Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest books I have ever read.
Review: I have read this book twice. Caro has opened new worlds for me and to any reader who has read this book. It is so detailed and so brutally honest, that it is difficult at times to aborb it all. Caro's other work on LBJ is just as momentous. I have never felt as if I knew the subject of a biography as I have after reading either the Path to Power or The Powerbroker.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome work with relevant lessons for our time
Review: It has been a number of months since I read this book, yet many of its messages have stayed with me clearly and have had an impact on my thinking about how we build our communities today. Such a test of time reveals this book's lasting value - not to mention it was an extremely entertaining read! Look around at the misguided attempts at urban planning both here in New England and nationwide and you quickly realize that our planners of today do not read and have not learned from their history. Consider modern zoning regulations that intentionally spread things out - and compare this to Moses' refusal to allow rapid transit along his parkway corridors, resulting in communities that will never be served by efficient transit solutions. Consider the woefully wasteful highway projects of today (eg. Boston's Big Dig) and compare to Moses' belief that the next big bridge would solve the problem. There are certainly many more themes in this book - Caro's focus is indeed on the corruption of power and Moses' transformation from reformer to the core of the problem - but I believe this book also carries many valuable lessons that need to be communicated and acted upon by concerned citizens in the shaping of our cities from here on.Read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Broken by Power
Review: This is one of the best books of any type I have ever read. It is more than a biography- it is a thought provoking comentary on the nature of man and the coruption of power. It is well worth the investment of time.
Rating:
Summary: A Tragic Tale of the (Mis)Use and Abuse of Power
Review: While this book at times seems insufferably long and the reader's interest will undoubtedly flag during some of its less exciting passages, "The Power Broker" is well-worth the time and effort required to complete it: its ending is possibly the most powerful of any book I have ever read. Chapter by chapter, in meticulous, well-documented detail, Caro builds a powerful indictment of an unelected public official who accumulated unrivaled power and used it to remold New York City and State - mostly for the worse - with massive highways, parks and public works projects. While some view Robert Moses simply as a "reformer gone bad," a man of incredible talent and intellect who allowed his lust for power to destroy his ability to do good, his story also reveals the vices common to almost all reformers, such as the tendency to look at the people they govern as an impersonal mass without considering the needs of individuals, or the harmful effects reform policies can have on "the people" as individuals. "The Power Broker" shows us not only how the concentration of too much power in the hands of one person subverts democracy, but that reform for its own sake is seldom a good thing.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book Worth the Time Investment
Review: The Power Broker is the sort of book that most people are reluctant to actually pick up and read despite its wonderful reputation because of its gargantuan size. Much of the book reads like a novel, however, and holds attention like a novel - you'll want to know what happens next. Caro's bias towards his subject, which he does little to hide, can be offputting at times. Most readers will come to be persuaded by the mountain of information he provides about who Robert Moses was and what he did. It's a nonfiction book that engages you emotionally. Those who take an interest in city politics or just NYC generally are quite certain to enjoy the book.
Rating:
Summary: One of the top five books I've ever read. Compelling!
Review: I first read "The Power Broker" as a student at Fordham University in the '70s. Of course, Fordham/Lincoln Center is part of Moses' legacy, as represented in the book. As part of our honors course, Moses was invited to speak to our class, but canceled when he heard we had read Caro's book. Then, he was convinced to speak if we promised to be respectful. Moses even submitted "acceptable questions" to us, and the students wanted to cancel at this point! In the end, he spoke. Caro's portrayal of this titanic intellect was completely accurate. Even at his advanced age, he way dynamic. As an aspriring Caro myself, I thought, 'How do you encapsulate such a book into a simple, yet probative and respectful, question?' So, quite nervously, I asked the first question, "What obligation does an urban planner owe to the future?" Moses' answer, totally consistent with Caro's penetrating view of this extraordinary man, was: "None." If you have ANY interest in politics, power or the REAL things that affect people's lives, read this book. If I had Spielberg's money, I'd get George C. Scott and make the movie. Together with Caro's second work on Lyndon Johnson (I'm eagerly awaiting the third volume), also in my personal Top Five, READ THIS BOOK!
Rating: 
Summary: Meticulously researched, however, a bit too detailed
Review: The underlying facts of this book were obviously meticulously researched by the author. However, in my opinion, the work is a little too long - about 3 or 4 hundred pages could have been shaved with no loss of continuity or importance. Additionally, the subject matter of the book, the planning and construction of the infrastructure of New York City, would be more appreciated by an individual who lives or has lived in the New York metropolitan area. Nevertheless, this book presents a fascinating view of power and politics, and is enjoyable reading. A co-worker of mine, who recommended this book to me, does not agree with my rating, and feels that a higher rating should be given, (I would have given 4 1/2 stars, but that option was not available).
Rating:
Summary: Powerful view of power
Review: There were times in reading this book that I felt as if I were actually being pushed aside. Pushed aside in the name of progress, pushed aside by an ego, pushed aside by a bulldozer, pushed aside as a result of Robert Moses will. The Power Broker was an amazing read, if you enjoy reading about influence, impact, and power that manipulates or overcomes all challengers, read this beautiful book by Robert A. Caro.
Rating:
Summary: This is an amazing book.
Review: Probably one of the best books I have ever read in my life. If you have more than a passing interest in cities, urban planning, or politics and power, you'll likely love this book. I found it totally engrossing. Moses was a deeply flawed genius, and it is tragic (although gripping) to see how he became much of what he loathed as a young man, all in the name of "getting things done".
Rating:
Summary: One great book!
Review: This is the finest political book of our generation. If you really want to understand politics you must read this book. Do not be put off by the size of the book. Like "War and Peace" it will be worth the effort.
|
