Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service (Unabridged)
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4.1 • 27 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
“Perhaps never before has there been a book better timed or more urgent.” —Washington Post
“Michael Lewis has this incredible ability to zoom in on one person's story, and from there reveals something much bigger about our culture. His books leave you seeing the world differently, and his books about federal workers are no exception.” —Katie Couric
As seen on CBS Mornings, CNN Anderson Cooper, ABC News Live, MSNBC Morning Joe, and many more
Who works for the government and why does their work matter? An urgent and absorbing civics lesson from an all-star team of writers and storytellers.
The government is a vast, complex system that Americans pay for, rebel against, rely upon, dismiss, and celebrate. It’s also our shared resource for addressing the biggest problems of society. And it’s made up of people, mostly unrecognized and uncelebrated, doing work that can be deeply consequential and beneficial to everyone.
Michael Lewis invited his favorite writers, including Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell, to join him in finding someone doing an interesting job for the government and writing about them. The stories they found are unexpected, riveting, and inspiring, including a former coal miner devoted to making mine roofs less likely to collapse, saving thousands of lives; an IRS agent straight out of a crime thriller; and the manager who made the National Cemetery Administration the best-run organization, public or private, in the entire country. Each essay shines a spotlight on the essential behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees.
Whether they’re digitizing archives, chasing down cybercriminals, or discovering new planets, these public servants are committed to their work and universally reluctant to take credit. Expanding on the Washington Post series, the vivid profiles in Who Is Government? blow up the stereotype of the irrelevant bureaucrat. They show how the essential business of government makes our lives possible, and how much it matters.
Customer Reviews
Interesting
Not what I thought it was going to be but it was interesting. Enjoyed it a lot. Not a “book club” kind of book so loved it.
Writing does NOT mean you narrate well
The editor collects a bunch of short stories from other reporters together, but all are Biographies. Not that interesting. The unifying theme in each one is civil servants actively staying away from the spotlight or refusing to claim credit. Such selfless non-glorification and work gumption is the backbone of Service. It divulges that workers are within a system so scared of the perception of offending the public, that a culture of never celebrating successes harms overall public support. But this exploring this theme across each story is needed, and less biography.
Each chapter is narrated by its author: huge mistake. Hard to listen to, worse for full price. Would have been better if expounded.