My guest for the first in a new run of Free Exchange episodes is the New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks. His previous books include The Road to Character, The Social Animal and Bobos in Paradise. Most recently, he is the author of The Second Mountain.

In his latest work, he deals with a bigger issue than the stuff we usually worry about here at CapX: what does it mean to live a good life? 

That is a personal question, and The Second Mountain is a very personal book. But it is not without political implications. Mr Brooks is critical of meritocracy. He cites the grim statistics about deaths of despair and loneliness in America. He thinks something needs to change if people are to live more fulfilling lives, and his book is an attempt to put his finger on what that thing might be. 

Mr Brooks was in London earlier this week and came to CapX's offices to talk about The Second Mountain. I started by asking him about the personal crisis that serves as the book's starting point. 

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