Bob Herbert, Lesley Stahl Discuss His New Book at NYU Wagner

Former longtime New York Times columnist Bob Herbert spoke about his new book, “Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America,” in a public conversation at NYU Wagner on October 15 with the noted television journalist Lesley Stahl.

Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow with the public policy organization Demos, which co-sponsored the event, said his interviews across America had deepened his view that the country was the victim of misplaced public priorities, such as sagging investments in infrastructure, “endless, debilitating” foreign wars, undue emphasis on “corporate remedies” for public schools, and near-silence about joblessness and poverty.

The seats in the Rudin Family Forum for Civic Dialogue were almost all filled for the evening event. Welcoming Herbert and Stahl to NYU Wagner were Anthony Bertelli, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, and author and commentator Rich Benjamin.

Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, has called Herbert’s chronicle a “devastating portrait” of the United States. The author signed copies of his book at a reception following a question-and-answer session with audience members.

“One of the themes of the book is that I have basically lost faith in the political system and political leaders,” Herbert told listeners. “The politicians, the elected officials, no longer look out for the interests of the American people. They look out for their [wealthy and corporate] donors.”