Today's episode features #1 Robert Caro superfan, Conan O'Brien.
The Power Broker by Robert Caro is a biography of Robert Moses, who is said to have built more structures and moved more earth than anyone in human history. And he did it without ever holding elected office. Outside of New York City, Robert Moses wasn't exceptionally well known. Inside of New York, he was mostly accepted by the media as simply the man who built all those nice parks. But The Power Broker, which is subtitled Robert Moses and The Fall of New York, changed all that. It is a tour de force of journalism, history, and biography. Roman also argues it's really fun to read and is strongly in contention for the best book ever written.
But there is something of a catch, which can hang readers up: the book is a daunting 1200 pages long. As influential and amazing as this bestseller is, many people own an unopened copy gathering dust on their bookshelf. But that is a crime because this book needs to be read or at least discussed at length on a podcast.
Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan (Flop House, Daily Show) are starting The Power Broker book club that will run through all of 2024 as bonus episodes and in this introductory episode, Conan O'Brien joins us to talk all things Robert Caro.
Breaking Down The Power Broker
571- You Are What You Watch
The Power Broker #02: Jamelle Bouie
570- The White Castle System of Eating Houses
569- Between the Blocks
568- Don't Forget to Remember
Roman Mars Describes Chicago As It Is
567- The Double Kick
The Power Broker #01: Robert Caro
566- Imitation Nation
565- Mini-Stories: Volume 18
470- Another Visit from the Three Santas of Slovenia
564- Mini-Stories: Volume 17
563- Empire of the Sum
344- The Known Unknown [rebroadcast]
561- Long Strange Tape
560- Home on the Range
559- The Six-Week Cure
558- The Fever Tree Hunt
557- Model Village
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