The Fifth Risk

by Michael Lewis

First published 2018

When a new administration takes over, the career civil servants who keep the government functioning suddenly find themselves in the crosshairs. Michael Lewis goes behind the scenes to meet the unsung heroes of federal agencies like Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy—the public servants who maintain vital programs and safeguard against catastrophic risks, even as their funding and expertise is eroded. As Lewis peels back the curtain on willful ignorance and short-term thinking at the highest levels, he reveals the true stakes: the health, safety, and future of the nation itself.

Genres: american, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, government, current-affairs, public-policy, american-history

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: insider-perspective, whistleblower

Setting: United States

Period: 2017-

221 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company

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