Rick Caruso Announces Memoir 'Breaking New Ground,' Due Jan. 26

Rick Caruso will publish a memoir, "Breaking New Ground," on Jan. 26 through HarperCollins Leadership. The shopping center magnate and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate confirmed the project in an interview with Variety on Monday.

The book, written with ghostwriter Mark Dagostino, promises behind-the-scenes accounts of political dealings and lessons from a career spent managing civic crises. Caruso said it offers "a road map for how you get through disrupted or complicated positions, deals, times — whatever the case may be."

"I enjoy dealing with complex problems and breaking things apart and putting them back together," Caruso told Variety. The book aims to convey "a state of mind of how you get through difficult decisions."

What does the memoir cover?

Caruso built his fortune on retail developments. The list includes The Grove in L.A.'s Fairfax District and The Americana at Brand in Glendale. He wants the book to break down how he led those ventures to success.

The memoir also reaches beyond business:

• His tenure leading the Los Angeles Police Commission through turmoil in the 2000s
• His chairmanship of the USC Board of Trustees as the university sought to recover from scandals
• His role in the recovery from the Palisades fire, which destroyed three of his family's homes

"It's meant to be hopeful and optimistic, giving people a path moving forward," Caruso said. "We're in a period of great disruption… When there's great disruption, there's also great opportunity if you can see your way through it."

Where does Caruso stand on L.A. politics?

Caruso ruled out a second run for mayor this year. He lost his only campaign for public office to Karen Bass in the 2022 mayoral election. He called her handling of the January 2025 fire "incompetence," "mismanagement" and a failure on an "epic level."

Recently, he has aimed sharper criticism at Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who is running against Bass from the left and leading in the polls. Caruso is particularly disturbed by her intent to fire LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. On Monday, he announced that he would vote for Bass but stopped short of endorsing her.

Asked whether he regrets skipping a second campaign, Caruso was firm. "I'm very happy and comfortable with the decision I made," he said. "It was the right decision at the time, and I think it's the right decision now."

Where will the royalties go?

Royalties from "Breaking New Ground" will fund Steadfast L.A., the nonprofit Caruso founded to aid recovery from the Palisades and Eaton fires. Caruso argued that skipping the race enabled that work. "Had I run, I probably would not have been able to do what I've been able to do at Steadfast," he said. "People would have been skeptical that I would have done it for political gain… As much as I would love to be mayor of L.A., you don't always get what you want. And timing is critical in politics. I feel good about where I am today."

While working on the book, Caruso has become a regular presence on social media, posting videos from his car and launching occasional broadsides at elected officials.

The memoir is not a farewell to politics. Asked if the book means he is no longer interested in running for office, he gave a quick answer: "No."