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was one donated, I was just at lunch with my friend corey and she said. Have you heard a of socks, and I was like I work in podcast. Not only have I heard of them, I've said their name numerous times and I have tons of bummer stuff and all of it's amazing, good obama's dot com, slash nine nine poi and use code. Nine: nine poi for twenty percent off your first purchase: that's b, o m b; a s dot com, slash, nine, nine poi and use code; nine, nine poi at checkout, bombas, dot com, slash, nine, nine poi code; nine, nine pm. This is ninety nine percent, invisible, I'm roman mars. in nineteen. Seventy four to very significant things happened. If you are a fan of ninety nine percent, invisible number one is that I was born and number two the power broker by robert kara was published I learned about the power broker when I first started to cover cities and infrastructure on the radio. This massive book, that's about twelve hundred pages long, is the most important income

The explanation of how cities are formed, how neighborhoods or destroyed ridges reckon roads are laid down, parks or designed. Fortunes are made, lives are ruined and power is amassed. It is biography of Robert Moses, a man who has said built more structures and move more earth than anyone, in human history, and he did it all without ever holding elected office outside of new york city robert, most wasn't exceptionally well known inside of new york. He was mostly I'm criticised by the media and was simply the man who built all those nice parks, but Robert Cairo's book, the power broker, which is idled robert moses and fall of new york changed all that it is a tool force of journalism, history and biography. I also think is really fun to read and is strongly and contention for the best book ever written

ms, as I mentioned, it is twelve hundred pages long as best selling and his influential as it is. I wouldn't surprised if you had an unopened copy sitting on Bookshelf right now, but that is a crime, because this book needs to be read, or at least disgusted but upon cast so willing to spend twenty twenty four reading it together we're going to study it, we're gonna break it down we're going to exult in the genius of the author, Robert Caro, within a sheep, are fixed in the sky at Robert Moses. It is going to be amazing and, as I was discussing this idea with my friend Elliot Kalen, who is the co host of the pioneering very funny flophouse podcast and former head writer of the daily show with John stewart his eyes lit and he said if there is any for me to be involved. I would love to help and later day. He texted me a picture of the title page of his.

Copy of the power broker that was signed by robert kara himself He was a guest on the daily show when I was working there any signed it and he said to elliot Another member of the writing profession, Robert carol, The greatest compliment I've ever received in my life is like just thinking about it. Was crying like this. It didn't like the first time, a red. It was just that I could even pretend to be a right Like Robert kara was this amazing dislike it? control yeah it's from the point of view, there's two really big since. To read this book, the power broker and in one is that it's about rob moses, who is a person that most people wouldn't know if it wasn't rubber care who shaped the twentieth century in so many ways and the other Robert kara himself, the writer. So, let's start with Robert kara, why Getting that note from him make you cry

there's a and yet did maybe cries had almost new private was true. I can only say that robert carol represents. To me anything to a lot of people. Read em this amazed. synthesis of the just researcher who ever lived. He has this it's down and he will not stop until he is as and out every single piece of information it's possible to find out about the subject. You will talk to everybody. You'll talk the multiple times every page in the archives, but combined with that is reduced and it's not just information, but the books are beautiful. Your beautifully written he's array, who manages to combine this intense actual rigorous with a real sense of power, tree and beauty and evocative writing that's hard to find so and I are gonna co host this deep dive into the power and I want to say that we do not expect you to have read or know anything about the book. At this point, we just want to convince you to take this journey with us and

we'll make it so that you can enjoy it and listen. Even if you don't read it but is really worth if you do and in addition to elliot we're going to have many fun guests in the What club with us that you're going to meet along the way? But first I want to talk the origin of this book and how Robert kara first got idea of writing about this man, robber moses Robert kara was first the reporter the nineteen sixty four newsday robber Moses was still the monumental towering figure in new york city politics. He was the man behind the parks he's the man who builds parks. He builds bridges, he builds roads and he were- to build this enormous bridge across the long island soundness and called the oyster bay rye bridge, because at this point like one who is currently trying to challenge themself. He just wants to build bigger and bigger bridges, regardless of where they're are going who's gonna. Take them easy, it's just for the bridge for the purity of the bridge itself, which in a way is kind of beautiful, but which is terrible for the people living on island and Robert Kara. is a journalist in his day and he's doing a series

