Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service

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.