The Social AnimalThe Social Animal
Score Modern
What it's about
Through the lives of one composite American couple, Harold and Erica, from infancy to old age, David Brooks draws on research from many fields to show how success happens and what human flourishing is built on.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 27 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists.
You'll love it if you liked
The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life
How to Know a Person
Thinking, Fast and SlowGood to know
It's nonfiction told as a story.
By the numbers
- Readers2 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller39 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #118 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #1611 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #3002 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
A Game of Thrones
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
The Body Keeps the Score
The Fifth Season
Dungeon Crawler Carl
When Breath Becomes AirExplore the best-of lists
All 47 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,647 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 751 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is The Social Animal worth reading?
Yes. It spent 27 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #3,002 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Social Animal about?
Through the lives of one composite American couple, Harold and Erica, from infancy to old age, David Brooks draws on research from many fields to show how success happens and what human flourishing is built on.
How long does it take to read The Social Animal?
About 12 hours (494 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Social Animal?
If you liked it, try The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks, How to Know a Person by David Brooks or Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.