stories about this bridge. He talks about it and all them tell him. This is a bad idea, bridge was too big it it is not necessary. It's gonna disrupt, will probably hidell patterns and things like that. That's how big the pete the pillars are, the peers there, the folded up and run characters writing articles about it, and he goes. I think, I'm really making a difference. I'm really making a change here and he goes to the meeting where the approval, as can be voted on to move forward with this bridge, and he goes there and not I'll get off the bridge sales through the approval process. So fast and rick starts realise, as he more about municipal governance. O this bridge is not built there because of engineering needs. Demographic needs planning needs its being built there because Moses wants it built there and he has enough power that he can say I want this here, even if it flies in the face of

all observable reality in summer there and rubber terraces. How did this guy get this power because the seat, the thing that roses? He was never elected or public office democratically, according to our system here No one should have his power, but he certainly should not have it has never been the one time he ran for office. We runs for governor, he loses. A landslide because he is such an unlike up of so many people, but somehow ramos. This has this power in so Robert kara says on the write a book about this. He tells us wifi anna. It will take nine months and write a book about Robert Moses, a yearly he's like. I'm scratch the surface of the research process, and it takes him seven years to to write this book during that time. Wife cells, their house and they move to an apartment set. They continue working on it through bit their living their living really hand to mouth, and this is

the shortest I think he's ever spent on a book creature. Seven years since then, after this is a success, he goes on to outline a johnston. He's right. These huge books nets, the work of his life for the past forty some odd years, and so is it the one she The thing about Robert Caro is that he is the great to these writers and the flip side of him being so great and so thorough with it is that he will. if writing about two people for his entire life, but that's how he gets into this thing. He since that Robert Moses has this power. How did he get it when he shouldn't have it and that the question that leads him to this book and it takes him eleven hundred pages. To answer it, and, to be honest, is heartbeat. It would take less than that. Legally, there are eleven hundred eat well used pages you're it really stunning as a as a work, because I came into this through. He stayed in cities and how their made, not necessarily like sort of like thinking too much about the character of raw?

moses. But it is a real shakespearian, greedy myth, kind of hero and tragedy and fall like eight really has all these beats as a story that are beyond just You know me y understand how cities are made YAP rhetoric. Harrow manages to take the act of construction in the act of road planning and the effect it has on people and how much of it stems from the personality of this one man and really blows it up into this epic proportion, because these are epic things he the point he's making throughout the is Robert Moses is literally reshaping the the actual landscape of new york city and much of the our state? It is physically, building more and putting more earth into movement than any other human being has in the end the world and all behind the very innocuous title of perks. Commissioner, you know- and courage shouldn't coordinator and its because, while this epoch story Is is mirrored by this very macchiavelli.

Behind the scenes story of the man who can work the law and knows how to write laws and how to fix them so that he can do things fire power without people, knowing that they can work behind the scenes. I should mention the bridge that Robert cairo saw get passed through. The apple, process was never actually built because the planning of that bridge managed to if coincide with these experian fall of Robert Moses from the heights that he had attained. So if you want to go drive across the oyster bay ripe rage, all six miles of this spencer bridge, don't worry you're, not gonna able to do it. I'm sorry! It's not going to happen so this book, the power girls has been around for fifty years and it is a very fine book. It is actually really lie. We to read understand and learned so much. The chapters are just there is almost whiplash between the chapter, sometimes like rubber. There'll be talking about how this one road is built and how much it took to raise the money for it and then the next chapter is about him and his in dutch,

