The Social Animal

David Brooks's 2011 synthesis of social science research — told through the fictional lives of Harold and Erica — arguing that unconscious processes, relationships, and social context are more important than individual rationality in determining human success.

Creates the social science synthesis narrative — The Social Animal tells the story of two fictional characters' lives from birth to death as a vehicle for synthesizing neuroscience, social psychology, economics, and sociology; its method (fiction as vehicle for research synthesis) is the most ambitious popular social science form.