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    Who Is Government?

    The Untold Story of Public Service

    Read by Michael Lewis, Sarah Vowell, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Casey Cep, Dave Eggers On Tour, W. Kamau Bell
    Edited by Michael Lewis
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    Best Seller
    Audiobook Download
    Audio | Penguin Audio
    On sale Mar 18, 2025 | 6 Hours and 44 Minutes | 9798217082902
    Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
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    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.
    Introduction ix
    Michael Lewis, "The Canary" 1
    Casey Cep, "The Sentinel" 43
    Dave Eggers, "The Searchers" 71
    John Lanchester, "The Number" 99
    Geraldine Brooks, "The Cyber Sleuth" 129
    Sarah Vowell, "The Equalizer" 153
    W. Kamau Bell, "The Rookie" 181
    Michael Lewis, "The Free-Living Bureaucrat" 213
    Afterword 245
    Praise for Who Is Government?

    “Perhaps never before has there been a book better timed or more urgent.” —Washington Post

    "This eye-opening, multifaceted ode to public service. . . feels both urgent and moving." —The Guardian

    "Terrific." —New York Times

    “Thousands of unsung heroes in the government are making life better for Americans. But because of bureaucracies being made up of bureaucrats, we rarely hear those stories. This book showcases them. . . . As the federal government is in its biggest shake-up in a generation, it’s worth learning about where the bright spots are.” —NPR

    “Lewis has done it again.” —LitHub

    “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

    "A spirited rebuttal to the canard that federal civil servants are nest-featherers up to no good. . . .
    All the contributions. . . press the point that the government’s work is useful—and no one else but government workers are likely to do it. Compelling arguments against ideologues bent on dismantling the government." —Kirkus Reviews

    About

    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.

    Table of Contents

    Introduction ix
    Michael Lewis, "The Canary" 1
    Casey Cep, "The Sentinel" 43
    Dave Eggers, "The Searchers" 71
    John Lanchester, "The Number" 99
    Geraldine Brooks, "The Cyber Sleuth" 129
    Sarah Vowell, "The Equalizer" 153
    W. Kamau Bell, "The Rookie" 181
    Michael Lewis, "The Free-Living Bureaucrat" 213
    Afterword 245

    Praise

    Praise for Who Is Government?

    “Perhaps never before has there been a book better timed or more urgent.” —Washington Post

    "This eye-opening, multifaceted ode to public service. . . feels both urgent and moving." —The Guardian

    "Terrific." —New York Times

    “Thousands of unsung heroes in the government are making life better for Americans. But because of bureaucracies being made up of bureaucrats, we rarely hear those stories. This book showcases them. . . . As the federal government is in its biggest shake-up in a generation, it’s worth learning about where the bright spots are.” —NPR

    “Lewis has done it again.” —LitHub

    “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

    "A spirited rebuttal to the canard that federal civil servants are nest-featherers up to no good. . . .
    All the contributions. . . press the point that the government’s work is useful—and no one else but government workers are likely to do it. Compelling arguments against ideologues bent on dismantling the government." —Kirkus Reviews

    Additional formats

    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      $19.00 US
      Paperback
      May 05, 2026
    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      $30.00 US
      Hardcover
      Mar 18, 2025
    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      Ebook
      Mar 18, 2025
    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      $19.00 US
      Paperback
      May 05, 2026
    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      $30.00 US
      Hardcover
      Mar 18, 2025
    • Who Is Government?
      Who Is Government?
      The Untold Story of Public Service
      Ebook
      Mar 18, 2025

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