We will have to put this brother and it's it's. It's a whiplash bits. Also Robert kara has this. Has this amazing sense of this? I ve got a lot of fun it's about road building right now. I don't know if I'm ready for more facts about road building. Okay is a chapter about Robert Moses and his brother, oh you're, not this chapter off blade. It was really dance with his relationship with a different mares. Ok, let me give you a chapter about how lavishly he would entertain his guests at jones, beach less if he was an emperor and then in europe, that trapping like this is fine. This is funded. Lit like this is like great gatsby kind of like you know, I and asserted, but then robert growth, like you enjoyed that chapter. Didn't you here's a chapter about how an entire neighborhood was destroyed and they tried everything they could to stop it and he couldn't stop it in it's heartbreaking and it's such a there's such a a masterful kind of flow to it there's funny parts to it and there's Robert carries the master of a as ending a chapter, with a one sentence- paragraph that's like but robert most I had an idea and that's the end of the chapter and you're like now. I need to read the next chapter, like it's rare, that

today. A really weighty, really respectable tom about me simple governance that has so much suspense built into it, s only cliff hangers The thing about it is a very I read from the book out loud to my wife and it's really readable, like it just a kind of raw of the tongue really. Well, it's not this relentlessly com logical slog of like yeah. Ok, we have to get to this bridging into this bridging into this bridge really is about how Robert Moses developed as this kind of political reformer. This progressive. anti politicians, sort of meritocracy, focus, this guy who went into public service for all the right reese just because he saw a need that people had for that away. to get around especially better ways to relax and enjoy their lives in a city setting and you watch him, Asked the power he needs to make that dream possible and Robert Rebecca calls it a dream many times to make impossible and then realize. Actually, I kind of like the amounts,

power part like making the dream of a small part of, and going too far, that it's the it's. The real story is that you want them the only moment it doesn't have is the moment every rock and roll movie where someone goes you've changed man. It used to be about the music, but that's the kind of the kind of arc that rubber most is going on. There's just so much there's a there's, a character in. in the novel, the moonstone by working collins, who carries around robinson with them everywhere. Lady says this is my bible, I'd whenever advice for I need to add something. I turned to a page, robinson crusoe and there's something right there for me and that's how I feel about the power broker. Then I could, if I had trouble with something my life I feel like. I could open up the powerbroker to a random page and I'd find something on there. That would be or be like the supplies, Let me get through it, but I'm getting to right. Now. I've read it once before and red ones before were reading any again for the project of this podcast witching hour, you for ass may be part of this because for years I said, I'm gonna reread the power broker sunday, but went on

I get around to it and then this came along and I was like yeah now. I am justified in rereading spending the limited amount of time. God put me on. There's this earth rereading the longest book. I think I've ever read So this is our names members will product for this next year and sorting on january nineteenth and monthly, sort of cover about a hundred pages per month and get through the whole book and We're gonna talk about what happened in the book of recap. It we're do some deep. Ives into something we find most interesting in those chapters, maybe not the most important thing to something too. To pick a part, that's fun for us and work interview, some celebrities, who are fans of Robert Caro fans, ro moses mean whatever interested and rubber moses. I guess more than fans of Moses events in the same way that someone's like, like really likes the joker, definitely amory. Something like that and including our first

for this inaugural. I grew episodes introductory episode. A one code- o brien, who is sort of like amazing. How he's aligned himself with Robert kara like there's a whole near times article from a few years ago, about how much he is fan of Robert Carroll, which is what is going to amazing thing to exist. You know that there will just be an article about his own fandom, one of the first and I remember, reading about rubber kara, was in an article about conan, o brien from twenty summit. Years ago. You could tell he's supposed to be talking to somebody about being the host of a late night television show that the article opens with him talking about master of the Senate, which at the time I think, was the most recent Lyndon Johnson book in a serious, and you can tell that he's just so genuinely excited about this that it had. He must have brought it up, probably thirty times that they put him in a once in the article that they're like what we gotta cover discus. It's such a part of him. His ease, such even such a real carol, had It's just a real kara die hard for years. Its funding.

