It’s been 50 years since Robert Caro’s The Power Broker hit the shelves and shocked the reading world. Which means that the usual excuse for not finishing it—“I didn’t have time!”—has dwindled. The tome is worth the time. Exquisitely reported and with a spellbinding narrative, The Power Broker traces Robert Moses, the New York City urban planner and public official, from his childhood to the peak of his immense power to his fall from grace. Caro describes how political power is gained, how it can be used, and how it can affect citizens positively and negatively. For instance, Moses revolutionized Gotham’s public transit system. He also brazenly displaced impoverished and minority communities to make room for urban developments. The New-York Historical Society celebrates Caro’s masterwork with an exhibition that includes manuscript drafts and archival research material. —Jack Sullivan