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And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files, with your host David Axelrod.

Okay, I know this phrase is overworked, but it really applies here.

Kara Swisher is a force of nature, a columnist for the New York Times, host of two top-rated podcasts Sway and Pivot, co-founder of Recode, and longtime convener of globally watched tech conferences.

She was one of the earliest and most authoritative journalists covering the tech revolution in all of its implications.

She's also been a fellow this quarter at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics, something near and dear to me.

Kara Swisher is an unending font of insights and opinion, but she also has a truly remarkable personal story.

I sat down with her earlier this week to talk about all of it, and here's our conversation.

Kara, it's a great to be with you. There's so much about the world that you've covered for much of your life,

that impacts on the world that I've been involved in for much of my life, that scares the crap out of me.

I'm coming to you for at maybe clarity, maybe solace, I don't know.

We will get to all of that, but you are a force out there, and I want to talk about how you became the force you are.

Sure.

Starting with the story of your family.

Oh, my family, wow. Wow, that takes me back. I'm pretty old.

My dad, you know, I grew up in Tri-State area, and Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey area, essentially moving around that area.

My dad was in the Navy, and had just left the Navy and he died of a cerebral hemorrhage when I was five.

So it really impacted me quite a bit.

My brothers, I had two brothers, Walter and a younger, and my mom remarried, and my stepfather was a very successful business person, technology person actually.

And we just lived in Princeton, New Jersey. I grew up there, went to school, graduated from high school, and actually doing the high school commencement this year.

It's very exciting.

Nice.

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