Arthur C. Brooks is the president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank in Washington, DC. He is also a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. Previously, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government at Syracuse University. At age 19, Brooks left college to become a professional musician and spent several seasons with the City Orchestra of Barcelona, Spain. After a decade, he returned to college and studied economics, mathematics, and languages, ultimately earning BA and MA degrees in economics and MPhil and PhD degrees in public policy. Brooks then spent 10 years as a university professor teaching economics and entrepreneurship before coming to AEI. He is the author of 10 books, including the New York Times best-seller “The Road to Freedom: How to Win the Fight for Free Enterprise”. His newest book is “The Conservative Heart: How to Build a Fairer, Happier, and More Prosperous America”. A native of Seattle, Brooks has been married for 23 years to his wife, Ester. They and their three children live in Maryland.