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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. At the beginning of the introduction, Brooks assures the reader that his protagonists are not what?

2. According to Brooks at the beginning of Chapter 1, where does all the furniture of the upper class liberal group come from?

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

4. What famous intellect does Brooks mention at the end of his introduction?

5. According to Brooks at the beginning of Chapter 1, what large accessory do his social ascendants always have?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Brooks describe the day-to-day life of the Composure Class?

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

3. What are mirror neurons?

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

5. Why does Timothy Wilson think that the unconscious mind does the majority of the work in thinking?

6. Describe Ms. Taylor.

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

8. What is the Composure Class?

9. What does Damasio determine about living without emotion in Chapter 1?

10. How does Brooks use the meeting of Julia and Rob to illustrate the surprise of similarities?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

David Brooks intends "The Social Animal" to be a policy treatise of sorts. Part of this treatise is a promotion of charter schools. Write an essay about Erica's childhood education experience. How is she failed by the public school system? What skills does she learn at the Academy? What can it offer her that a public school cannot? What does Brooks promote as important components in a child's education?

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

Harold's professional life takes an interestingly circuitous trajectory as he searches for spiritual fulfillment. Write an essay about the different stages of Harold's professional development:

Part 1) What about Erica's offer inspires Harold to end his odyssey period after college? Discuss the nature of Harold's work with the fledgling consulting firm? What skills does he develop? How does this occupation draw to a close?

Part 2) Discuss the impact working with the Historical Society has on Harold. What parts of his life does he leave behind in the process? What does he find especially fulfilling about this work?

Part 3) What ideas about politics does Harold bring to his think tank job? Discuss how Harold's previous life experience informs the policy papers he writes? What policy proposals does he produce at this think tank? How are they the culmination of his professional life?

(see the answer keys)

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