Adams

Adams

  • Submitted By: neph
  • Date Submitted: 04/24/2010 3:28 PM
  • Category: Biographies
  • Words: 1846
  • Page: 8
  • Views: 639

Power is the central idea of political science. Ron Rubin, the author of “Anything for a T-shirt” applies power throughout his story about Fred Lebow and his creation, the New York City Marathon. In my book report I will write about how the New York City Marathon was formed and developed over the years, and I will apply power to Lebow’s role in mass marketing, capturing the keys to the city, squeezing money from sponsors, devising shtick for the marathon, manipulating the media, and assembling an international cast of runners. I will also summarize the influence of the power of Lebow’s spirit in enabling him to complete his marathon creation as a cancer survivor.
Fred Lebow, a Romanian Jewish immigrant started running around Central Park’s reservoir to improve his tennis game in the late 1960’s and found joy in it. He ran his first marathon in 1970, in the Bronx and was disappointed by its location and because it was too plain. Lebow joined the New York Road Runner Club and recommended to hold the marathon in Central Park where the roads are wide and it is surrounded by trees. The club got permission from the Parks Department to have the marathon in the heart of the city, which went around Central Park four times. A politician, George Spitz played a powerful role in the formation of the five-borough marathon. Spitz introduced Lebow to the Manhattan Borough president, Percy Sutton, who liked Lebow because they both had the same vision and dream. Spitz proposed an idea about the five-borough marathon to Sutton, who thought of it as a good way to boost the city’s economy and bring attention to ethnic diversity. Sutton asked Mayor Abe Beame about the marathon and he agreed to it, and gave the power to control the city’s police, fire, sanitation and traffic departments. Sutton also provided most of Lebow’s financial requirement trough individual sponsors and Lebow did his best, getting more money through his friends, and sponsors. After deciding the route,...

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