New York Times columnist David Brooks is concerned with the well-being of children, and the vitality of the institutions that support them.

In The Harlem Miracle, David Brooks explores the remarkable impact of the Harlem Children’s Zone – the foundation of which is the Baby College, a parent support intervention that begins at birth. “What Geoffrey Canada, Harlem Children’s Zone’s founder and president, has done is ‘the equivalent of curing cancer for these kids. It’s amazing. It should be celebrated. But it almost doesn’t matter if we stop there. We don’t have a way to replicate his cure, and we need one since so many of our kids are dying — literally and figuratively.’”
In The Psych Approach, Brooks examines the effect of childhood trauma on a wide array of health and life outcomes: from the rate of suicide to cancer and emphysema. He observes that domestic policies “are all dealing with the same problem — that across vast stretches of America, economic, social and family breakdowns are producing enormous amounts of stress and unregulated behavior, which dulls motivation, undermines self-control and distorts lives.” Treating the underlying issue means intervening early in life to prevent these childhood traumas that are so durable and far-reaching.