(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- If you know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person’s story should you pay attention to? Join in on an online discussion with bestselling author David Brooks on Tuesday, January 13, 2026 about his book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. The act of seeing another person, Brooks argues, is profoundly creative: How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them and, in turn, see something larger in ourselves?
David Brooks is the bestselling author of The Second Mountain, The Road to Character, the Social Animal, Bobos in Paradise, and On Paradise Drive. He is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, a writer for The Atlantic, and appears regularly on PBS Newshour. He is one of the nation’s leading writers and commentators.
Registration is required for this free program. To register, or for more information, visit tinyurl.com/BrooksOCL, call 732-349-6200, or visit your local OCL branch. Register now to take part in a riveting conversation on how to connect with people from all walks of life, and why doing so is paramount to our individual and communal growth.
How to Know a Person is available in various formats for free to Ocean County Library cardholders. Visit tinyurl.com/BrooksBookOCL, call 732-349-6200, or visit your local OCL branch to request a copy.
