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.

  1. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael
  2. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
  3. Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
  4. Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops
  5. Lady Madonna – The Beatles
  6. Metaphor – The Fantasticks
  7. Suzanne – Judy Collins