CBS Radio’s Benji Cole interviews Dick Gephardt, author of “535 Not 1”
Dick Gephardt, author of “535 Not 1,” was interviewed by CBS Radio’s host, Benji Cole. The interview in the People of Distinction program is about discussing the message of the book as well as the author’s purpose for writing this masterpiece.
People of Distinction is one of the most wide-ranging radio shows in the United States, hosted by Benji Cole and Al Cole from CBS Radio. People of Distinction is the right fit for authors and readers to discover newly published books, mostly written by passionate and independent authors.
Benji Cole, the host of the program, is a world-class interviewer, video formulator, Los Angeles actor, and filmmaker. He’s shared the acting stage with superstar Tom Hanks.
Author Richard Andrew “Dick” Gephardt served as a United States Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995 and Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 1988 and 2004. Gephardt was mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee in 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Since his retirement from politics, Gephardt has become a significant lobbyist. He founded a Washington-based public affairs firm, Gephardt Government Affairs, and an Atlanta-based labor consultancy, the Gephardt Group. He currently consults for DLA Piper, FTI Consulting, and Goldman Sachs and serves as a director of Centene Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Spirit Aerosystems Holdings, Inc., and United States Steel Corporation.
The co-author, Kenneth Grant, is a New York-based financial professional specializing in the field of risk management. He is the founder of General Risk Advisors, LLC, a risk management solutions enterprise. His professional experience includes serving as Chief Risk Officer of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, SAC Capital, and Tudor Investment Corporation.
This engaging narrative shares a critical message at this time of history. Regardless of your politics, it’s hard to agree that a country divided leaves us vulnerable on the global stage. “535 Not 1” is a unique book and is essentially a memoir. But beneath the memories runs a polemical river about the nature of optimal human governance. Readers are given stories that elaborate the polemic, stories that Gephardt believes convey meaning more directly than philosophical arguments, and these stories, while revealing Gephardt personally, additionally take us through a unique period in the history of our political enterprise, a period that starts with the advent of Ronald and ends with 9/11.
“535 Not 1” describes the public life experience of Richard Gephardt. As a former Congressman from Missouri, he rose from relatively modest beginnings to the leadership of the United States House of Representatives. His career in public service also included running for president twice. Throughout his tenure in public office, Mr. Gephardt dealt with a vast inventory of pressing issues, including foreign policy/terrorism, government spending and budget deficits, inflation, healthcare reform, impeachment, and many others.
These issues are still timely today. Gephardt’s compelling stories provide an insider’s view of American governance during his tenure in Congress, which began in 1977 and ended in 2005. Through warmth, humility, and love of the country, Mr. Gephardt seeks to tell his story in a way that will both entertain readers and offer an important perspective on this moment in history.
Get to know more about the author and the work as you listen to the full interview below: