It seems to be a very condensed biography and history of Robert Moses. Moses, who was instrumental in shaping modern New York City, is depicted in Caro's Pulitzer Prize-winning book … Moses wrote it in response to Robert A. Caro's 1100-plus page tome about the Power Broker. Picture postcard views of a mid-century New York, dastardly tales of Moses' machinations that made the city what it is, all around a fascinating story of the ins and outs, whys, wherefores, winners and losers in urban development. His connection to Jane Jacobs is touched on. Lovely retro illustration style and what seems to be a reasonably evenhanded approach to the subject matter. For those truly interested in a detailed account, read “The Power Broker”. Moses succeeded in diverting funds to his Long Island parkway projects (the Northern State Parkway, the Southern State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway), although the Taconic State Parkway was later completed as well. Welcome back. Take my word for it, I lugged this thing all around the world, through Europe and the USA, what a mistake that was. If he stacked all his manuscript pages since he began the book back in 1993 it would stand 6 feet tall, a shade taller than himself, Mr. Nersesian says...Main characters include a fictionalized Robert Moses, … It is a crash course also on American politics. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. And overall it is delivered with a very good prose, sober yet bright, faultless and elegant. This was a more balanced view of Robert Moses than I expected from the cover; an example of a person with such a long, powerful career that they both can't help but be passed by a younger generation but also refuse to cede power in a way that makes that go badly for all the people he served. Still I found that the book did seem to be published during the height of Moses' influence and power. Robert Moses, which I knew nothing about, seems one of those individualistic heroes (that objectivism idealizes) that fight against the status quo and "mediocrity". The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. I liked it just fine for that. Well I found this to be a real ding dong of a book. Interesting commentary at the end about Jacobs’ and Moses’ legacy (notoriety for one, acclaim for the other, and possibly some unanticipated connections between one side of the contemporary political spectrum and NIMBY activists). Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I've never read Caro, I've never read Jane Jacobs (both these things need to change...), but this seemed a simple enough illustration of the issues of urban planning in New York City in the mid 20th century so that even a child could understand. Documentary about architect Robert Moses who is responsible for public works projects like the Lincoln Center and the United Nations in New York. At nearly 1200 pages, it weighs about 3-1/2 pounds, and is a bear to lug around on an airplane on vacation. Maybe it was the first few pages of this comic that took inspiration from Fountainhead. Christin does a balanced job at analyzing both sides of the character of Moses' projects, abundant in both vision and cynicism. Then I wound up leaving it a flight from DC to Portland last June, had to purchase another. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2017. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. 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