Yes, I've read probably more than my share of 'the Trump Administration is a train wreck' books recently. I wasn't sure of the the idea of reading yet another one, especially as two years in, the wreckage is piling up higher and higher for all to see.

But Michael Lewis, this was a different read on the issue. Ok, it still detailed why the public is being so badly served by the administration. As the transition team never bothered to meet with any of the various government departments to learn what it is that they do. Months later, the appointed heads of these departments still have no clue (or interest) in what work is being done in these departments.

What was nice was the love letter to government bureaucracy and personal stories about how people came to work in public service. Most people don't realize just how much the government does and how much is the foundation for vast amounts of economic activity. The example of Accuweather is prominent in the book, a company built on the vast amounts of data that the National Weather Service provides for free, data that is now being hidden or locked away so that the public has to pay for it twice, once for the National Weather Service to generate it and then pay Accuweather.

So, the book was still depressing but we have to hope that the government is resilient and can survive a period of neglect and plundering. Sadly, most people fundamentally misunderstand the government and the vast amounts of public good it produces.