And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files,

with your host, David Axelrod.

I've known Anderson Cooper for years.

I've worked with him and greatly admired him as a colleague.

I've shared stories with him as a friend.

I knew, of course, that his mother was Gloria Vanderbilt, but never heard him talk much

about the Vanderbilt family which, for a century in America, came to describe wealth, power,

and celebrity, as well as excess selfishness and greed.

Now Anderson has written a revealing new book with co-author Catherine Howe called Vanderbilt,

the rise and fall of an American dynasty.

I sat down with him this week to talk about that story and why, after a lifetime of distancing

himself from that legacy, he decided to take it on.

Here's that conversation.

Anderson Cooper, good to see you, my friend.

You know, I worry about you all the time that you're not busy enough, and so I was really

gratified to hear that you have another book out.

Yeah, I know.

It's been, it seemed like a wise idea.

Especially when I was having a baby, I thought, why not?

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

And doing your show in 60 minutes and your online show and, you know, other stuff.

I'm working on an ice-capped version of my life.

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