Can be such an enthusiastic fan, and so as the only guess that we had in mind for our first episode. So after the break he and I are gonna talk to coded o brien. The new smart home, maybe monitoring system stork, is empowering parents. Everyone stork continuously tracks your babies, health data, like pulse rate, oxygen, that's racial skin temperature or using technology. That's been used nick use for over twenty five years stored. Camera has a cue, hd, capable high resolution video and you can see you're babies, data and live video feed from anywhere with distort our story. isn't a medical device. It can help you get to know your baby better, had massimo stork dot com to learn more? That's a as I am owes toward dotcom stork, a revolution, a baby monitor, is born. this progress is brought. You buy square space, the on one website platform for entrepreneurs who stand out an succeed online,

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or find out more. We're gonna, spend the whole year digging into the power rover. But first, let's talk about the guy who wrote it in addition to the power broker. Robert care has written a memoir about his writing and for biographies of presently. and Johnson, with a fifth and final book on the way, each volume taking on a different portion of l b jays life with signal digressions on these The composition of the texas he'll country were johnson, grew up and the entire history and function of the: u S, senate, as a biographer, there is no one like em and, as such robber carol has a fur. And and dedicated fanbase, including Conan O'Brien, so You created gunnar brain needs. A friend I am told, based is an elaborate front to get robert care to talk to you Why is he so special

what forceful everything I've done in show business is an elaborate long con to achieve, saw my life goals. Meeting mister t was one of them and chief? That way, in the late nineties, but I've We wanted to talk to Robert Caro, I'm a history buff, And so Robert cairo, clearly v pre eminent. Historian of our time. And I have very good friend in college, roommate name Eric rife, shut out eric I still see all the time and he and I were in car. Which, together, when these first, the first a book on Johnson came out and we started reading those books as they came out and we sort of. If you can imagine back fifteen years ago, if you can imagine twice four year old girl

waiting in line for the next harry potter book. That's how we were about about kara, and we were long animated discussions about Lyndon Johnson and so to the point where we will be in a restaurant me to this day. We could be talking about Lyndon Johnson and restaurant, and- My friend Eric, is very loud and also if in the same part of pennsylvania that Jimmy stewart's from so he actually sounds a bit like Jimmy stewart and so who will be in a restaurant like a nice restaurant and we start talking about johnson and Eric get very animated and then I'll get animated but erics louder than I am, and I'm the one on television and radio and he'll star shouting you don't you, you know what I thought about well then drops from yonder you're going to understand and you'll kill people think that it's a scene from you know it's a wonderful life, our screaming at clarence, so people

very excited about the work of robert care and I think it all boils down to me core religion, even though I was raised catholic, my real core religion is that god is in the details I feel that way about comedy. I feel that way about work and crew. in general and run care o is the patron saint of doing the work in the time having the patients and believing that god is in the details and that's reflected so powerfully in his work that I think that's why he resonates for me. I I it's really fascinating- that people are obsessed with his process and an a view you've expressed. Expressing obsessed with this process may think that part. That is because, in the end,

in the void of the decade between books. We fill it our imaginations with with with you know him a single light bulb and file folders stuff like this in an era, is even in his book that talks about writing is called working. It's all! Yes, it's about a work ethic. What? What about that? It's really fascinating to you well, I I like to contrast Robert Caro with fatah since that were in now. You think about it. Everything so quick everything feel some temporary when the internet, didn't exist when Robert carers started clearly the power broker, but then on to his Lyndon johnson books, I now we live in this world where everything so ephemeral and fast, since he's, come and go television comes and goes, entertainment things almost like a magician that has flash powder things explode in there's a big,

melba, woe and it puffin, and it's gone and while this is all happening, you contrast What this man, who has Derek his whole life assent really to writing about these two people. And really most of his life right one man and in his way, without per mise very quietly small office having been there, but imagine it's not huge and cranking away on a smith, corona typewriter that was built nineteen sixty nine and has this dedication to he's doing that feels like its akin to egyptians, building a pyramid. In a most people that were working on a pyramid, never even lived to see it half built letter one completed what this man's doing doesn't feel like it's part of the late twentieth.

