Aug. 12, 2025
ENCORE: How Robert Reich learned to fight bullies
This week, we’re revisiting a favorite – our conversation with former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who just released “Coming Up Short,” a memoir that doubles as a national reckoning. The title is a nod to his height — just under 5 feet — but also to a country that, he argues, has fallen short of its ideals. He offers a blueprint for how to find its way back.
In this episode, Bob reflects on the moments — and music — that shaped his politics: being bullied as a child, narrowly avoiding the Vietnam draft, and his love for Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Here are his songs.
- Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
- Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
- Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
- Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
- Lady Madonna – The Beatles
- Metaphor – The Fantasticks
- Suzanne – Judy Collins