Reviews - Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service

500 reviews for:

Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service

I feel genuinely shitty criticizing this book, as it aims to shed light on people like me—a small cog in the vast machinery of our federal government. It rightly emphasizes the value and impact of our work in serving the American public. It also draws attention to the reality many of us face: under-resourced agencies, overworked and underpaid employees, and yet, a continued commitment driven by a genuine love for public service. While the book’s mission is commendable, I found many of the stories outright boring. I listened to the audiobook, and the chapter featuring W. Kamau Bell—done in an interview format—really stood out. The entire book might have been more engaging in that format, perhaps better suited as a podcast or docuseries. Maybe I’m just too close to the subject matter to be the intended audience.

abartosz's review against another edition

5.0

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Just the sort of positive reminder that there are good dedicated public servants still working hard for this country.

jewbacca343's review against another edition

4.0

inspiring fast-paced

I picked up this book mainly because I heard Michael Lewis on the Jon Stewart podcast and thought he was an extremely interesting person to listen to.
This is a compilation of different writers talking about different government employees/offices so the quality varies. Bell's piece about the DOJ may have been my favorite, Lewis' pieces were both great and Brooks' was an insanely cool profile. The only one I didn't care for was Vowell's as I felt she talked way too much about herself. A pretty quick read that does a very good job community how the federal government employs some truly amazing people.

mbredehoft1's review against another edition

4.75

hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

coepi's review against another edition

3.5

As an infectious disease nerd, I particularly liked the Heather Stone story (The Free Living Bureaucrat) at the end.

restlessunicorn's review

4.0

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

bec99's review against another edition

4.5

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Lewis shines a light on the good work being done despite limited resources in this collection of insightful portraits of the federal government’s public servants. I wasn’t expecting to be so deeply moved, would highly recommend.