On the final page of his account of his years as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding (2002–07), Dan Doctoroff writes, “Government can work.” In these times, it’s a radical statement. And Doctoroff delivers a surprisingly entertaining affirmation of government’s ability to shape society, physically and economically.

Doctoroff’s efforts incited a dramatic transformation throughout New York. The Bloomberg administration rezoned 40 percent of the city, and Doctoroff was a primary instigator behind rebuilding Lower Manhattan following 9/11, creating Hudson Yards in west Midtown and Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, and helping to get new stadiums built for the Mets and Yankees in Queens and the Bronx. Many of these projects were catalyzed by the city’s 2012 Olympics bid, an ultimately failed effort.