Ben Shapiro is an American political commentator, public speaker, and author. He has written seven books, the first being 2004's Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth. He also hosts a daily political podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show, and edits a conservative news website, The Daily Wire.
Shapiro was born in Burbank, California, on January 15, 1984. His parents are David and Moria (née Gould) Shapiro; his mother is of Lithuanian Jewish descent while his father is of Russian Jewish descent. Raised in Conservative Judaism, he later became Orthodox Jewish as an adult. He graduated from Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles in 2000 and then attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), graduating summa cum laude with a BA in political science in 2004.