An early twenty first century is completely out of time. You know Albert cairo in his work makes me a trivial. The way looking at a mesa in a desert makes me trivial. You know I just look at it like. Oh, my god, this thing is so much bigger than me and made of granite robert care. the closest thing to like a geological formation. His work, his body of work, feels like were watching. This error of lava that takes an end and moving of tectonic plates. That's going to build something and it's gonna last as long as civilization last, which is at least another forty years yeah. I often think of a robert carroll, less as a writer and more as like and like a merlin type carol. Someone who goes off into into the top a tower grower or sits on a mountain somewhere and is so incredibly folk, and concentrated on the universe around him out his working with that. He gave a greater knowledge of it and a key

really comes down from the mountain and is like here you go, here's my latest insights and then he goes back up the mountain people, though mister kara, Mr Karel. When, when do we have more of this and he's like it takes time, it takes time it hits concentration more than your capable of and then and then goes back up into the mists of is office on central park west. I guess right and You know he has such respect, for the work is done, that he wears a blazer and a tie isn't working, anybody, my himself all day is by himself. You know I would be probably just wearing board shorts No wonder where I don't look at me, a short less and I'd be and you know yelling into an ancient dick to phone just for fun and the tv would be in the background and I'd be making popcorn, but this guy is dry does if he's going into the oval office for a meeting, and he has

process, he writes long hand. Then he writes The typewriter and it's gotta be we'll space and ah, does a lot of thinking before he writes me thinking this world or in now where we pick up our phones, we blast out these. screens and thoughts in various musings with our food and we're driving and balancing coffee and are in our in our lab and and if you listen children in the back seat at the same time, doing the rounds, yeah yeah or if your me shouting at children through the window, just children on the You older you seem too young to exist here. So here's a twelve hundred book reed.

Book. Yeah grew a little just hireling copies of it at the cat yeah I've did I've made a device it. I load up this little catapult thing in my car and it has about I have but fifteen power broke and when I see kids I want to say under twelve on the side of the story, just loitering. I fire power broker out them on which, if you, if you ve wade that book recently how I kill? Half these kids. Yet you have to do it then, because there are still you know, impressionable clare like you can still turn them into human beings. They can. They can take a hit in the face of fire, usually usually yeah. They heal they'll, get over it and they'll never walk right again, but they'll know damn it. They'll read that book, but then I just admire which admiration for his process and am always trying to feel this. Get this sense of what

What is it about this? Guy that I like? I want to try emulate nervously, obviously they're. So in so many ways I can't emulate him, but what I, but what can emulate, is it's important the importance of your work. Taking your work seriously, even if its very silly work too. it seriously and and respecting the people who might see it or appreciated enough to try and put a little detail into utter, a little thought or feel out he's gonna come across because when I finally did get to meet him and talk to him, There is a real sweetness about him it. enthusiasm near So many of us are pleased with Much less but he's a little like a because that same kind of nope. Gonna keep going and I'm gonna keep going and I'm gonna keep going until I literally cannot stop

and you see him in his books imminent story about still don't have it. I still don't have the full sense of Lyndon johnson relationship with his dad as young man. So you know talk to in johnson's brother, SAM Houston many times, and he said he's just told all these stories and he's got I nope, I gotta, go back. I gotta go back, I gotta go back and then find when he gets this this brother to say you know, ah yeah, I was wrong stories. I told wasn't right, what happened and then he gets him to go back into that room where they used to sit and have dinner, and he pushes him in wash em and pushes em and finally gets. brother to relive that moment, between Lyndon Johnson and his father and summits. This folksy bullshit tall texas hail, it's real and any

even if we consider ourselves perfection or people who care about our work We would assigned off long ago. What is it like? You know, we ve got a pretty good book here S, a pretty good, I think we're good and I really do want to go to aruba and make their cause. I bought the tickets, so I think I can submit this and no, he needs to going back and keep going back and keep going back, and I keep thinking about that old. Tell it and classic colombo. You know Peter focused about just kept coming back. You know, he's he's talked to the bad guy thirty five times and then is like just one, I think, is just this one dang. I want to ask yeah it's kind of confusing, and I think that is Robert kara. Not a trench coat and he's already talked to you know nor connally

