Arthur C. Brooks
Born: May 21, 1964 – Spokane, Washington, United States
Arthur C. Brooks is an American author and social scientist whose work focuses on happiness, leadership, public policy, and human flourishing. He is known for books including From Strength to Strength, Love Your Enemies, and Build the Life You Want. A bestselling writer and longtime academic, he has influenced public discussions of well-being and civic culture.
Biography & Author's Journey
Arthur C. Brooks built his career by moving through fields that rarely meet in one life. He first worked as a classical French horn player, leaving college at 19 to tour and record in the United States and Spain. While still performing, he returned to study through distance learning, completed his undergraduate degree, then left music at 31 to earn an MPhil and PhD in public policy analysis from the RAND Graduate School while working as an analyst on RAND’s Project Air Force. He then spent about a decade in academia, chiefly at Syracuse University, teaching economics and nonprofit management before becoming president of the American Enterprise Institute in 2009, a move that made him a more prominent public thinker. ((https://arthurbrooks.com/meet-arthur?utm_source=openai))
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Find lasting happiness through four pillars: family, friendship, work, faith.
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From Strength to Strength
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A roadmap for finding purpose and happiness in life's second half, challenging successful professionals to redefine their priorities.
Build the Life You Want
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Find lasting happiness through four pillars: family, friendship, work, faith.
Build the Life You Want
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Find happiness through science: four pillars to lasting fulfillment.
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Community Voices
"My friend Arthur C. Brooks clearly articulates how to live a meaningful, compassionate, and purposeful life"
— Dalai Lama
"Arthur Brooks shows you it’s possible to build a life that really does get better with age"
— Simon Sinek
"Arthur Brooks is America’s most soulful social scientist"
— Jonathan Haidt
"Arthur Brooks guides us to figure out how to live by focusing on the why"
— Sheryl Sandberg
"Arthur Brooks is one of my very favorite thinkers"
— Angela Duckworth
"In this sparkling book, Arthur Brooks considers one of the oldest and deepest questions in the spiritual tradition"
— Bishop Robert Barron
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
