On Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis
by Tara Shaw
Hi, I’m Tara Shaw from Minneapolis—though I grew up in Kansas and have been a longtime HPPR listener.
My summer reading recommendation is Who Is Government? by Michael Lewis—and it’s exactly the book we need right now.
Now, you might be thinking: a book about government bureaucrats for summer reading? Hard pass. But let me make two arguments to change your mind.
First, the author. You probably know Lewis from books—or the movie versions—of The Big Short, Moneyball, or The Fifth Risk, where he takes complex systems and makes them wildly readable. I’ll read anything this man writes. His timing, topic selection, and storytelling instincts are impeccable.
Second, this book could not be more timely. At a moment when government programs are being slashed, public servants are being mocked, and institutional trust is fraying, Lewis offers something rare: respect for competence. Not blind faith—just deep attention to the people doing the work.
The premise of Who is Government? is simple, but in Lewis’s hands, it becomes a rich, moving portrait of commitment, grit, and institutional memory—at a time when all of those are under threat.
The chapters read like a mosaic. You meet a man overseeing our nuclear early warning system—so humble and competent, I immediately wanted him in charge of everything. Another runs a national military cemetery with such quiet reverence, I genuinely teared up. Lewis assembled a diverse and genius range of authors like Dave Eggers, W. Kamau Bell, and the true American treasure, Sarah Vowell, each bringing their own distinctive voice to their profiles.
To my surprise, one of my favorite chapters wasn’t about a person, but a metric—the Consumer Price Index. Author John Lanchester manages to make what should be dry economics feel urgent and profound. He tosses in a quote from Carl Sagan that was so prescient, it literally stopped me in my tracks mid-dog walk. I won’t spoil it, but when you read it, you’ll know.
My favorite chapter, though, is by Casey Cep. She profiles Ronald Walters, who oversees a national military cemetery—not Arlington, but a smaller one near St. Louis. He’s not famous. He doesn’t seek attention. But the reverence and precision with which he tends to every burial, every blade of grass, is staggering. He knows how to fold a flag properly. He knows when to stand still. And he understands that the families arriving aren’t just grieving—they’re carrying legacy. That chapter reminded me that patriotism isn’t loud. Sometimes, it’s just a man in a windbreaker making sure a soldier’s resting place stays immaculate.
What makes this book powerful is that it doesn’t preach—it shows. It reminds us that government isn’t a meme or a monolith. It’s people. And cutting it down or mocking it—like the Doge-era nihilism that’s so in vogue—isn’t just cynical. It’s dangerous.
Who Is the Government? is a quietly radical book. It argues that good government is a public good worth defending. And believing in it—and the people inside it—isn’t naive. It’s necessary.
This book was surprisingly moving and uplifting. It gave me so much hope in a time when hope feels scarce. I hope it does the same for you.
