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Who He Is

Arthur C. Brooks is the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he teaches leadership and happiness in some of the most popular classes at Harvard. From 2009 to 2019 he served as president of the American Enterprise Institute, one of the most influential think tanks in the United States, leading research on poverty, opportunity, and human flourishing.

Brooks is also a columnist for The Atlantic, where his popular How to Build a Life column translates the science of happiness into practical wisdom. He has written nine books, including the number one New York Times bestseller Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt.

His work is deeply civic. At a moment when Americans increasingly treat one another as enemies, Brooks argues that the health of our democracy depends on our ability to disagree with respect, curiosity, and even love.

Why He Matters for Civic Literacy

Love Your Enemies: A national call for Americans to reject the culture of contempt and practice civility and curiosity across political lines
Leadership and Happiness at Harvard: A wildly popular course teaching that happiness is built through enjoyment, gratitude, service, and connection
From Strength to Strength: A social-science guide to finding purpose and meaning in the second half of life
AEI Presidency (2009-2019): Led one of the most influential think tanks in America, championing research on poverty, opportunity, and the moral case for free enterprise
How to Build a Life: A beloved Atlantic column applying happiness research to everyday life

Core Ideas

Contempt is the enemy

The biggest threat to democracy is not disagreement but contempt — treating opponents as beneath us

Disagree better

You can oppose an idea fiercely while still respecting the person who holds it; curiosity persuades where anger fails

Happiness is a discipline

Enjoyment, gratitude, service, and connection are practices anyone can build

Both sides matter

Progressives and conservatives each carry moral values the other needs; democracy works best when both are heard

“You can disagree with people, but you cannot hate them.”
— Arthur C. Brooks

Selected Books

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Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt (2019)

From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life (2022)

Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier (with Oprah Winfrey, 2023)

The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America (2015)

Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism (2006)

Legacy

Arthur Brooks is one of the most widely read public intellectuals in America, and his message lands at the exact center of civic literacy: a democracy cannot survive a culture of contempt. His work gives teachers, students, and citizens a practical path back to respectful disagreement.

Arthur C. Brooks