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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What book about Classical culture does Ms. Taylor give to Harold in Chapter 6?

2. What terms does Brooks use at the beginning of Chapter 1 to describe the upper-middle class liberal socialites of today?

3. In Chapter 1, what does Julie insist on keeping on during sex?

4. In Chapter 4, Harold illustrates his ability to abstract by saying he is what?

5. According to James LeDoux in Chapter 1, what is the relationship of the conscious mind to emotion?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Julia and Rob find marriage in the early years?

2. Who is Elliot, and how did he become involved with Antonio Damasio?

3. What is Harold's goal from conception on?

4. According to Brooks in the introduction, why are Harold and Erica so successful?

5. According to Brooks, what separates us from other animals?

6. What are mirror neurons?

7. How does Harold's tiger statement in Chapter 4 illustrate a complex human process?

8. How does Ms. Taylor shape Harold's interest in the classical world?

9. What did John Bowlby's research reveal about childhood?

10. What is the Composure Class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "The Social Animal", David Brooks makes definite policy arguments, informed by the circumstances of Harold and Erica's lives. Write a two-part essay about these policy proposals and their connection to the narrative:

Part 1) Discuss Erica's experience at Intercom. What issues do Erica and Raymond discover while they work there? What policy proposals do they make to the investors? How does this narrative indicate policy proposals Brooks would make regarding private industry?

Part 2) What conclusions does Harold come to while working at a Washington think tank? How do these proposals reflect his personal experience? What do these proposals seem to bear in mind about human nature that current public policy does not?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the role of emotion in feeding raw information to the reasonable mind. How are decisions made? How is it impossible to measure options in a rational way without emotion acuity? Discuss the case discussed in the book of the man who was unable to experience emotion in daily life. How was his rational ability ruined as a result? What does this case say about the primacy of emotion in daily life?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about Raymond. What role does he have at Intercom when Erica meets him? How does his history with the company give him a unique understanding of its failings under Taggert? Explore his relationship with Erica. What does he teach her about how to relate with other people and how to lead a group? What non-quantitative skills does he display in his dealings with the brunch club?

(see the answer keys)

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