Michael Lewis is a master researcher, writer, and storyteller. Best known as a financial journalist, Lewis takes a different approach with Who Is Government?, departing from his earlier notable books and writings – The Big Short, Liar’s Poker, Moneyball, among others. Who Is Government? offers a focus on the public sector, highlighting the people who work within federal agencies.
Lewis didn’t go it alone in writing Who Is Government. He sought several of his favorite writers to collaborate in researching and writing stories for an in-depth series published by The Washington Post. Together, the Lewis team sought to find and profile exceptional examples of public service far outside the spotlight of day-to-day actions of public agencies. In Lewis’s words:
“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.”
Six authors joined Lewis in contributing essays: Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell. Different authors and different stories, each with a unique story and perspective, but with a consistent format and style. In the audiobook version, the authors also serve as narrators, making it interesting to hear their stories in their own voices.
One example – Most Americans, myself included, know little about national cemeteries. Casey Cep, a staff writer for The New Yorker, profiled Ronald Walters, the principal deputy undersecretary for memorial affairs at the National Cemetery Administration. Cep observed that Walters is “one of the most effective people in the country.” He is responsible for overseeing 156 national cemeteries. Under his leadership, the cemetery administration has achieved a 97 percent rating on the Customer Satisfaction Index.
Another example – Lewis writes about Chris Mark, a former coal miner and engineer who, while at the Department of Labor, developed industry-wide standards to prevent roof collapses in underground mines. His painstaking and dedicated work has saved thousands of lives.
A personal favorite of mine is historian Sarah Vowell’s essay about the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and its Chief Innovation Officer Pamela Wright. NARA is a national treasure serving as the nation’s record keeper. Vowell writes about her own experiences in relating the historical documents available through NARA with discovering her own family history. I especially appreciated learning about History Hub from Vowell’s NARA essay.
Who Is Government doesn’t need to be read beginning to end, excepting from the introduction. Pick a story and go with it. It is a remarkable compilation of stories about exceptional people who provide outstanding service for public benefit.
Lewis, Michael (ed.) Who Is Government? Riverhead Books. 2025.
