Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service (Unabridged)
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4.2 • 77 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S 2025 SUMMER READS
AS SEEN ON CBS MORNINGS, CNN ANDERSON COOPER, ABC NEWS LIVE, MSNBC MORNING JOE, AND MANY MORE
"This eye-opening, multifaceted ode to public service. . . feels both urgent and moving." —The Guardian
"Terrific." —New York Times
An all-star team of writers and storytellers go in search of the essential public servant
Who works for the government and why does their work matter? 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 writing about someone doing an interesting job for the government. 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 celebrated Washington Post series, these vivid profiles show how the essential business of government makes our lives possible.
Customer Reviews
Important and relevant!
It is easy to think of bureaucrats as boring people with boring jobs. It is also easy attributing big achievements to big politicians. This book is a peek at what federal workers actually do and the importance of their jobs. These stories are truly inspiring!
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.