the Republican Party, a comment he later said he regretted. Brooks has expressed strong admiration for Barack Obama's intellect and character but has also critiqued aspects of his presidency. He has been a consistent and vocal critic of Donald Trump, questioning his moral character and fitness for office, and in 2019 suggested Trump may be a sociopath.

Social and Cultural Commentary

Brooks's columns and books frequently address broad social and cultural trends beyond partisan politics. He has written optimistically about improvements in social stability, noting a decline in risky teenage sexual behaviour despite a more sexualized media landscape. He argued that the culture wars were subsiding as younger generations blended social frankness with traditional wholesomeness. On the issue of same sex marriage, Brooks broke with many conservatives as early as 2003, writing that marriage, including gay marriage, is a conservative value that sanctifies love and fidelity. He argued conservatives should insist on gay marriage rather than oppose it.

In his commentary on poverty, such as a 2015 column following the death of Freddie Gray, Brooks argued that the primary impediments to upward mobility are often matters of social psychology rather than simply a lack of government spending. More recently, in a 2020 article for The Atlantic titled The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake, he suggested that the traditional nuclear family model has collapsed and may be giving way to new, extended family paradigms. His 2019 TED Talk in Vancouver, The Lies Our Culture Tells Us About What Matters, And a Better Way to Live, was selected by curator Chris Anderson as a favourite of the year. His writing often critiques hyper individualism and moral relativism, arguing for a renewed sense of shared moral order and the common good.

Academic Roles and Broader Influence

Beyond journalism, David Brooks has held several academic positions. He was a visiting professor of public policy at Duke University's Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy in 2006 and taught a course on philosophical humility at Yale University in 2013. In 2026, he joined Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs as the inaugural senior presidential fellow. He has also served on the University of Chicago's Board of Trustees since 2012 and on the board of advisors for the university's Institute of Politics. These roles reflect his ongoing engagement with public policy and political thought.

Brooks maintains a connection to his Canadian birthplace but has lived most of his life in the United States. He was raised Jewish and has expressed strong admiration for Israel, visiting almost annually since 1991 and supporting the country during conflicts while also criticizing actions he deemed uncivilized. He is known for a writing style that is earnest, often humorous, and deeply engaged with philosophical and moral questions. His work frequently explores themes of character, community, and the search for a common good in a fragmented society, drawing on thinkers like philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre to analyse modern moral climate.

Notable Public Appearances and Recognition

David Brooks is a frequent speaker at universities and public forums. In September 2026, he delivered the Fall Convocation address as part of a speaker series. His 2019 TED Talk in Vancouver, which examined cultural narratives about success and fulfilment, was highlighted by TED curator Chris Anderson as one of his personal favourite talks from that year. These appearances extend his influence beyond the printed page and allow him to engage directly with audiences on themes of morality, community, and politics.

Brooks's work has garnered a mix of praise and criticism from across the political spectrum. He has been called the liberals' favourite conservative, a label about which he has expressed ambivalence, particularly when praise comes from highly partisan sources. His columns have sometimes sparked controversy, such as one dismissing the conviction of Scooter Libby as a farce, which was derided by blogger Andrew Sullivan. Despite such moments, his consistent output and willingness to evolve his views have maintained his position as a significant commentator in American and Canadian media circles for over two decades.

Questions about David Brooks

Is David Brooks a conservative?

David Brooks has described himself as a moderate Republican. His ideology has been labelled as centrist, conservative, and moderate conservative. In recent years, he has written that he aligns more with the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. He stated in 2024 that he roots for Democrats about 70 percent of the time. Brooks grounds his political philosophy in thinkers like Edmund Burke.

Why did David Brooks leave The New York Times?

In 2026, after 22 years as an opinion columnist, David Brooks left The New York Times. His final column, titled Time to Say Goodbye, reflected on change and new beginnings. He joined The Atlantic as a staff writer, where all of his writing now appears, and he also hosts a new weekly video podcast. Concurrently, he took on a role as a senior presidential fellow at Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs.

What are David Brooks's most famous books?

David Brooks is the author of several bestselling non fiction books. His breakthrough was Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There (2000). He is also well known for The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement (2011), which explores unconscious influences on behaviour, and The Road to Character (2015), which examines humility and moral virtue. These books blend cultural commentary with insights from social science.

What does David Brooks think about Donald Trump?

David Brooks has been a consistent and strong critic of Donald Trump. He authored a New York Times op-ed titled "No, Not Trump, Not Ever," arguing Trump was epically unprepared to be president. Brooks has suggested Trump may be a sociopath. He has also analysed Trump's rise as a symptom of a decline in shared moral standards.

What other media does David Brooks appear on?

Beyond his written columns, David Brooks has been a regular political analyst on the PBS NewsHour since 2001. Following his move to The Atlantic in 2026, he began hosting a weekly video podcast for the publication. Brooks also gives public lectures and has delivered a TED Talk. He frequently participates in speaker series at universities and other institutions.

Where was David Brooks born and educated?

David Brooks was born in Toronto, Canada, on August 11, 1961. He spent his early years in New York City before his family moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he attended Radnor High School. He graduated in 1979 and then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Chicago. His senior thesis focused on popular science writer Robert Ardrey, and during his undergraduate years, he frequently contributed reviews and satirical pieces to campus publications.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.