I used to work very long hours. Then I started to realize that the stuff that I was writing in the late afternoons, I was generally throwing out. So I quit earlier than I used to.
Robert CaroRead
Long Island is shaped the way it is largely because of Robert Moses. Long Island is a perfect example of how political power shapes people's lives every day.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the significant impact of political figures on the development of places and the lives of individuals.
Robert Caro highlights the influential role that Robert Moses had in shaping Long Island, underlining how political power can create profound changes in urban landscapes and, consequently, in the daily experiences of the people living there. The quote serves as a reminder of the interactions between power and community and how the decisions made by individuals in authority can define the structure of society.
Themes
PoliticsPowerInfluenceUrban DevelopmentCommunity
In practice
Example use cases
During a town hall meeting, this quote could be used to discuss local leadership and development projects.
More from Robert Caro
All quotes βWhat would be the good of rushing? You want these books to last.
Robert CaroRead
I sometimes feel that if your book sells more than 20 years, then there's something in it that you can say, gee, I did something that endures, that's timeless
Robert CaroRead
If you really want to show power in its larger aspects, you need to show the effects on the powerless, for good or ill - the human cost of public works. That's what I try to do, show not only how power works but its effect on people.
Robert CaroRead
It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So for me, I would always have an excuse, you know, to go - quit early, go to a museum, you know. So I do everything I can to make myself remember this is a job. I keep a schedule.
Robert CaroRead
I am trying to make clear through my writing something which I believe: that biography- history in general- can be literature in the deepest and highest sense of that term.
Robert CaroRead
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