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Arthur Brooks
Harvard professor, Atlantic columnist, social scientist specialized in happiness, speaker, former classical French horn player
Arthur C. Brooks is a prominent American academic, author, and public speaker, currently serving as the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and as a Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School since 2019. He is also recognized as a Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School.17
Early Life and Education
Born on May 21, 1964, in Spokane, Washington, Brooks grew up in Seattle. He initially pursued a career as a classical French hornist, performing with various orchestras, including the City Orchestra of Barcelona. In his late twenties, he returned to academia, earning a BA in economics from Thomas Edison State College, followed by an MA in economics from Florida Atlantic University. He later obtained an MPhil and PhD in public policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School while working as an analyst for the RAND Corporation.2467
Academic Career
Before joining Harvard, Brooks was the 11th President of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) from 2009 to 2019, where he significantly expanded the institute's research portfolio and outreach initiatives. His academic career began at Georgia State University and continued at Syracuse University, where he became a full professor and published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and several books.1356
Publications and Media
Brooks is a prolific author with 13 books to his name, including bestsellers like From Strength to Strength (2022) and Build the Life You Want (2023), co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. He writes a popular column for The Atlantic, titled "How to Build a Life," focusing on happiness and well-being.1457 Additionally, he hosts a podcast where he discusses themes related to happiness and personal fulfillment.
Honors and Recognition
Throughout his career, Brooks has received numerous accolades, including being named one of Fortune Magazine’s “50 World’s Greatest Leaders” and receiving multiple honorary doctorates. His work has had a significant impact on discussions surrounding public policy, happiness, and human potential.246
Personal Life
Brooks resides in Needham, Massachusetts, with his wife Ester Munt-Brooks. They have three children: Joaquim, Carlos, and Marina.34
Highlights
Do you ever feel a little emptiness in your life?
Here’s a way for you to understand if you have a meaning crisis, and if you do, good news—you’ll know what to go in search of, which is the answers to the following two questions:
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Why are you alive? There is my answer and your answer, and they don’t have to be the same. Furthermore, you might answer that question by who created you, for what purpose, or both.
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For what would you give your life gladly at this moment? You fail if you say, "I don’t know" or "nothing."
These are the two questions. If you don’t have answers, if you didn’t pass, or if you’re thinking about someone you love who’s a little lost and wouldn’t pass, good news—you know what to go in search of.
