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The Fifth Risk

Written by: Michael Lewis
Narrated by: Victor Bevine
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Publisher's Summary

What happens when the President of the United States governs one Tweet at a time? When the elected leader of the free world may not have a firm grasp on the names of government agencies, much less an understanding of their intricate inner-workings? In the days following the 2016 inauguration, government personnel searched for answers that didn’t exist, while White House staff scoured halls for employees who would never be appointed.

Lewis’s insightful work is as much a testament to the unsung heroes who routinely go unnoticed in the unglamorous business of government as it is a criticism of the current administration’s negligence. He finds tireless public servants whose conviction and deep awareness keep schools in session and food programs afloat. Far from anti-government, The Fifth Risk is a powerful ode to those rare people who hold firm in their convictions and, despite all odds and opposition, remember why they got into government in the first place: to benefit society and better mankind. 

Please note: Included with The Fifth Risk is the entirety of The Coming Storm, the Audible Original story of two scientists who revolutionized climate predictions, bringing warning systems to previously unimaginable levels of accuracy. Michael Lewis uncovers the potential cost of putting a price tag on life-saving information.

©2018 Michael Lewis (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

What the critics say

"Narrator Victor Bevine has a low, restrained voice that underlines Lewis's sense of foreboding.... Bevine narrates deliberately but varies his tone to keep the audiobook interesting... He also pauses effectively to allow us to consider the meaning of the author's words." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Fifth Risk

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great book

another great book by Micheal lewis downloaded by accident and ended loving the book. entertained through out the book

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Scary times.

Just another book describing how destructive trumps leadership is to important institutions in America. Good luck y’all.

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too short!

great narration, amazing topics of the devolution of trust toward government planning and the stacking of political appointments with ideologues but I thought there would be more!

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2 people found this helpful

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great read or listen

I liked it, very interesting to hear about the people that actually want to make a difference to everyday life in America.

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Every school should cover this

There is so much bashing of the government these days that is easy to forget everything that it actually does. This book shows how ignorance- wilful and otherwise- has helped populists attack the entire idea of the public service. The book concentrates on Trump, but we can trace this problem all the way back to Reagan.

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Shocking and highly entertaining

For republicans and democrats alike, whether or not you agree with government providing some services or not, it’s so important to have an understanding of how government operates, particularly during transitions. This book is chalk full of insightful, appalling and hilarious stories about how absurdly the Trump administration transition was handled.

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Brilliant and so upsetting

It’s a book everyone should read but very few people actually will. It is so insightful

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Good not great

I like Michael Lewis but the book beats around the point and belabours it at others. Worth a listen to because it’s informative but not the best optiob

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Elections have consequences

What happens when someone not interested in the government gets elected to run it? Michael Lewis focuses on the transition from the Obama administration to Trump. In so doing, he scared me more witless than a stack of Steven King horror films.
Ignore at your own peril.

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Fascinating!

I had no idea about what a transfer of Presidents entailed. Very eye opening and extremely captivating! I highly recommend this book to anyone who started following politics the last several years; because let’s be honest it’s been a crazy ride!

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