The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Recommended by Alessandra Seiter, community engagement librarian at Harvard Kennedy School

“The Power Broker” is an exquisite tome of investigative journalism that illuminates the foundation of today’s intertwined crises of urban transportation and land use. Caro chronicles the catastrophes that have befallen New York (and the nation) thanks to the precedent set by Robert Moses’ monumental 40-year reign over city and state governmental agencies.

Moses’ insistence that the ends justify the means and his disregard for anyone else’s lived experiences provide urgent reminders that institutional decision-makers must prioritize social infrastructure alongside other goals.