seventy five times or is already talking to SAM. He is generous. Already too, you know he's already talk to the texas oil guy five hundred times. and then the guy's getting dressed the day and he wants to go out and he's got a tennis match he's supposed to play and he opens the door and there's robert caro in a trenchcoat. You know this. There's one thing that kind of bothers me just a little bit well, what is it? Caro curious, you said, but you know I looked into it and they didn't have a buicks feel ashamed to clean the fort worth time. Ok, ok, it wasn't a buick dealership. It was upon you know, and then he's got his chapter but will not be another like him and he's on the plane. Right now he's working right now as work, I think about, and sometimes in oslo undoing round doing whatever dumb podcasting were Whatever thing I'm doing, I'm like

charles sitting in his office right now, while one I'm doing this workings hard doing something so amazing their story in the power broker, where Robert mode his mom reason, newspaper article that says he fined for breaking the law and she says: oh he's, never made a dollar in his life and now we're going to have to pay for this too, and his editors like well. How do you know she said that and he's like? Oh well, I talked to the the guy delivered the newspaper to her at the camp choosing at that the summer camp she it well. How did you talk to him? I talked to everyone. Could find to work that summer camp any end as if that was just well. Why wouldn't you weren't? You to every single person who ever worked at the place. Our most his parents used to spend their summers like its astounding, its astounding. You don't you gave me an idea which is we should we should all go together and try and convey and to do this, but this should be a robert carol, cam and it was set up in the corner of his office and it won't bother.

Because of these, but basically for people like us, we can at any time that he's in his office from whenever from eight o clock in the morning till six o clock at night any of us at any time can see him sitting there. Looking at his psmith, corona or maybe typing and on and then looking through some papers, and then well, it's time for him to walk up through central park south back to his apartment. I dunno what the subscription rate as for that I paved monthly for it with my children the yell at me to get off of it as it is. My kids are always annoyed that I'm time at the power broker anyway and carrying around with me like it's like a like a totem, but when it did that such an it vanessa idea, and we can point the camera. So you can't see his What and bored with his notes on these very private about those does want to see those we would respect his privacy. We would angle it he would say, believe me

with sign off on the shot yeah, and then they just be couple thousand nerds all across the world would be watching, of course, in other parts of the world you have to get up at three in the morning yeah. I feel like the world to to to to watch an older gentleman think, while looking at a typewriter, if you miss it, people put the setlists up. What he did was I am, he ate a sandwich it at his desk right, if you ve ever checked out like the book of kells ah obscure to dublin gotta, I think it's trinity universe, city, and they have the book of kelson about the middle ages and you think about the dark ages and and monks that I did. Ok, the world is gone insane, the worlds absolutely mad, so a retreat, to these little monasteries

We can get some food and we get enough word to two and coal to keep ourselves warm and we're gonna to it off, because this madness out there there's visigoths and hans, and horrible nests and disease and work to us. Slowly, eliminate a bible amber, put so much work and care, and our industry and craftsmanship into making these beautiful books and transcribing some of the wisdom. It may be, is currently being lost enough from athens, from ancient athens or from rome and one's ever going to know our names and I do this we're all going to die anonymously, but we're gonna have faith that somehow this stuff is gonna, live on and that's the same view I get it's the belief that things are more important than you and that they cannot live you and that your matters, and those are sort of, I think

essential almost fell. A call or religious de as it sets its faith based. Which is I'm going to devote my whole life to something Doesnt seem that sexy anybody else, I'll write about this. Basically, this civil servant and then I'll write about you know linden. some of those books first start to come out. I remembered thinking Lyndon Johnson yeah, it's not first, it's another browser. You got link in it's not it's washington. It's not, you know, Ah Johnson Lyndon Johnson and then use start to read and you understand, I think, that's dead on. I think that you know as you point his or of monastic egoists. This is both what's up into the work and also a truly affects the work like. If I moved

