standing between it and him was an interceding force, the passionate idealism he had expressed in the Yale bull sessions. The whole life of Robert Moses, in fact, has been a a drama of the interplay of power and personality. In between, while building the New York City and surrounding area that we know today, and defining urban planning in the 20th century: In private, his conversation dwelt more and more on a single theme-the ingratitude of the public toward great men. On the very last page-1161 pages later-he writes:

Oses was always talking-quite movingly, too-about dedicating his life to public service, to helping the lower classes.

It has all the drama and scope of a great tragedy and, more than just a biography, it is the story of the failure of liberalism, its corruption by power and its blindness to the manner in which even well-intended government projects have a destructive effect on society. If you've not yet bought your Summer vacation books, allow a strong pitch for this one. I raise my stein to the builder who can remove ghettos without removing people as I hail the chef who can make omelets without breaking eggs.

Robert moses and the fall of new york