the texas, your country to understand the early days of Lyndon Johnson. My book would be about me. Moving to the whole country to learn about Lyndon Johnson, but he really that eagle business really makes them listen truly differently. He is not part of the yet journalism movement. He like no into working that he talked about Moses, seven times like he kind of hints at it like, as to the author and noticed call himself the author in his looks there's something about that and I think that the the his sword, humility and his role in this as the person who brings this stuff together get is not the center of the story is the things that make it so magical yet, as you say, it's very non. when he first century, to remove yourself completely from the story. It just doesn't happen anymore and how many doc men trees. Have we all seen where the dutch

Miss terry and sorted becomes part of the story. Man that's very much in vogue. Anne and authors are part of it and our ourselves and our egos included in that. We get high fives and praise for that. I think what a most remarkable things about the power broker. Is you you about for five and page, and this and you're thinking hey this Moses guy is pretty good. He gets a of stuff done he's pretty amazing, very talented, a visionary and he just doesn't put his thumb on the scale in a certain way, even though, when I know I've heard him talk to you and I've heard him speak at Robert caro, he has opinions. You know like so its interest as an aid to me that he really puts you in there with the the moment. There is there are some view from from the few to show like what has happened or what will happen. That's why? I think

He saw a generous mean. Has this ability just a just war, divorce himself from that and let the facts resource it was interesting to because you think about in all entertainment, I mean look at movies in one of them notes. that any studio would give any screenwriter or anyone. Making any kind of entertainment today's you gotta? Let us know who the bad guy is right away. Then I mean we need to know five minutes. First act of die hard? We need to know that HANS groupers, a bad guy You need to tell us that, whereas kara was willing to let the whole thing unfold, and he is running about human beings. So he understands that it's not his job. You tell us whether someone's good or whether someone's bad he's just going to let it all unfold and as his big favorite thesis, is what, talk about many times. Is there was saying that power corrupts absolutely crops absolutely, and he said well, no power doesn't corrupt in his

in power, reveal sneer and so is, moses, begins his career and doesn't have the power week. We can't see it yet but as time goes on and he gets more and more and more power. That's when we start to see really If things go further and further off the rails and but he's lets, you figure that he has, he doesn't. He has faith that you, the reader, will see what you need to see. Once you read it then read Robert caro's work in general. It feels like, kind of like the freemasons or some sort of a like culture, something like that were set if someone finds out that you read his work, the various about it, and they want to talk to you about it. I remember reading the power broke over the first time. You know when I, the young man you're twenty years ago and being away in new york reading it and having guys just kind of shuffle up to mingle, ridden the power broker, half enjoy it

enjoy it and then we are going a little. It's basically our fight club. Yes, I'd heard fire dont, yeah yeah, I don't. I don't want to fight you either of you guys, but you know in a this meant, I mean sort of do. I think I, Ok, I'm pretty tall. I work out, but yeah There is a yeah, you want to say, fraternal, fraternal order, but I d think. It's obviously gender based its site were part of its part of this right. You got it now too, It's like it's like being in the matrix. It's like being the matrix and morpheus shows up and hands you the power broker and is like read this. You understand a lot more and then it's a very different movie cause then you're, just watching Keanu reeves read for hours or for nine months and then as citizens and kc stopping and going whoa

instead of saying I know kung fu, he goes. I know municipal bylaws now and it looks at his hands like did I do that right, I lost all of his enemies. Have just drifted off: they don't even have to fight them. Just like. Are you still reading that? When are we going to know? It's really good? You got it. You got to MR. I understand still reading MR yeah yeah, I'm actually their building the two miss story. Going to be leaving? Now, I'm tiring you're retiring. Yes, I am sixty five. That's the yeah. That's also the interesting thing about that about that book. Is it it's so comically big yeah you can't walk around with it in a nonchalant way. They should build up de beyond its just power broker something it's

aid by a swiss company that just holds a robert carol book. Against your chest, where I can hear your heart, leaving no failsafe, and you know it doesnt throw your back out because you can't hold it. You can't say I'm going hold it with my right hand, because no then you're right, you're right your body way sixty pounds more than your laughed, so there could be. I Robert Caro could make a killing if he made a deal with a swiss company. It makes a little carrier for his books. You know manner, Is he going to listen to this? Guy was no he's not going to listen to I'm too busy working, I would say heedless. Do it on his walk, but he doesn't use the device on his wall or just thinks about what he's going to write that day. I would love to room at the end of this process. I am surprised more people don't bug him.

Is like walk into the office. I want to put that out there, but in any case, I think the only people who know that he does it and an art the same people who are like a gallery that next week I don't want anything to distract him. I don't wanna decide. I just can't take them all the time, because what, if, as he's walking along he's thinking of he's written the last line of the last book, what he is thinking of the last the word sentences that go up to that and then I go up and say: mister Harold, I'd love to talk to you and he and he forgets what those lessons were any says. Well, you know what to make sure I, the right idea, I better read every page of Lyndon johnson library again and then you don't know was there? Maybe some day the three of us can can meet up and shit. though kara was he walks through the park on his way to work amazing. Now it would not be amazing would be wrong. Three men, rested on central oregon today for stalking america's greatest biographer more a caro stalkers had been caught today. I know that cairo stalkers been arrested, we got another,

couple of them. Get the patty wagon one patty wagon for just that squad if you had one sort of like indians speak to the audience kind of like sends of like why they should read the power broker with us this year. What what would you say well I would say you should read the power broker cause. You will save so much money, on your satellite or streaming Are you all you'll be enveloped by this incredible story and by the time you're done reading it really an amazing story about how power works, and what one person can do, completely changed the face of an american city, and I'm telling you its riveting and its powerful, and When you're done, you realize that you didn't watch the golden sure

or any of these other shows utter rob that are robbing you of your life. Assets and you'll have saved some money and symbolic time and you'll be a better person, perfect thanks for helping us it really how he had. I'm I'm glad this is labor of love. I'm so happy to do it happy do chat with you guys is and I'll be listening. This is this is a cool idea, so I'm on board guys cause I'm going go was scream scream at people who work for me not because they did anything wrong, but because I can power broker it did rub off on you, yeah yeah, the robert Moses yeah. Alright, guys good luck with this. Oh thank you. So much appreciate it. Thank you so much So there you have it. If you have a copy of the power broker, pull it off the shelf. If you don't put it on your holiday wishlist we're going to spend twice,

Twenty four reading it together and talking about it with some of our favorite people. These will be extra monthly bonus episodes of ninety nine percent invisible and will cover about a hunter, pages at the time. Getting all the way through december of twenty twenty four, the first proper episodes. on january nineteenth and will cover the introduction plus parts one and two it's up to you. If you want to read it first, if you want to read it after or just There is no wrong way to be a part of our little pocketbook. The ninety nine percent. Invisible breakdown of the pound brother is produced by isabel angel factors my grandpa bees by one real mix, I donno Hirsch, dynamic buzz buzz. Executive producer is cathy to our senior editors Delaney. All croup coasted is the digital director, the residue. includes crisp Ruby jason de Leon, emmett fitzgerald martine gonzalez crisper johnson vivian, lay launch madonna,

jacob maldonado Medina kelly prime gabriela gladdening, Joe Rosenberg, sir, bake in me, roman mars, we are part of this nature and serious example: ass, family now, headquartered six blocks north in the pandora building in beautiful uptown, oakland, california, Home of the oakland route socket club, of which I am a proud community owner, as other prefer teams leave the oakland routes are open. First, always You can visit business and all the usual social media sites, but the best place on the internet is the place. You can listen to every past episode of ninety nine p I, and that is an ip dot. Org. crazy fuck accent couldn't get over the that switzerland thicket. New york, accents I've ever heard. I've always found it very adorable that his wife is named china and he calls her einer. The sky is It is an amazing writer he's such a penetrating thinker. He cannot pronounce

his wife's name properly.